Apex | Charles Leclerc

Chapter 14

I'm having my midterms this week so please keep out for any typos ✌🏻

This is kind of a heavy chapter so watch out...

There will be some triggering content about blood in this chapter after this emoji ⚠️. You may skip to the end where I'll be writing a short summary of that part.

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December 30, 2024 - Boston

"Are you sure you can't extend for another day?" Gabby pouted as I zipped up my suitcase. It was a challenge with all the souvenirs and snacks I bought for my family to bring home to Turkey.

"If I don't go home for New Year's Eve, my parents are going to kill me." I laughed at her sour face as I moved my luggage to the living room. My flight was leaving in two hours and I needed to head to the airport now so that I wouldn't be scrambling towards the boarding gate. "Besides, we just drank the equivalent of our body weight by going to parties three nights straight. You need to let your liver breathe."

"You're the one to blame for that since you always have your nose stuck in front of case files." She complained but I knew she didn't hold it against me.

I only finished the most difficult case of my life before Christmas rolled around. Our clients were the parents of a twenty-three year old girl who was pushed down the stairs by her boyfriend. It wouldn't have been such a high profile case if it weren't for the boyfriend who was also the son of Congressman Adam Hall, a famous politician who was preparing to run for the Senate during the next elections. The case was a complete disaster with reports of abuse from the year before made by the girlfriend completely buried and additional evidence of the son using drugs on the side.

It was my first time leading a case, spending the past year climbing my way up the ladder. The way to get there took a while with my firm being a male dominated organization but I didn't let that get to me. When I was taken under the wing of one of the only two women partners, she saw my potential and didn't hesitate to hand over the case to me. Imara Patel taught me how to speak up for myself and have the courage to take what I deserved.

The court hearings lasted for five days with me practically living in the office with the small legal team I had whenever we weren't in court. It was gruesome because Congressman Hall did everything in his power to strike any evidence that we presented but there was only so much he could do. We all knew he was a powerful man but money can only go up to a certain limit.

The star witness of the case was a friend of the son that was present that night. A party was going on downstairs, hosted by the son in the absence of his father, and the couple had gone upstairs for some privacy. His friend had gone to the restroom and was about to return to the party when he heard screaming from the second floor. He sat in court, sharing how the couple frequently fought especially when his friend was high. That night was not an exception as he watched the two continue to argue as the girlfriend screamed she was leaving. Before he knew it, his friend had pushed her down the stairs in anger.

He was seen and soon enough, his friend threatened him not to say a word. The defendant acted as if his girlfriend had fallen down the stairs during an accident and then they proceeded to call an ambulance. Frankly, the son was stupid enough to forget about the bruises he had left on his girlfriend's body during their fight and it was enough evidence to make him a suspect.

Congressman's son was charged to life in prison with no possibility of parole, charged with the act of second-degree murder and the possession and use of illegal drugs. He would've gotten off with a possibility of parole if it weren't for the drugs but add that to his reputation of being the son of the Congressman and how he acted like he wasn't the root of the crime, it was not a good image to the jury.