Chapter Sixty Four
As Chloe took the stand, the tension in the courtroom was palpable. Lucas had a reputation for being a tough cross-examiner, and Chloe knew that she would be put through the wringer. She fidgeted nervously with her hands, her eyes flicking around the room as Lucas began his questioning.
“Ms. Chloe,” Lucas began, his voice smooth and measured. “Can you tell us what happened on the day you were poisoned?”
Chloe took a deep breath, her mind racing as she tried to recall the events of that day. “I was at a party that Liam organized,” she began, her voice trembling slightly. “I was having a great time, but then I suddenly started feeling sick. Liam took me home and we had dinner, but my symptoms only got worse.”
Lucas nodded, his eyes locked onto Chloe’s. “And how do you know that Emily is responsible for your poisoning?”
Chloe hesitated, her eyes flicking nervously to the jury. “I just have a feeling,” she said finally. “Emily always hated me because she wanted Liam for herself.”
Lucas smiled slightly. “But how do you know that Emily wanted Liam?”
Chloe’s eyes narrowed, and for a moment Lucas thought that he had overplayed his hand. But then she spoke, her voice low and intense. “I just know, okay? She was always flirting with him, always trying to get his attention. And whenever Liam and I were together, she would give me these dirty looks.”
Lucas leaned in slightly, his eyes probing. “But isn’t it possible that you’re misremembering? That perhaps Emily never showed any animosity towards you?”
Chloe hesitated, her brow furrowing as she struggled to remember. “I suppose it’s possible,” she said finally. “But I just can’t shake the feeling that she’s guilty.”
Lucas leaned back, his eyes scanning the courtroom as he considered his next move. He knew that Chloe’s testimony was the key to the case against Emily, and he needed to find a way to cast doubt on her accusations. “Ms. Chloe,” he said finally. “Can you tell us exactly what happened when you started feeling sick at the party?”
Chloe hesitated, her eyes flicking nervously around the room. “I don’t really remember,” she said finally. “I just remember feeling really dizzy, and then everything kind of went black.”
Lucas nodded, his eyes gleaming. “And how about when you were having dinner with Liam? What happened then?”
Chloe shook her head. “I don’t remember that either,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I just remember feeling really sick, and then I woke up in the hospital.”
Lucas leaned back in his chair, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. He knew that he had created enough uncertainty in Chloe’s testimony to cast doubt on her accusations against Emily. But he wasn’t done yet.
“Ms. Chloe,” he said, his voice quiet but insistent. “Can you tell us about your relationship with Aiden?”
Chloe’s eyes widened, and Lucas could see the panic in her face. “What does Aiden have to do with anything?” she asked, her voice rising in pitch.
Lucas leaned forward, his eyes locked onto hers. “Just answer the question, please.”
Chloe swallowed hard, her eyes darting nervously around the room. “Aiden and I are dating,” she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper.
Lucas nodded slowly. “And can you tell us about the night that you were poisoned? Did Aiden help you at all?”
Chloe hesitated, her eyes flicking nervously to the jury.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.
“Yes, he did,”
“That would be all”
As Chloe left the stand, Lucas called his next witness, Aiden. The courtroom buzzed with anticipation as Aiden took the stand, his eyes fixed on Chloe. It was no secret that Aiden was Chloe’s boyfriend, and Lucas knew that this would add an emotional element to the proceedings.
“Mr. Aidens, can you tell us your relationship with Ms. Chloe?” Lucas asked, his voice low and measured.
Aiden cleared his throat. “Chloe is my girlfriend. We’ve been together for a little over a year now.”
Lucas nodded. “And can you tell us what happened on the night of the poisoning?”
Aiden took a deep breath before launching into his story. He had been at home when Chloe had called him, crying and incoherent. He had rushed over to her apartment and found her lying on the floor, barely conscious. He had immediately recognized the symptoms of poisoning and had used his knowledge as a healer to save her life.
Lucas listened carefully, his eyes fixed on Aiden’s face. He could see the love and concern in the young man’s eyes, and he knew that Aiden was telling the truth.
“But isn’t it possible, Mr. Aidens, that you were the one who poisoned Chloe?” Lucas asked, his voice low and dangerous.
Aiden’s eyes widened in shock. “What? No, of course not! How could you even suggest such a thing?”
Lucas leaned forward, his gaze intense. “Isn’t it true that you were jealous of Chloe’s relationship with Liam? That you wanted her for yourself?”
Aiden’s face twisted in anger. “That’s not true! I love Chloe, but I would never hurt her!”
Lucas smiled, knowing that he had successfully rattled Aiden. He turned to the jury. “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s clear that there are many people who had motives to harm Ms. Chloe. Perhaps we should consider other suspects besides my client.”
Lucas knew how to build suspense and captivate his audience. He began his questioning in a calm, measured tone.
Lucas nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “And can you tell us what happened on the day that Chloe was poisoned?”
Aiden’s face contorted with fear as he began to recount the events of that day. Lucas listened intently, trying to find any inconsistencies in Aiden’s story. When Aiden finished, Lucas leaned forward in his seat, his eyes locked on Aiden’s.
“Mr. Aiden, do you know Max?” Lucas asked.
Aiden frowned. “Max? Max who?”
“Max, the man who offered to lie for Emily in exchange for a date,” Lucas clarified.
Aiden’s eyes widened with shock. “No, I’ve never heard of him.”
Lucas raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his voice. “Interesting. Because we have evidence that suggests otherwise. Evidence that suggests that Max was working for you when he offered to lie for Emily.”
Aiden’s face turned pale as he stammered out a response. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I swear, I had nothing to do with this.”
Lucas leaned back in his seat, his eyes fixed on Aiden. “Are you sure about that, Mr. Aiden? Because it seems to me that you had plenty of motivation to frame Emily for the crime.”
Aiden shook his head, his voice trembling. “I would never do something like that. I love Chloe. Why would I want to harm her?”
Lucas chuckled softly. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because Emily was always getting in the way of your relationship with Chloe. Maybe because you wanted her out of the picture so that you could have Chloe all to yourself.”
Aiden looked stunned, his eyes fixed on Lucas. “That’s not true. I would never do something like that.”
Lucas leaned forward, his voice dropping to a whisper. “But you did, Mr. Aiden. You poisoned Chloe, and then you tried to frame Emily for the crime. And now you’re lying under oath to protect yourself.”
Aiden looked defeated, his shoulders slumping. “Okay, this makes sense but I would never do anything to hurt Chloe.”
Lucas smiled triumphantly. “Thank you, Mr. Aiden. That’s all I needed to hear.”
The courtroom erupted in murmurs as the judge called for order. Lucas leaned back in his chair, a smug smile on his face. He knew that he had planted the seeds of doubt in the jury’s minds, and he would continue to do so until they were convinced that Emily was innocent.
As the court adjourned for the day, Lucas felt a sense of satisfaction wash over him. He had successfully undermined the credibility of the prosecution’s key witnesses, and he was one step closer to winning the case.
But as he left the courtroom and stepped out into the bright sunshine, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. There were too many loose ends, too many unanswered questions. He needed to dig deeper, to find the truth behind the poisoning. And he knew that the only way to do that was to keep pushing, to keep questioning, until the real culprit was revealed.