My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus)

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is a blatant abuse of power. Do you see now who the real victim is? Mr. Bartz, is it also true that you rescued Mr. Frank Levett Sr. from the streets of Slovakia?"

Marcus was caught off guard. He hadn't expected that question, and he had no idea where this was going. But at this point, the best thing he could do was tell the truth.

"Yes... That's true," Marcus admitted. "The man was on the streets, begging for money. He was blind- someone had burned his eyes. All I did was take him to a doctor and leave him in a hospice, which I personally funded every month to keep him there."

"Why didn't you bring him back to Valentia? Wouldn't it have been easier to return him to his country?" the prosecutor asked.

"Sir, Frank Levett Sr. was in a hospice in Valentia. I couldn't set foot in the country, but he was always here. If his son had actually looked for him, he would've found him. But clearly, that wasn't convenient for him. After all, with his father out of the picture, all the businesses and wealth were transferred into Frank Levett Jr.'s hands."

Gasps and murmurs filled the courtroom. Some people started booing and cursing, forcing Judge Moriarty to call for order.

When it was the defense attorney's turn to question Marcus, he tried his best to poke holes in his

testimony, but it was obvious what Moriarty and the prosecutor were aiming for-they wanted to pile as many charges onto Frank as possible to ensure he would never leave prison.

Once Marcus realized this, he kept his answers short and truthful. His turn on the stand was surprisingly quick. He had expected them to dig into his past, but that seemed to be a secondary concern now. Then, it was Peter's turn.

He prayed he wouldn't have a panic attack. Crowded, enclosed spaces completely messed with his mind. He just wanted to get this over with.

"Mr. Palmer, can you tell us about your current health condition?"

"...What?" Peter blinked, confused by the question.

"Mr. Palmer, please answer." Judge Moriarty's tone left no room for hesitation.

"I'm fine," Peter muttered, though his voice lacked conviction. "But I have lingering effects from an accident twenty years ago."

"That's exactly what I want to talk about."

The prosecutor took out a folder. "I

have videos of your accident. I have footage of the person who

orchestrated it. Unfortunately, that man is no longer alive, but the person who paid for it? He is right here in this courtroom-Mr. Frank Levett Jr."

A video started playing on the courtroom screens.

For Peter, watching it was a shock. He had no memory of the accident itself. All he remembered was a loud crash, the ringing in his ears that wouldn't go away... and then nothing. He had been unconscious for over a year.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the court, I

believe there is nothing more to say. Do you still think this is a witch

hunt? Mr Palmer was only twenty-eight years old when this happened. After a long and painful recovery, he is here today. But I ask you-does this look like a baseless accusation to you?"

Peter stepped down from the witness stand, completely dazed. He had just found out who had sabotaged his car. Who had tried to kill him.

As he returned to his seat, Celeste was staring at him, utterly speechless. She had seen the video too. She couldn't believe that someone could survive an accident of that magnitude.

When Peter sat down, Celeste reached for his hand. He gave her a small, almost imperceptible smile. Her warmth was keeping him grounded.

If it weren't for her touch, he would've had a full-blown anxiety attack right there in the courtroom.

The prosecutor's voice rang out once more.

"Ladies and gentlemen, from the

very beginning, it has been clear who Frank Levett really is. The defense has failed to refute anything. Every piece of evidence shows that the man sitting before us is nothing like the image he projects. Now, you may be wondering-why did I bring up Frank Levett Sr.? Well, you're about to find out." noveldrama