Chapter 980
On the plane, Carolyn and Jasper, the brother and sister, sat together.
She gazed at the white clouds in the thirty thousand feet high sky, feeling anything but calm.
She couldn't remember how many times she had traveled between the country and Aettosa, each time filled with hope, only to be disappointed and in pain when she returned.
It had become a repetitive cycle, and she had grown numb to it.
Jasper reached out and held her hand. "Sis."
Carolyn turned her gaze back to his handsome face and gave a faint smile. "I'm fine."
But she didn't pull her hand away. Unbeknownst to her, her little brother had grown up and become a strong man.
A man who could accompany her through thick and thin.
Although Jasper didn't say anything more, it felt like he was silently conveying warmth and strength to her.
A silent strength.
After a while, Jasper let go of Carolyn's hand.
The facilities in the business class were well-equipped. Although the seats were close together, each seat had its own small separate space.
It wasn't like the economy class where the seats were tightly packed together, resembling the arrangement on a bus.
After another hour, the plane finally landed at the airport.
Franklin held Sylvia's hand as they stepped off the plane, accompanied by Jasper, Carolyn, and a staff member from McGuire Group who was Carolyn's assistant. They all walked towards the exit of the airport After a few hours on the plane, despite the comfortable experience in the business class, they were all feeling a bit tired.
They first went to the hotel where they would be staying and rested for a while.
Carolyn and her assistant Sara shared a room. She felt more at ease when someone was in the same room as her, especially when they were away from home. It felt safer to live together. Jasper had a room to himself, while Franklin and Sylvia shared a room.
The weather in Aettosa was extremely hot. As soon as they arrived at the hotel, Franklin started preparing and organizing the evidence and materials for the trial, while Sylvia took care of everyone's daily needs and ran errands with Jasper or others.
While they were busy, members of the Blood Medical Sect also arrived at the hotel.
Without saying a word, Casey led Carmelo and a few men into Franklin's room.
The group of people surrounded him, conducting various examinations and consultations.
Carolyn was startled as she watched so many doctors surrounding Franklin. "Mr. Maskelyne, what's wrong?"
Sylvia casually replied, "Just a minor ailment."
She hadn't expected the Blood Medical Sect to take it so seriously and bring so many people along.
Casey first took his pulse, then examined Franklin's appearance and asked him questions. After that, it was Carmelo's turn, followed by the other men.
These men included two young ones and two middle-aged ones, all of whom conducted their own diagnosis on Franklin.
Finally, they gathered together and discussed for a while. Casey looked at Sylvia and said, "Miss Andrews, let's go back to our room to discuss our strategy. You can continue with your tasks."
Sylvia nodded. "Alright, let me know if you need anything."
Casey led the group of people out of the room.
Once they left, the room suddenly became unusually quiet.
Sylvia glanced at Franklin, who was still engrossed in his work, and quietly left the room.
She went straight to Casey's room and asked, "How is it going?"
"It's deeply rooted," Casey's fair face showed concern. "Miss Andrews, we'll do our best to treat him. We'll start by prescribing medication to delay the onset of toxicity. As for an antidote... we may need further research."
Sylvia hadn't held high hopes to begin with. After all, Countless Love Ties was not an ordinary poison that could be easily cured.
"Thank you," she said.
After leaving Casey's room, Sylvia patted her face and walked to her own room. She took several deep breaths and adjusted her facial expression and state of mind.
Once she felt ready, she opened the door and walked in.
She didn't want Franklin to see her worried and upset. If she was in pain, his burden would only become heavier.
On the evening before the trial, Franklin put away all his work and took Sylvia for a walk near the hotel. They enjoyed local cuisine together.
Lukas' case was scheduled to be heard at 9:30 in the morning.
Franklin wore a black suit with a white shirt underneath, looking clean and sharp. There was an aura of coldness that kept people at a distance.
Sylvia accompanied him to the entrance of the courthouse. "No matter what happens, just do your best."
Franklin looked at her affectionately and smiled lightly. "No matter the outcome, I know you'll be waiting for me. I'm not afraid."
Sylvia smiled back, her eyes curved. "Okay, I'll be waiting."
Only a few selected media were allowed inside; outsiders couldn't eavesdrop on the proceedings.
Carolyn walked towards the entrance of the courthouse with her assistant Sara and Franklin. When they reached the door, they encountered a group of Aettosa people. Among them was Du Lai, a well-known Aettosa lawyer.
Franklin glanced at him indifferently and brushed past him without saying a word.
They had come prepared for this battle!
The trial began promptly at 9:30.
Lukas was brought in. This wasn't
Franklin's first time seeing Lukas; he used to be a prominent figure as the eldest son of the Mcguire family, elegant and unparalleled. He and his wife Carolyn were known as a
famous power couple in the
business world.
Now Lukas appeared emaciated, with sunken eye sockets and pale complexion. He even walked with a slight stagger and had a hunched back.
However... his eyes were still bright like fire.NôvelDrama.Org owns all © content.
When Carolyn saw her beloved husband in such a wretched state, tears welled up in her eyes.
She had applied light makeup today and wore a black dress that exuded both solemnity and presence.
She looked at Lukas from afar, their eyes meeting.
Her emotions almost got out of control, but Lukas managed to crack a comforting smile with his cracked pale lips.
Standing in the defendant's seat, Lukas wasn't surprised when he saw Carolyn; instead, he felt warmth in his heart.
But when he saw Franklin standing beside Carolyn, he was shocked.
Franklin? What was he doing here?
He had seen this legendary Mr. Maskelyne on some occasions before but never had deep conversations or more than just greetings. But soon after the trial began, he realized why Franklin was there.
He was shocked once again.
However, he quickly regained his composure.
He listened as Franklin presented one piece of evidence after another and refuted every argument made against him.
His arguments were clear and strategic.
The judge from Aettosa initially felt a bit disoriented but soon started to feel overwhelmed.
How could this defense lawyer be so formidable?
Their side seemed defenseless against him.
Soon enough, Franklin looked at the judge. "I have presented all my evidence."
Everyone from Aettosa looked at Franklin with defeated expressions. Sweat started forming on the judge's forehead. Some media representatives were present; they would report on the trial without bias.
Under Franklin's strong evidence, he had to deliver a fair judgment.
Otherwise, Aettosa's legal system would lose its credibility.
The outcome of the trial was no longer in doubt; Aettosa's lawyer remained silent as he had nothing more to say.
The verdict was not announced immediately; instead, the panel would further discuss based on the materials submitted by Franklin.
Just as the judge announced the end of the trial, Franklin's vision went dark. His tall figure swayed for a moment before he quickly steadied himself by holding onto the table in front of him.
His vision gradually cleared after some time; his eyes almost lost focus for a moment.
After regaining his composure, he said to Carolyn beside him, "Let's go outside."
The verdict might be announced tomorrow or in a couple of days' time.
Carolyn's palms were already sweaty. It went just as she had expected; she hadn't anticipated that Franklin would be so eloquent and unstoppable in his arguments.
The opposing lawyer from Aettosa
stared at Franklin with defeated eyes before forcing a smile. "I didn't expect you guys to be so formidable. But so what? As long as those in power don't want to let go, do you think you can take someone away?"
"Do you really think you're some kind of protector? Or some kind of righteous Spider-Man? That doesn't exist!"
Franklin quietly looked at him. "I only know right from wrong. I won't do anything that goes against my conscience because of those in power."
The opposing lawyer laughed self-deprecatingly for a moment. "You really are..."
"
Franklin didn't bother responding because he found any further conversation with him uninteresting.
After leaving the courthouse, they saw Sylvia standing on the shady path across from the courthouse holding several cups of bubble tea. When she saw them coming out, she jogged over to meet them.
She handed them their drinks with a smile. "You've all worked hard. Have some water."
Franklin smiled and took one cup of lemonade. "Feeling anxious?"
Sylvia shook her head. "No. It's worth waiting no matter how long."
Carolyn pinched her hand. "We don't know what the outcome will be; we'll just have to wait."
Jasper also walked over, extinguishing his cigarette. It had been a while since he last smoked, but now he found himself smoking again.
He threw the cigarette butt into a nearby trash can. "Sis, don't worry. We can come back next time if needed. We'll save him someday."
Carolyn's eyes still had traces of redness as she wiped away tears from her eyes. Thinking of Lukas' haggard appearance caused her heart to ache uncontrollably.
After Lukas was taken away again, he was sent back to where he had been previously confined.
The prison cell was dark and damp; he had recently developed rheumatism and couldn't sleep comfortably at night due to discomfort.
He closed his eyes and recalled Carolyn's image; she was still so beautiful and elegant.
Unfortunately, he had become a wreck.
Even if he managed to escape from here, what difference would it make?
He sighed deeply as two lines of tears rolled down his cheeks. Carolyn... my wife...