After John leaves, Sebastian and I head to the bedroom to unpack our backs. The room is silent—both of us in deep thought about next week. Sebastian breaks the silence, "I should call your new lawyer. The court would have informed him of the decision, but he needs to come over here to prepare you for trial. I need you to be properly prepared, Becca. While John was talking to us, I looked up Harry's lawyer. He's brutal." I look up from my bag, "Brutal? In what way?" Sebastian doesn't look at me; he's standing with one of his folded shirts in his hand, stroking the fabric, "He won a case recently. I read up about it, and this man is a monster. It was a rape case, and he got his client off with no charges. With all the evidence against his client, this man managed to convince a jury that the victim imagined it all." My hands begin to tremble, "I guess it's a good thing that there will be no jury in my case." Sebastian finally looks up at me, "I hope the judge is fair. Becca, anything can happen next week, and I don't want you to be disappointed if everything doesn't go our way." I smile softly at Sebastian, "As long as they receive some sort of punishment, I will be satisfied. Yes, I want them to rot in jail for the rest of their lives, but if this man is as good as you say he is, I will be happy with less." I can see the anger boiling up in Sebastian, "You have the best lawyer money can buy! If he doesn't win this, we will find someone who can!" I quickly make my way around the bed to where Sebastian is standing. I turn him towards me and take his face in my hands. He wraps his arms around me. "Sebas, please don't do this to yourself. I know you don't want me living in fear for the rest of my life, but I am perfectly happy just being with you. If Harry or Matt get off, yes, I won't be thrilled, but there won't be anything either of us could do about it. So, how about we tackle this thing to the best of our abilities, and then, whatever happens, happens." He looks at me with sadness in his eyes, "I want to be there for you, my love. I want you to feel safe and happy. There is only one outcome that will satisfy me, and that is the whole lot of them behind bars or the electric chair." I laugh at his comment, "I don't think the electric chair is legal anymore, darling." Sebastian chuckles at my comment, but I can tell that he is worried. "Let's get our bags unpacked, and then tomorrow I can meet my fancy new lawyer. Please don't think about this any longer. Let's just enjoy our last day of normalcy before the war begins." I lean in and give Sebastian a soft kiss on his nose. He smiles and pulls me in for a proper kiss, "Alright. One last day of fun." Sebastian and I lounge around the house for the rest of the day, simply enjoying each other's company.
The following day, I wake up before Sebastian and head straight for the bathroom. I turn on the shower, take off my clothes and step inside. The water soothes my stressed muscles as I let the water run over my head and face. Today is the day. The day that I meet my new lawyer. I hope he can help me. I didn't notice the bathroom door opening, and I jumped when Sebastian wrapped his arms around me in the shower. Sebastian laughs as I shriek in fear, "You are going to be the death of me, Harrington!" He squeezes his arms around me tighter, "I'm sorry, my love. I simply couldn't resist. When I saw you standing there, I knew that I needed to be near you." Sebastian and I take a long relaxing shower together. Every now and then, he becomes playful, splashing me with water or pouring more shampoo over my head so that I would stay longer—our laughter echoes in the bathroom. Once we finally step out of the shower, the water became cold. There is a soft knock on the bathroom door, and Roswell speaks from the other side, "Sorry to intrude, but your lawyer is here." Just like that, our laughter is replaced by nervousness. Sebastian responds, "Thank you, Roswell. Would you mind ensuring that he's tended to while we get ready? We'll be down shortly." Sebastian and I get dressed, and I pull my wet hair into a bun. He runs his fingers up my back, "Are you ready?" I shiver from the sensation, "I'm as ready as I'll ever be." He nods, and we both make our way to the living room.
As we enter the living room, a tall, well-dressed man is seated on the single couch. "Sebastian, my friend! How are you?" The man rises and walks toward us, "Arthur! It has been too long." They shake hands, and Arthur turns to me, "You must be Rebecca?" I smile as best as I can, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Arthur." He shakes my hand, "The pleasure is all mine. Please, let's take a seat and get started. There is much we need to discuss before your trial next week." Sebastian leads me to the couch across from Arthur, and we both sit down. "Arthur, when we last spoke, I told you everything that you needed to know about Rebecca's case. Please tell me there is some good news?" Arthur smiles, "Well, friend, there is an overwhelming amount of evidence against the defendants. It is going to be tough to convince a judge that they aren't guilty. Ramsey is going to do everything in his power to lessen their sentences." I frown, "Ramsey?" Arthur looks at Sebastian, "You didn't tell her?" Sebastian takes my hand, "I told her what he's capable of but didn't mention his name." Arthur nods, "As long as she knows what we are up against." I nod, "I'm aware. Now, I believe this is where you tell me what you're going to do to stop him." Arthur laughs, "She's got spirit; I like that! Don't lose that spirit in court, Becca. Ramsey sees one crack, and he will go straight for your throat." Sebastian notices my trembling hands and begins stroking them. Arthur continues, "Alright. Now that we have the pleasantries out of the way let's get to the rest. Rebecca, this trial will not be judged by a jury, as I'm sure John has mentioned to you. It is not uncommon for the defence to request this type of trial, especially if the case has gotten much media attention. This type of trial is commonly referred to as a bench trial. These types of cases generally favour the defence, but I believe, in this case, it won't count in their favour." Sebastian interrupts, "How so?" A disturbing smile creeps across Arthur's face, "The judge. They didn't hit the jackpot with the judge. His name is Frederick Barnes. He is the toughest son of a bitch, I know."
YOU ARE READING
THE CEO
RomanceRebecca has spent the last four years trying to save her marriage, but once she finds out what her husband is hiding, can she forgive him or will she seek revenge?
