His Obsession

41- Locking him behind bars

It's been several months since his death, but my heart still aches for him. I let the tears fall from my face as I laid a single red rose on his tombstone. I missed him like crazy and did what his lawyer told me to do and hired a qualified CEO to run his company for me. I had no clue what to do. One that his board of directors voted on and it's been running pretty smoothly ever since. "I think you would like him. He lives and breathes his work Enzo. I miss you so much, but I am also so grateful for everything you did to keep me out of his grasp. Well, I am happy to tell you that you're going to be a dad. I am 12 weeks pregnant and will find out the gender of the baby soon. I'm hoping it's a boy who will take after his father. Oh, I am headed to his hearing today. It's actually scheduled to take place in about an hour. I've been told that I'm going to have to testify to everything he has ever done to me. From what I understand with the murder charge and domestic abuse and rape, he's most likely going to be put away for a long time. That actually makes me happy. Detective Payne has been a huge help to me."

"Hey boss, we should get you to the courthouse!" Stewart says softly stopping a few steps behind me, and placing a hand softly on my shoulder.

I turn to look up at him. He has been an invaluable help as well. "Yeah, I know. Just a few more minutes please." I smile before turning back to the tombstone. "Well, I had to stop here to visit with you to let you know that I am indeed okay. That I am so very grateful for the huge sacrifice that you made for me. I love you Enzo, and always will. I hope you look down on me and our child proudly. I also hope you are proud of what I've done with your company and your money." With that, I turn back around and make my way to the limo that was waiting to take me to the courthouse. Climbing into the back, I watch as Stewart slides in behind me. I had told him that I felt better with him riding in the back than in the front and since then he has been doing it.

"So are you nervous?" He asks me looking me up and down, studying my face.

"To tell you the truth I am. I'm nervous about seeing him again. I'm nervous about being in the same room as he is. I'm concerned that he'll get away with it and be let go. As a result, he'll come after me." I looked in his direction, and I felt safe in confiding in him. He has become a dear friend in the last several weeks.

"I can understand your worry, but Joseph has said that he would never get away with what he did. Not with an eye-witness such as the two of us, and I know they are calling me to the stand to give my testimony on what happened that night he killed Lorenzo. I promise to you that I will protect you no matter what because that was what I promised to him before he was killed." He says through a soft smile. I could tell he was trying to make me feel better about the trial. But everything still scared me about Julian. Everything he would do if he was free was still etched in my head.

I look out the window as the limo pulls up to the courthouse. Detective Payne was standing there surrounded by the press. It looked like he was waiting for me to arrive. When he glanced over at the car he appeared relieved as Stewart helped me out. Shielding me from the press and all of their questions. This case was all over the news all this time. The trial was no different. I guess that's what happens when you kill a famous billionaire.

"Good morning Azlynn, nice day for a trial isn't it?" He asks me, studying me as I approach where he was standing. He scoops me up into a hug, and he holds me for a minute. We have become great friends, and through everything, this has turned out to be still one of the happiest things to have happened to me in my life. I was forever obligated to be grateful for all the men in my life.

"Good morning, Joe. It's such a good day to send him to hell and throw away his key, right?" I reply, pulling away and turning toward the building. We walk inside together. There was another reason I was nervous and it has been my secret. It was about to be exposed when I saw her sitting on a bench.

"Hello, Lisa." I smile at her, as she looks up at me with a gentle smile on her face.

"Hello, it's been a long time."

"Yes, indeed it has," I say glancing at the two men who were watching me closely. I turn to Detective Payne first. "Joe, let me introduce you to Julian's mother, Lisa Greene."

He smiled down at her, his hand on his gun. I could tell he was ready for anything, but I knew there was no threat here. "Hello."

"Lisa is here for the trial of course, but she poses no threat to me. Rather than the opposite, it was her plan that led me to run here to New York. She was always on my side of this." I smile at her, "Lisa this is the detective on your son's case, and this big guy here is my bodyguard Stewart. Lorenzo hired him before Julian killed him, and he has been nothing but a good guy. He's always there when I need him. In fact, he lives with me in Lorenzo's penthouse."

"Really, wow." She says, standing up. I knew it was getting to be that time that we needed to be in that courtroom. So I grabbed onto her arm, and together we walked into the room with the two boys following closely behind. When we found our seats, I handed her an envelope.

"Don't open it here." That was all I could say to her before having to stand for the judge who walked into the room and took his seat. He motioned for us to sit before he called for the defendant to be brought in. I turned to see him being pushed into the room in a wheelchair and my stomach dropped. He no longer looked like he was on top of the world. He looked tired, worn out for some reason.

The guard wheeled him to his spot. I gulped down some air as I saw him look around the room. When his cold eyes fell on me, I stared back at him holding my own. He was not the same man I had been taken by several weeks ago.

As the judge began to speak, I took my attention off him. I listened closely to what he had to say as he explained how this trial was planned to be conducted. I realized then that it would be several weeks before I knew his sentence before I was able to get the closure that I needed. While they read the charges against him and asked him to plead, I sat there. He looked at me before announcing that he was indeed guilty of every charge. I looked at him with wide eyes as I knew what this meant. We didn't need to proceed to trial, he admitted his crimes.

I looked over at Joe, who seemed surprised as well. After grabbing my hand and squeezing it, he watched how things were going to turn out. I silently watched as they told him what the next steps were supposed to be. I watched as they wheeled him out of the room while the judge disappeared into his chambers to review the case and decide his fate.

"Wow, I was not expecting that!" Stewart says looking me over and letting out a sigh when I smile back at him.

"I know, me neither," I say softly.

For the rest of the hour that the judge took, I sat in silence watching the time tick by on the clock. I was hopeful but worried that he was going to get some crazy low sentence and be out sooner than I wanted him to be. But as the judge walks back into the room and takes his seat, I notice him look over in my direction and send me a soft reassuring smile. He then calls for them to bring Jesse back into the room.

As he gets pushed back to his place, I hold my breath. "Does the victim have anything to say before we issue his sentence?" He stared in my direction. I wasn't ready to say anything to him so I shook my head. "Very well, will the defendant stand?" I looked over at him, seeing him struggling to stand up. His leg looked so wobbly like it had no strength in it and I looked over at Joe. He smiled at me, and I turned my attention back to the judge. "Julian Greene, you have admitted your crimes and given up your right to a trial. I am now obligated to issue your sentence. For the crime of kidnapping/and holding a person against their will, you will be imprisoned for 10 years in a highly secured maximum prison. For the crime of rape, you are sentenced to 15 years in a maximum security prison. As a consequence of your first-degree murder conviction, I sentence you to life in prison without parole." I stared at the judge, so happy with the sentence I could have jumped up and down. But being that we were in a courtroom, I just stayed quiet and watched as they wheeled him back out of the room. I was free to enjoy what was left of my life. I was finally free to be me. That was all I wanted anyway.