Another Lifetime

Chapter 27

DeAnna Kastell

The trial had officially been announced and I was terrified of being called up to testify. I was going to have to go up to New York in a week to just sit in the court room and wait for them to hopefully not call on me.

"What are you thinking about?" X asked me.

"The trial and the fact we're both going to testify except yours is from behind a screen in another room and mine is in front of everyone," I told him and the DA appeared from Captain Monaghan's office.

"Let's go, Miss Kastell," she said and I stood up, "unfortunately, Mr Kingsley, you cannot be in the room whilst we prep your fiancée to testify," she told X and he already knew that.

"I'll see you later," he assured me and we kissed before he walked out. I knew he was going to hang out with Harry until curfew or until I was done here.

"Let's do this," I said and pushed back my hood as I followed her to the conference room. Frank was going to be in there with Fletch as well. I was nervous I'd fuck this up and blow X's cover. "What gave it away?" I asked DA Roberts.

"Your brother muttering to himself about what tasks he was going to set for his little sister's 'stupid lil' Bitch' of a fiancé," she told me and that made me laugh.

I took a seat at the table but DA Roberts remained standing. "Can you give your full name for the court?" She asked me.

"DeAnna Martina Castello de Rosa-Iglesias," I told her, "but mostly I'm known as DeAnna Kastell," I added.

"And how exactly do you know the defendant, Aron Martens?" She asked me.

"The person I was dating, he worked for Aran before he went to prison," I told her.

"Did you know the defendant well?" She asked me.

"Griffin didn't want me around Aran, he told me that he was dangerous and that if he found out what I could do then I'd be in way more danger than I was just dating a lieutenant in Aran's cartel," I told her honestly.

"And what exactly can you do, Miss Kastell?" She asked me.

"I'm a computer engineering and coding genius," I told her, "I can hack," I explained, "and I'm also the youngest heir to Kastell Trading and Shipping," I added, "I think he was afraid of what Aron might make me do, make me a criminal, or what he might think I'm worth to my family," I told her.

"That's good, Dea," she assured me, "are you ready for the hard part?" She asked me and I wasn't but I had to be. She was going to hit me with questions that Aron's attorney could ask me and they were going to either be a cake walk or incredibly emotionally trying, and I had a feeling it was going to be the second one.

"Miss Kastell, is it true that you have a criminal record?" She asked me.

"Yes but it's sealed, and it's for juvenile crimes," I told her.

"But you have served time for those crimes?" She asked me.

"Yes, a couple months in Juvie Hall where I was released early for good behaviour," I told her.

"Miss Kastell, is it true that you suffer from a drug addiction?" She asked me. This was to challenge my integrity for the jury to favour Aron not the prosecution's witnesses.

"Yes but I've been sober since I was sixteen," I told her.

"Which you were forced to do after you OD'ed twice, correct?" she asked and I needed a minute, and both detectives could tell.

"Give her a moment," Fletch said and I took a breath.

"Yes, I am a recovering drug addict but I attend AA twice a week and I have a routine that I stick to, which helps keep me sober," I told her and it was going to be seriously hard to talk about this in front of court.