Web Fic
Chapter 138
Estrella held Zoey’s hands tightly, nodding affirmatively, “That’s right.” She then said, “Zoey, I promise I’ll uncover the truth behind your sister’s injuries.”
“Estrella, thank you!”
“It’s what anyone would do.”
After spending some time with Zoey in the hospital room, Estrella left. She had yet to see Nick show up. Since taking on this case, Estrella had visited the hospital five times and hadn’t bumped into Nick even once.
Clearly, there was trouble in paradise. At the very least, Nick was a huge part of the problem. His affection for Lexi seemed minimal, or else he wouldn’t have stayed away from the hospital for so long.
Gripping the steering wheel, Estrella mulled over the case details until the car behind honked, pulling her back to reality – the traffic light had turned green.
As she stepped on the gas to drive off, her gaze inadvertently fell on a black Mercedes SUV across the street. To her surprise, Nick was seated in the passenger seat. Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.
The driver was a woman who appeared slightly older than Nick, not strikingly beautiful but exuding a mature allure. Moreover, that Mercedes SUV was high-end, definitely out of Nick and Lexi’s price range.
At this moment, Nick looked somber and lost while the woman casually held the steering wheel with one hand. If Estrella’s hunch was right, it looked like their hands were intertwined from a distance.
She kept her eyes on the Mercedes SUV until a horn honked behind her again, prompting her to pick up speed. As the two cars crossed paths, Estrella quickly dialed her colleague, “Keegan, can you help me run a license plate and find the car owner?”
“No problem, Estrella. Shoot me the plate number,” replied the assistant attorney back at
the office.
Estrella relayed the plate number she’d memorized to her colleague. Her instincts told her there was more than meets the eye between Nick and this woman, which might be
connected to Lexi’s fall.
Three days after spotting Nick, Lexi’s case went to trial. The judge introduced the parties and their lawyers and then announced the official start of the proceedings, allowing Estrella to present the plaintiff’s demands.
As Estrella detailed the old injuries on Lexi, medical reports, and evidence of strangulation marks on Lexi’s neck from the day she fell, Nick’s expression grew darker. His icy glare at Zoey was downright frightening as if he could devour her whole.
After outlining the plaintiff’s suspicions and demands, Estrella glanced at Nick and then turned to the judge. “Your Honor, in light of the evidence presented and the defendant’s apparent apathy and failure to fulfill his spousal duties, we are charging the defendant, Nick, with assault and attempted murder.”
Having stated her case, Estrella saw Nick point accusingly at Zoey. Assault. Murder. Zoey had the gall.
Nick’s gesture wasn’t missed by the judge, who warned, “Defendant, this is a courtroom. Mind your behavior.”
That was when Nick’s mother burst out from the gallery. “Zoey, you viper! What have we ever done to wrong you or your sister? Sure, my son might have been too busy with work to visit the hospital often, but haven’t he and I visited? Your sister’s been comatose and hasn’t woken up once. Are we expected to keep vigil by the bedside of someone who’s unconscious 24/7? You bitch. How dare you accuse my son of assault and murder. You gonna pay for this!”
The judge had to bang the gavel to remind Nick’s mother to control her emotions, or she’d be asked to leave.
After she reluctantly sat down, the judge asked Nick, “Defendant, do you have any response to the plaintiff’s attorney’s statement?”
Nick rose from his seat, facing Estrella. “Your Honor, this lawyer must be talking about someone else because I haven’t done any of the things she’s accusing me of. I never laid a hand on my wife, and I certainly didn’t push her off the third floor.”
Estrella probed, “Are you aware that your wife Lexi frequently had injuries?”
Nick retorted, “No.”
Estrella pressed, “With such a close relationship, you never noticed her injuries?”
Nick scoffed, “Who has the time to inspect her all day? I believe Lexi might have been hurt, and I accept that your reports are real. But I didn’t cause those injuries. If you want to seek justice for her, find the real culprit instead of throwing around baseless suspicions.”
Zoey couldn’t hold back any longer. Standing up, she faced Nick, “You’re lying. My sister’s injuries were obvious. You must have known. And the marks on her neck the day she fell
my mother even asked you about them.”
Nick shot a cold glance at Zoey. “If you want to know about your sister’s bruises, you should ask her. Maybe she got them fooling around behind my back.”
Enraged by his insinuation, Zoey exclaimed, “How dare you accuse my sister like that?”
Nick retorted, “If you can suspect me of murder, why can’t I suspect her of infidelity? Who knows if her guilt drove her to jump?”
In the gallery, Haley was wiping away tears at Nick’s words, and Jeffrey was shaking with
anger. How could he have been so blind to give his daughter away to such a man? Nick’s words and demeanor that day only deepened Lexi’s family’s suspicion that her injuries and fall were no accident.
After his outburst, Nick smugly added, “Zoey, if you suspect I’m linked to your sister’s death, you better come up with solid evidence instead of trying to convict me with empty accusations.”
Zoey challenged him, “Then let us investigate your house. You better release your home surveillance footage.”
“With the way you’re grilling me, you think I’d just hand you the keys to my kingdom?” Nick chuckled, shaking his head with a feigned pity that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Sorry, sweetheart. I’ve got plans for at least a few more Thanksgivings, and I don’t intend to spend ’em pushing up daisies.”
“Nick,” Zoeyretorted, her voice dripping with an accusation as pointed as the heels she refused to run in, “you’re dodging the issue. Guilty conscience much?”