THE CEO

Trial Prep

I look over at Sebastian, who seems tenser than before. He rubs his face and looks at Arthur, " What are our chances?" Arthur looks at Sebastian and then at me, "I don't want to give you false hope. The man has no conscience, and he will do anything in his power to make Rebecca seem insane. The evidence is not on his side, and it will be a challenge for him, but let's not underestimate his uncanny skill for changing people's minds. I can feel the fear rising in my chest as my hands begin to tremble, "So that's it then? He's going to convince a judge that I'm insane and that I imagined my entire ordeal. Harry and Matt will walk free, and I will live in fear for the rest of my days." Arthur leans forward, "I won't allow that to happen, Becca. I will fight tooth and nail to ensure that you get the result you desire."

I can feel the panic in my chest ease, "Thank you, Arthur." Sebastian looks over at me, "We need to prepare you for this trial Becca. Arthur is going to be ruthless and ask questions that you might deem inappropriate, but you have to consider that Ramsey won't care about your feelings." I turn to face Sebastian, "I'm sure that I've endured worse." He smiles at me, "My little warrior." He turns to meet Arthur, "You can begin. I'll wait in the other room." Arthur nods as Sebastian leaves the room. My hands suddenly feel sweaty, so I place them on my lap, clenching the hem of my shirt. Arthur notices, "That isn't a bad idea. Do whatever you need to hide your nerves. If your hands begin to shake, place them out of sight. We don't want to give Ramsey any indication that you might be nervous. Let's begin."

(POV: Sebastian)

I wish I was in that room with Becca. She must be nervous and scared. I wonder what Arthur is asking her. After pacing for a few minutes, I decided that it would be better to make myself something to drink instead of waiting outside for Becca. I walk into the kitchen and make myself some coffee while they are busy with their preparations. Suddenly, I hear the door burst open, and a crying Rebecca runs up the stairs. Arthur runs after her but stops as soon as he sees me, "Sebastian, you have to talk to her. I have barely asked any difficult questions, and she can't seem to handle it." My eyes wander up the stairs, "What did you ask her?" He looks up the stairs, "I asked her about her torture. How she experienced it and what happened. The questions were respectful. Ramsey won't be as lenient. I was only warming her up with some easy questions, and then out of nowhere, she said that she can't do this and ran out the room." I made my way up the stairs without acknowledging Arthur and made my way to our bedroom. Once I reach the bedroom, I notice that the bathroom door is closed, and Rebecca isn't anywhere in the room. "Becca?" A soft cry comes from the bathroom, "In here."

(POV: Rebecca)

Sebastian slowly opens the bathroom door, concern written all over his face, "My Darling, why are you crying?" Sebastian kneels in front of me and takes one of my hands in his. I look up at him through the tears, "I didn't think re-living the torture would affect me as much as it did." He sighs as he helps me to my feet and pulls me into a tight hug, "Darling, I know this is going to be difficult for you, but you need to push past the emotions. I know that it's easy for me to tell you to forget the pain, and I know that I have no idea what you felt while you were tortured, but to face a man like Ramsey, you need to be as calm as possible." I look up into his eyes, "I need you in there with me. It will be easier for me to face the questions if I know that you are in the same room." Sebastian plants a soft kiss on my forehead, "I'll never leave your side. Let's go back, my love. Arthur is waiting." 

As we walk back, Arthur rises, "Becca, I'm so sorry." I stop Arthur before he can continue, "No, I'm sorry. I knew this was going to be difficult from the beginning, and I didn't even attempt to push through the pain." Sebastian smiles, "I will be sitting in with her. I will also be in the courtroom to support Becca." Arthur walks over to Sebastian and shakes his hand, "That sounds perfect. Let's continue."

Over the next week, Arthur spent hours at our home, asking me the same questions repeatedly until it was a reflex to answer them. The pain associated with my answers has almost completely faded. Sebastian and Arthur had different lawyers come in and question me in their way to avoid me becoming comfortable with any one particular person. By the end of the week, I was as prepared as I was ever going to be. Sebastian walks over to Arthur, "My friend, would you stay for dinner? You have been a huge help this past week, and we would like to thank you." Arthur looks over at the feast prepared by our staff, "I would love to, my friend, but I need to prepare for tomorrow." Arthur turns to me, "Get some rest tonight, Becca. Tomorrow is going to be a long day." I walk over to Arthur, and instead of shaking his hand, I hug him, "Thank you for everything, Arthur. I wouldn't have been able to do this without you." Arthur hugs me tightly, "You truly are a warrior." He pulls away and gathers his belongings, "You both should get some rest. I'll see you in the morning."