Entangled With You

•- CHAPTER 16 -•

Wearing my smarty- business clothes, I entered the Supreme Courthouse with full courage.

I love how the sounds of my three- inches heeled sandals everytime it touches the floor, sounded like power. I walk inside the two- storey, cold, and quiet building. But when I walked upstairs, it seems colder. There almost seems to be a dampness in the air of December. Down a corridor, there are empty offices and paintings of important looking people.

The Supreme Courthouse looks like a typical courthouse. The courthouse itself looks like a place where justice is served. It is a Romanesque building, two stories high, with large pillars in the front. Ivy grows up one side of the building. The green grass in the courtyard is immaculately kept. Martial Arts Sects’ flags flew high above the building. Etched in stone on the front wall of the courthouse are the words ‘truth, justice, and liberty’. This is a place where one should feel truly safe but also a place where criminals should fear.

Nakasunod sa kanang gilid ko si Clever. Samantalang nauna naman rito kanina pa si Trevor para magbigay ng updates sa mga kaganapan sa loob ng courthouse. Si Tiffany naman ang siyang kasama ni Jelly mamaya, na siyang magsisilbing first witness.

Sinadya kong papuntahin nang maaga si Trevor para may lead kami sa kung ano ang posibleng mangyari sa magiging takbo ng trial. Madumi kung maglaro ang Treacy kaya gusto kong makasigurado na walang magiging aberya.

As much as possible, I wanted to settle the case here in the courthouse, not in somewhere else, once our Plan A failed.

There was a plethora of thoughts running through my head as I settled myself inside of the courtroom.

Was there going to be fancy lawyers and scary criminals?

Am I going to be the only one watching if there is not a jury?

Am I going to stand out?

All of these questions going through my head were making me uneasy because this would be the first time, I'm attending such trial inside of the Martial Arts World.

Nakikita ko naman kung ano ang nagaganap sa isang paglilitis sa tuwing nanonood ako ng movies pero hindi ko alam kung katulad sa natural na pamamalakad at proseso ang nangyayari sa trial na katulad nito.

We were sitting at the right column, alongside with the other committee of Risum. While Treacy's members together with their high- ranking officials settled at the left column, and now exchanging threatening glances at our side, especially the arrogant, Connor Alvarez.

Ha! Ang kakapal ng mukha! Ang tatapang talaga ng mga kriminal na 'to!

I ignored the arrogant members at my side. I faced in front with head held up high while waiting for Supremo to enter the courtroom and start the trial.

After minutes of waiting, Supremo entered the room. It was my first time seeing him and his overflowing aura dominated the whole room. He was a middle-aged male who looked intimidating and seemed to be well respected. To my surprise, we did not have to stand up when he entered the room but instead, all people inside the room bended their one knee and bowed their heads which I quickly imitated. After Supremo sat down, I assumed the jury would follow quickly after. However, I suddenly learned that there would be no jury for this particular trial. It was only him who will execute the trial and then order his decision afterwards.

There were series of whisperings when the courtroom opened and the handcuffed defendant entered the room, wearing an overall black clothes.

I’m addicted to expressive romance and never have I ever thought that I could be able to experience one of it's most thrilling moment. Because when my eyes and Stanley's eyes met, the bolt of invisible lightning of tension strucked between us two. The explainably chill and nervous feeling I felt when he stare at me with hawk- like eyes, sent a frosty feeling down to my spine. His eyes were not the same as the way they looked at me. There were glint of annoyance and mockery. His stares changed and the weight of his glares are unbearable. The old Stanley totally changed and I was like seeing a new person in front of me now.