Part One Hundred and Twenty

Part One Hundred and Twenty
Isadora had taken the stand and sworn to tell the whole truth. Dominic’s rage flared up again the moment she opened her mouth and started lying. He knew Halden had coached her. The things she was testifying to hadn’t been made public knowledge and he’d never said a word to her about it.
It took all his self-control not to lash out at her or call her a lying whore in front of the whole courtroom. She was a woman scorned but Dominic could see himself wrapping his hands around her neck and choking the life out of her. He could almost understand Hudson’s fascination with it.
Mitchelson stood up with a stoic look on his face. “Miss Watkins, would you say that you were close to Mr. Vittori during your relationship?”
“Yes,” Isadora said. “We were very close.”
“Mr. Vittori shared things with you, personal things?”
Isadora shifted in her seat. “Yes.”
“Can you tell the court what the name of Vittori Ads’ sister company in Japan is named?”
Isadora blinked and Dominic’s lips twitched but he fought the smile. Pattinson jumped up from his seat. “Irrelevant question, your Honor!”
“Pardon me, your Honor, I withdraw that question. When you were still dating my client, his nightclub, Black Nero, signed a deal with a soft drink brand. Which brand was that?”
“I … I don’t know,” Isadora said.
“So he doesn’t tell you about his business deals but tells you everything about a gruesome murder in detail? Funny.”
Isadora’s face reddened. “He told me in a moment of passion.”
“If you’re claiming that he did, I guess you’d be speaking from experience. I mean, you do have experience with moments of passion, don’t you?”
Isadora’s face reddened more and she cast her eyes downward. Pattinson was on his feet again and objecting to his line of questioning.
“Your Honor, I’m only establishing Miss Watkins’ prior experience to pillow talk,” Mitchelson said.
“Overruled, but I’m warning you Mr. Mitchelson, get to the point.”
“Of course, your Honor,” Mitchelson said. “Miss Watkins, in your years as a prostitute, did you have many moments of passion?”
Isadora shook her head and a silent tear escaped from one eye. “Yes.”
“So as an expert in this matter, you’re telling this courtroom that Dominic Vittori told you how he cut a man’s hands off while he was having sex with you?”
“Your Honor! Really!” Pattinson said loudly.
“I’ll allow it Mr. Pattinson,” Judge Matthews said, sounding almost tired.
“Yes!” Isadora said hotly.
“What did he use to cut off the victim’s hands?”
Isadora faltered, opened her mouth and closed it again before answering. “He didn’t specify.”
“Let me get this straight. He starts to date you, moves you into his penthouse and supplies you with a credit card, a car and a driver. He buys the company you work for so you can get a promotion but he fails to discuss anything business related with you. Then he goes out on a brutal murder spree and chops a man’s hands off and gives you the details of that? Am I missing something?”
“Yes! He told me he killed Zhang Wei! His shirt was bloody that night and he came home two hours later than he said he would!”
“Miss Watkins, is it not true that you broke off your relationship with Mr. Vittori, waited two weeks and made an appointment to see him, right after you saw him at a restaurant with his wife? Did you not sit down on his desk and spread your legs open with your skirt around your waist and told my client that you wanted him back?”
Isadora chewed her bottom lip and looked down. The low murmurs from the onlookers could be heard as well as the clicking of cameras. Isadora’s shoulders slumped forward and then her hands covered her face.
“You will answer the question, Miss Watkins!” Judge Matthews said sternly.
“Yes,” she finally whispered.
“Did my client tell you that he was not interested in being in a relationship with you again, that he did in fact love his wife?”
“Yes,” she said, her voice a little stronger.
“Did you not walk out of that building and immediately call Agent Haverley and then Agent Halden?”
“Yes,” she replied.
“Your Honor, what does it matter when she called the agents?” Pattinson asked.
“It matters because she called the agents right after a rejection from my client and then recanted her earlier statement about my client’s whereabouts. My client employs over ten thousand individuals living in this city, he donates to the poor, to hospitals, to almost every charity imaginable and she’s ruining his good name with these false accusations! While in a relationship with my client, she was treated well, she had money at her fingertips, a driver and a car, hell, my client even bought the company she worked for to make her life easier! It’s clear that this is an act of revenge and she’s recanting her statement because she’s angry!” Mitchelson took a deep breath, straightened his jacket and looked at Judge Matthews. “No further questions, your Honor.”
Mitchelson sat down and Dominic leaned toward him. “That was fucking gold, Mitchelson.”
When Isadora walked past him toward the exit, Dominic let the hate show in his eyes. She had to know she was living on borrowed time. She had to know he’d never let this slide, she wasn’t as special as she thought.
Court was adjourned again and since it was Friday, they were going to the country house for the weekend. He needed to get out of the city, get Rafaella out of the city and somewhere where they could both relax.
“Let’s go home,” Dominic said as Ethan started the SUV.
“Thank fuck, if I have to listen to those two bicker like bitches for one more night, I swear I’m going to hurt them both,” Ethan said.
“Hudson might bicker like a bitch but I bicker like a butch,” Cooper said.
“Are you calling yourself a lesbian?” Hudson asked and barked out a laugh.