One Step Closer to the Truth

One Step Closer to the Truth
Ashton's POV

The moment everyone had been waiting for, David Taylor was finally testifying in front of the courtroom. Lily sat beside me, visibly nervous. She was rubbing her fingers anxiously, a sign that she was trying to soothe her growing unease. I held her hand tightly.

“Relax, Lily, everything will be fine.” I gave her a reassuring smile and tightened my grip.

“Thank you, Ashton.” Lily replied with a small smile, just enough to show her strength.

“David Taylor, we have several pieces of evidence suggesting your involvement in the accident that killed Raymond and Liam Williams. A car with the Taylor Group logo was caught on camera following the vehicle driven by Raymond and Liam. Your personal assistant, Noah Greene, was also involved as a member of The Brightmoore Foundation. What is your response?” Prosecutor Harper asked firmly.

David Taylor remained calm. His gaze was sharp, and his face steady, as if he intended to show that no matter what the case accused him of, his authority remained intact.

“As for the car with my company’s logo, it was simply en route to a project auction. So it makes sense that it appeared to be following Raymond and Liam’s car. They were headed in the same direction.” David Taylor exhaled. His eyes remained fixed ahead.

“Regarding Noah Greene’s involvement, I had no idea he was part of The Brightmoore Foundation. In fact, I now suspect him to be a spy who infiltrated our company. For years, we have dealt with embezzlement, shady transactions, data leaks, and missing files.” David Taylor shifted his gaze toward Noah with a displeased expression.

“Noah Greene, your response?” Harper questioned again.

Noah looked uneasy. He didn’t speak right away, but his eyes flicked nervously toward the others—Charles and Miranda.

“I was invited to join by Charles. And I thought it was a good idea,” Noah answered as calmly as possible. But the look on his face betrayed him.

“And what about David Taylor’s accusation that you’re a spy?”

“That’s not true, Your Honor. I’m not a spy and I didn’t do what David Taylor accused me of.” His voice trembled.

“Alright, back to Charles Rutherford. On what grounds did you invite Noah and Miranda to join?” Harper shot Charles a piercing look. His questions were indeed cutting.

“I know them. Noah has always been interested in charity work and Miranda, she’s an employee at one of the Williams Corporation’s subsidiaries,” Charles replied.

“At the time, the head of Williams Corporation was Raymond Williams, and the head of the subsidiary, Vanessa Group, was Vanessa Williams. So I asked Vanessa Williams about this foundation.” When Harper mentioned my mother’s name, I watched her closely. She remained composed. I knew deep down she was nervous, or maybe she had already sensed betrayal from those closest to her.

“I didn’t know about the foundation because it was my husband who established it. As far as I know, he gave Charles Rutherford the full authority to run it.”

“So you’re saying the full authority belonged to Raymond Williams?” Harper pressed again.

My mother nodded. “Yes, Your Honor.”

“Very well, then we can conclude that Charles Rutherford acted under a direct mandate from Williams Corporation, since this foundation is part of the company’s CSR program.” Harper took a breath and raised his voice again.

“Charles, can you elaborate further on the funds transferred to Timothy Cruise and Peter Hamilton? Was this also under Raymond Williams’ instruction?”

Charles looked tense. He was silent for a few seconds before finally nodding. “Yes, Your Honor.”

“Raymond Williams instructed you to transfer funds to those two men in order to orchestrate his own death?” Harper raised both eyebrows.

The courtroom began to stir with whispers and theories. Wild assumptions crept into my own mind. Could Charles be the sole perpetrator?

“Charles, the strongest allegations point to you. Please explain the reason behind transferring such large sums to those two individuals?” Harper’s voice cut through again.

“I’ve already said I was only following Raymond Williams’ orders. As far as I knew, the funds weren’t for murder...” Charles took a long, heavy breath. His eyes hung low, tired.

“I didn’t ask many questions. I didn’t even know the two people receiving the transfers. Raymond only said it was to handle something. And I didn’t know what that something was.” Charles tried to remain calm, but his voice faltered. Was he trying to hide something? Or was he clinging to boundaries he still wanted to protect?

“You were told to transfer a large sum of money and you didn’t ask why? Were you just that naive?”

“I’m just a staff member, Your Honor. I didn’t have the right to question company finances or internal matters. I assumed maybe it was to donate to cancer survivors in line with the foundation’s mission. That’s why I didn’t ask anything, because I believed the money was being used for humanitarian purposes.” Charles raised his voice slightly.

There were a few hushed murmurs from the audience. But no outbursts, just confusion echoing across the room.

“As the head of a foundation, you didn’t know something this crucial? How can a charitable donation be handed over to two individuals you’ve never even met?” Harper kept pressing.

Until finally, Judge Brandon struck the gavel twice, cutting through the rising tension.

“Apologies, but we are out of time. Three days from now, I expect everyone to return at ten o’clock to resume this trial.”

I exhaled, trying to steady myself from the tension and rising questions. Lily knew I was anxious. She tightened her grip on my hand.

“Maybe there’s a darker truth behind all this. I’m sure Charles knows something. He’s hiding something bigger.” I whispered softly to her. My eyes might have been too weary to read Lily’s expression, but I could see confusion on her face.

“We’ll wait for the next trial, Ashton. The truth is becoming clearer. We just have to be patient.” Lily smiled gently.

I glanced at my mother, who stood frozen. Beneath her silence, I could sense something. Did she know more than I did? My eyes shifted to David Taylor. Was he truly innocent? In court, he came out clean. But I could read the tension on his face. Maybe he too was beginning to suspect betrayal from those closest to him, like Noah Greene.

We walked out of the courtroom, our steps heavy, burdened by unanswered questions. Today’s hearing left behind a maze of mysteries, puzzle pieces scattered in every direction. It would take time and a long process to piece them together.

David Taylor approached us. He smiled at Lily. She hugged him. I could see the genuine smile on David Taylor’s face whenever he interacted with his daughter.

“Dad, thank you for being here. I know you’re not involved in this case. I believe in you.” Lily smiled. A father will always be a hero in his daughter’s eyes.

“Yes, Lily. I’m not a cruel man. From this trial, I realized our greatest enemy might be someone close. I will investigate Noah Greene.” David Taylor glanced at me. His face always unreadable when he looked at me. Our relationship had never truly healed.

“Don’t be so quick to accuse someone without proof.” David Taylor gave me a sharp look. “You’ve already ruined part of my life. I told you, the truth will come out.” He made his words clear.

I froze for a moment. Maybe I had gone too far. I had held onto my hatred for too long. Maybe it was time to apologize.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything I’ve done.” I looked at him with sincerity. Yes, I truly felt guilty.

David Taylor said nothing. He turned to Lily, kissed her forehead, and walked away.

I understood. He needed time to forgive me. I knew how hard it must be for him to rebuild a healthy relationship with a son-in-law who nearly destroyed him.

I glanced at Lily, who stood still, watching him walk away. I would redeem myself by loving his daughter with all my heart and making her happy.