ZARIA

Chapter 12

Kei

"Has the jury reached the verdict?" the judge asked.

Kei gritted his teeth as Mrs. Sanchez squeezed his arm, her grip so tight that he was sure he would have finger-shaped bruises come the morrow. But he couldn't blame her; he knew how nervous she was since he felt the same.

They had been working on this case for months, even before the trial had started, and the next minute would decide if their efforts had been for nothing.

"Yes, your honor. In the case of Sanchez versus 'Nickols warehouses', the jury finds the defendant guilty on all counts."

A loud whimper escaped Mrs. Sanchez's mouth before she leaped into his arms, hugging him so tightly that he thought he could never breathe again.

"Thank you!" the woman kept repeating as she started to cry into his shirt.

"It's okay. Everything will be okay." Kei said as he consoled the poor woman, a big smile on his face as he did so.

"Calm down. We still have to hear from the judge." he continued. Mrs. Sanchez nodded, taking a big breath to calm herself before stepping away from him and wiping her face.

"Thank you." the judge said to the jurors before turning back to them.

"In this case, I order that 'Nikols warehouses' pay 250,000 dollars in reparations to Mrs. Sanchez and all the trial taxes. The court rests."

Shouts and proclamations of objection echoed around the courtroom from the other side while Kei struggled to hold onto Mrs. Sanchez, who had all but fainted at hearing the amount of money she had been granted.

Kei fanned her face with one of the folders from the table while a clerk ran away for a glass of water.

"Oh, dear Jesus! Quarter of a million! Dios mío! Gracias, Sr. Daigo! Gracias!"

"It's fine. Nothing to thank me for." he said, smiling widely as he sat beside her, unable to believe it myself. A deep sense of pride spread through his chest at the thought of that much money going to this remarkable woman and her children.

"How about we go and have a cup of coffee? There is a wonderful coffee shop just down the street from here." Kei said, thinking it might be a good idea to calm her down before sending her home. They got good news, but he was afraid to let her go before ensuring she was okay.

"That sounds great," she said as she wiped her face again and took her bag. "But I'm paying!"

•

Zaria

Zaria stepped out of the car as soon as it stopped, her eyes wide as she looked around their surroundings. It was gorgeous.

When Kei had announced the day before that they would be going to the Daigo's lake house, and that she was to come with, she had been less than excited by the news. It had been a month since Ren's accident, and that horrible fight, and she still felt uncomfortable being around Kei for long periods.

Sure, Kei had apologized for what he had said to her, and she could understand, especially once things had calmed down and she could think properly again without her blood boiling every time she thought about Kei's harsh words.

Kei had been scared and worried and had taken it out on her, which was cruel but understandable. The only reason why she was staying at their house was because she was supposed to watch Ren, and she had failed miserably.

But even though she understood, she still couldn't shake off the feeling of being judged every time Kei so much as looked at her. A small, annoying voice in the back of her mind kept telling her that she was still there only because Ren had made a tantrum, something she had found out from Betty once she'd returned to the house, and that if it had been up to Kei, she would have been long gone.