Chapter202 Tampering with evidence

Chapter202 Tampering with evidence
Aliya POV
But then Marcus's mother's angry screaming snapped me back to reality. She was sobbing and shouting in the courtroom, pointing at me with a shaking finger.
"She killed my son! She murdered my beautiful boy!" she wailed, her voice echoing off the walls.
The judge banged his gavel firmly. "Order in the court! I will have silence!"
Marcus's mother reluctantly quieted down, though she continued to glare at me with pure hatred in her eyes.
The judge turned to me. "How do you plead to the charges against you?"
"Not guilty, Your Honor," I said clearly, my voice steady.
That's when the Stonecreeks' lawyer stepped forward, carrying a thick stack of papers. He looked confident as he approached the bench.
"Your Honor, we have substantial evidence against the defendant," he announced. "Evidence that clearly shows motive, opportunity, and premeditation."
He began reading from his files. "The evidence shows that the defendant discovered the victim's infidelity and ended their relationship in anger. Phone records indicate she contacted Marcus Stonecreek repeatedly in the days leading up to his death. Witness testimony places her on the yacht where the victim died."
My lawyer immediately stood up. "Objection, Your Honor! These are all subjective assumptions by the prosecution. None of this constitutes actual evidence of murder."
"The evidence speaks for itself," the prosecutor shot back. "The defendant had motive, means, and opportunity."
"Circumstantial at best!" my lawyer argued. "There's no physical evidence, no weapon, no body, and no witnesses to any actual crime."
The two lawyers began arguing more heatedly, their voices rising as they debated the validity of the evidence.
That's when Marcus's mother started crying again, louder this time.
"My son died horribly!" she sobbed. "And now she's got the alpha king protecting her! The whole system is rigged in her favor!"
She turned to the judge with tears streaming down her face. "You're going to let her get away with murder just because she's sleeping with someone powerful!"
The judge's expression darkened. "Mrs. Stonecreek, you will control yourself or you will be removed from my courtroom."
I couldn't help myself.
"Maybe your son just did so many terrible things that he killed himself," I said coolly, my voice cutting through the noise.
The entire courtroom went silent for a moment. Then Marcus's parents exploded.
"How dare you!" his father shouted, jumping to his feet.
"You evil witch!" his mother screamed. "You murdered him and now you're mocking his memory!"
The judge banged his gavel repeatedly. "Order! Order! Everyone sit down immediately!"
The chaos continued for several more minutes, with the Stonecreeks shouting accusations and my lawyer trying to restore calm. Finally, the judge had had enough.
"This hearing is adjourned!" he announced, his voice booming over the noise. "We will reconvene for a full trial at a later date. Everyone clear the courtroom now!"
As people began filing out, I felt a mixture of relief and exhaustion. The preliminary hearing had been exactly as dramatic and unpleasant as I'd expected.
I was gathering my things when I felt strong arms wrap around me from behind. I turned to find Nikolai pulling me into a tight embrace, his face filled with concern and guilt.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered into my hair. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. I should have found a way to prevent this whole mess."
I reached up and kissed him softly, feeling some of the tension leave my body at his touch. "It's nothing I can't handle," I assured him. "I've been through worse."
"You shouldn't have to handle any of this," he said firmly. "This is my fault for not protecting you better."
"Nikolai, stop," I said, putting my hands on his chest. "This isn't your fault. Marcus's parents are grieving and they need someone to blame. It was always going to come to this eventually."
Before Nikolai could respond, I heard Patrick clear his throat behind us.
"Ahem," he said pointedly. "Maybe we should save the reunion for somewhere a little more private? There are still reporters hanging around."
I looked around and realized he was right. Several people were still in the courtroom, including a few individuals with cameras who were trying to be discreet about taking pictures.
"Good point," Nikolai said, reluctantly loosening his hold on me. "Let's get out of here."
The three of us made our way out of the courthouse through a side exit, avoiding the crowd of reporters gathered at the main entrance. Patrick led us to a small coffee shop a few blocks away that was mostly empty.
We found a corner booth where we could talk without being overheard. Patrick slumped into his seat, looking exhausted from the short walk.
"So," he said, trying to catch his breath, "what's our strategy for the actual trial?"
Nikolai leaned forward, lowering his voice. "I've been working on that. The prosecution's case relies heavily on that evidence they presented today."
"Which was mostly circumstantial," I pointed out.
"Exactly," Nikolai said with a slight smile. "And some of it might not be as reliable as they think."
Patrick raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"I mean that evidence has a funny way of disappearing or being proven false when it's not properly obtained."I studied his expression. "Nikolai, what did you do?"
“I just tampered with their evidence a little.”