Chapter205 Sarah is here to testify?!

Chapter205 Sarah is here to testify?!
Aliya POV

Seven days passed in a blur, and the day of the second trial finally arrived.

The day of the second trial arrived with a crisp morning that seemed deceptively peaceful. As I walked into the courthouse, I was surprised by the number of people who had shown up.

Many were strangers who had followed the case online, drawn by the media coverage and public interest. The gallery was packed with spectators, reporters, and people who seemed to have nothing better to do than watch other people's drama unfold.

I spotted my father sitting in the front row, his weathered face showing the strain of the past few weeks. Next to him sat Victor, Nikolai's brother, his wheelchair positioned so he had a clear view of the proceedings. But as I scanned the crowd, I noticed someone was missing.

"Where's Patrick?" I asked Nikolai quietly as we took our seats at the defendant's table.

Victor was the one who answered, his voice matter of fact. "Patrick's been forbidden from leaving the hospital. His condition has gotten worse."

Nikolai immediately cut him off with a sharp look. "Victor, that's enough."

"It's okay, Nikolai. You don't need to worry about me. It's probably better that Patrick stays in the hospital where he can get proper treatment."

Nikolai squeezed my hand under the table, and I tried to focus on the present moment instead of the growing list of people I was powerless to help.

"Your Honor," the lawyer began, "Marcus Stonecreek's parents formally accuse Aliya Rowanwood of being responsible for their son's death. We ask that she be held accountable for murder in the first degree."

The judge turned to me with a stern expression. "How do you plead to these charges?"

"Not guilty, Your Honor," I replied clearly, keeping my voice steady despite the weight of dozens of eyes on me.

Marcus's parents' lawyer began presenting their evidence with theatrical flair that would have been impressive if it weren't so obviously fabricated. They showed surveillance footage of Marcus and me entering and leaving various locations together, receipts showing Marcus making purchases for me, and recordings of arguments we'd had after I discovered his affair.

But for every piece of evidence they presented, my defense lawyer stood up with a methodical rebuttal. Each recording was revealed to have been edited. The receipts were shown to be forgeries. The surveillance footage had been manipulated to show us together when we weren't.

I had to admit, Nikolai had done his work well. Every single piece of their case was systematically dismantled.

Nikolai, sitting in the public gallery, couldn't resist a mocking comment. "The man's been dead for three years and you're still not letting him rest in peace. Coming here with fake evidence to commit fraud, who knows what your real motivations are?"

Marcus's parents turned red with rage at his words. His mother, Margaret, stood up abruptly. "We have a witness! A real witness!"

My heart sank as I saw who walked through the courtroom doors.

Sarah.

She looked terrible. Her once perfectly styled hair hung limp and greasy around her face. Her designer clothes had been replaced with a cheap dress that hung loose on her thin frame. Dark circles under her eyes suggested she hadn't been sleeping well, and her hands shook slightly as she walked to the witness stand.

She was sworn in, her voice barely above a whisper. Then she turned to look directly at me, and I saw a mixture of desperation and malice in her eyes.

"Three years ago," Sarah began, her voice growing stronger as she spoke, "I saw everything that happened on that cruise ship. I was hiding on the boat, and I witnessed Aliya threatening Marcus with a gun. She drove him to the edge of the deck, forcing him to choose between taking his own life or being shot. To preserve his dignity, Marcus chose to end his life with the silver blade rather than die at her hands."

The courtroom erupted in murmurs and gasps. I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach. Sarah had been on the ship? How had I not known?

The judge banged his gavel for order. "Ms. Rowanwood, do you have anything to say in response to this testimony?"

I opened my mouth but no words came out. My mind was racing, trying to process this new information and figure out how to respond.

"Your Honor," the prosecution lawyer said with obvious satisfaction, "we also have additional evidence that corroborates our witness's testimony."

He began pulling out documents and photographs I'd never seen before. My defense lawyer quickly called for a recess.

As soon as we were in the conference room, I turned to Nikolai and Victor. "I didn't know Sarah was on that ship. How is that possible?"

“Maybe she’s lying?” Victor said.

Victor leaned forward in his wheelchair. "But this is actually easy to solve. You weren't the only person on that ship who could have killed Marcus. There were others there who had just as much motive and opportunity."

I looked at him suspiciously. "What are you suggesting?"

"We just need to convince the court and public opinion that it wasn't you who forced Marcus to his death. It was someone else."

"Victor, what are you planning?"

He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "We're going to pin this on Patrick. Let the law and public opinion believe that Patrick was the one who drove Marcus to suicide, not you."

"No," I said immediately. "We're not doing that."

"It's too late," Victor replied calmly. "I already contacted Patrick."