Chapter 615 The Scene
“This is a courthouse. Everyone must go through two security checks before entering. He can’t bring in any weapons,” Ashley said.
She wasn’t too concerned about Roman. After years as a lawyer, she had encountered clients with even more extreme behavior.
She added, “You should go to the office for your meeting.”
Elias didn’t want to leave. He lowered his head and said, “Since I’m here, let’s have a celebratory meal after the trial is over. You’ve worked hard, Ms. Thornton.”
Ashley looked up and saw her reflection in his eyes. “The case isn’t even over yet. How do you know I’ll win?”
Elias replied confidently, “Because you’re Ashley Thornton.”
Therefore, she would win.
Ashley’s expression remained unchanged, but a close observer would catch a subtle smile at the corners of her mouth.
“I almost forgot I have something for you.” Elias had been holding a tote bag, and Ashley had been wondering what was in it.
As she looked down, she was surprised to see Elias take out a thermos.
Elias started rambling. “Inside is some tea, warm and ready to drink if you’re thirsty. And here are some sour plum candies. If you feel nauseous, just have one. I heard trials can last for hours. If you get hungry, eat these. And also this…”
Ashley was overwhelmed. She felt embarrassed. “I’m going to court, not a field trip.”
Wasn’t this a bit excessive?
However, Elias didn’t care about other people’s opinions. After all, what was wrong with taking care of his wife?
After handing all the items to Ashley, he added, “There’s no law against drinking water in court.”
He gently caressed her belly and said, with a tone of both persuasion and firmness, “Be good, and don’t make things difficult for your mother.”
Their baby was active and would constantly kick as if they were doing military drills in Ashley’s womb.
Ashley pressed her lips together. Elias had promised to take care of her during her pregnancy, and he was indeed meticulous about it. She thought it wouldn’t be so bad if they could stay together forever.
Ashley said softly, “I have a prenatal check–up tomorrow. Come with me.”
Elias raised his eyebrows. This seemed to be the first time she had ever reached out to him about their baby.
With a smile, he said, “Sure. I’ll arrange for it.”
As the trial was about to start, Ashley didn’t say anything more. She handed the items back to Elias, keeping only the thermos, and took her place at the defense table.
Elias sat in the audience and watched as Ashley placed the thermos on the edge of the table.
He was reminded of a time when he stayed at her house, and she was so busy with her studies that she stayed in the dorm for several days without coming home. He missed her, so he once went to her university to catch a glimpse of her.
Back then, she had worn black–framed glasses and had long, straight black hair. Her ethereal presence was captivating.
On her desk sat a thermos, and as she took notes from the blackboard, she drank from it. Her lips would glisten with moisture.
Little did he know that the scene would stay with him for a long time.
The trial lasted a full four hours.
The case might have seemed straightforward at first, but given the sensitive issues of juvenile crime, Ashley was not entirely confident of winning. The arguments, evidence, and debates were fiercely contested, and at times, the outcome appeared uncertain.
Finally, Ashley brought in the female classmate involved in the case.
She testified that Theo had placed his hand on her chest, which provoked Marco to react violently. Theo’s fingerprints were also found on her shirt, which provided concrete evidence.
Thus, the judge ruled that Marco acted in self–defense and acquitted him.
As the gavel fell, the audience erupted in applause. Marco’s parents were so overwhelmed with joy that they wanted to get down on their knees and thank Ashley.
The latter quickly moved to support them. Meanwhile, Elias watched her from the audience with a smile widening with pride.
Just as he was about to stand up and help Ashley with her belongings, Roman suddenly spiraled out of control.
