Chapter 219 Not a Judge Upholding Justice
"What's going on? Did we hit someone?"
William gripped the steering wheel, his expression serious: "No."
If they'd actually hit someone, there would have been some resistance.
"Don't get out," Thalia was about to open the door to check the situation when William stopped her sharply.
Before she could react, suddenly a middle-aged man climbed up to the car window, frantically banging on the door.
"Get out, you hit someone, get out."
"Get out."
Thalia shrank back in fright, instinctively reaching out to grab William: "What do we do?"
"Ethan and the others are behind us, don't worry." Compared to Thalia's nervousness, William was much calmer, looking like he wanted to light a cigarette and enjoy watching the scene outside.
"You really didn't hit him?"
"If he can climb up, doesn't that prove he's fine? Besides!" William reached over and squeezed Thalia's palm, his tone relaxed: "Your husband is a legal expert, what are you afraid of?"
Thalia: You're a legal expert, good for you!
A few minutes later, Ethan came roaring up on his motorcycle. Seeing William's expensive Maybach stopped in the middle of the road, he squeezed the brakes and stopped beside it. Before he could open his mouth to ask—
The middle-aged man who'd been frantically pounding on the window saw someone in a police uniform and immediately turned and ran.
"Why did he run?" Thalia was stunned. He'd been so aggressive just now, how did he suddenly chicken out?
William rubbed his temple and sighed: "It was premeditated, but what they offered him wasn't enough to risk going to the police station. Why wouldn't he run instead of waiting to get caught?"
"Did you offend someone?" Thalia realized something.
Tonight's group didn't seem to be coming after her, but rather after...
"Our enemies combined would be about the entire population of Emerald City!"
"What do you mean?"
"You offended their kids, I offended their parents."
Thalia: ...
She absolutely had to keep this marriage secret—it was too terrifying.
If everyone found out she and William had gotten married, wouldn't that make it easier for them to get revenge?
.........
"One slash across the throat, precise technique, clean and efficient," In the autopsy room, Amara wore a mask and protective suit as she examined the man's condition alongside the medical examiner.
"What was the direction of the cut? Left to right or right to left?"
"They circled his neck from behind and cut from right to left."
Amara came out of the autopsy room, removed her mask, and looked at Finn and Ethan: "Do you think it's possible that from the start, there were two people involved—one waiting outside, one going into the villa to search for things, and when the other person saw he was injured and couldn't get far, they just eliminated him right there?"
"From when he jumped down to when Finn brought people over was only about ten minutes. For someone to be killed from behind means he was caught completely off guard when his throat was cut."
"Correct analysis."
"He probably hadn't gotten far at that point, but our attention was all on the victim so we didn't notice the surroundings," Ethan thought about this, then suddenly realized something.
He turned and went back out.
On Monday, Thalia's lawsuit against the Wood family went to court. William came out to handle the case, and half the lawyers in Emerald City showed up to watch, along with quite a few law students.
The courtroom was packed. Thalia had thought the lawsuit would be kept quiet, that no one would know about it.
Turns out, she was wrong.
From opening to closing, two hours, first trial—Walter lost.
The opposing lawyer was basically crushed by William.
William's closing statement hit Thalia hard: "Law is the crystallization of all human wisdom and intelligence, including all social thought and morality. People with moral defects are like planting seeds of lies in themselves from childhood. I don't believe all murderers are bad people, nor do I believe people who talk constantly about righteousness and morality are good people. But a person who cheats while dating and commits domestic violence against a baby's mother when he becomes a father is definitely not a good person."
"Being human, one should know—a person of integrity does some things and doesn't do others."
When leaving the courthouse, William was surrounded by a group of colleagues. He glanced at Finn, who sensibly moved to stand beside Thalia.
Before Thalia could get in the car, Emma rushed up and grabbed her arm: "You asked William to handle your lawsuit—what good intentions could you have?"
Thalia laughed at her and shook off her arm: "Don't make me slap you in front of all these people."
"You're a celebrity, you dare make a move in front of the media? Thalia, what are you pretending?"
"Emma, did your brain get cut off with your umbilical cord? Are you saving that thing on your neck as an inheritance? Even if I slapped you right here at the courthouse entrance, it would be because you provoked me first. Want me to wave over the media? My reputation's already shot anyway. What about the Wood family's?"
"You better be smart and return all those luxury goods I gave you—the designer bags, designer shoes, designer clothes."
"Bitch," Emma trembled with rage at Thalia's taunts.
She reached out and shoved Thalia. Below the courthouse were several flights of steps—if Thalia fell down them, even if she didn't break bones, she'd at least be disfigured.
Thalia stumbled, but a strong hand from behind circled her waist and caught her.
The familiar strength reminded Thalia of their midnight intimacy.
"Ms. Wood really is lawless."
"Intentional homicide isn't a minor charge. If Mr. Wood goes in this time, he won't be able to get out in just a month or two like you did. No matter how powerful the Wood family is, can they really get a murderer off?"
William steadied Thalia by pushing at her waist, then put his hand behind his back, the distant gesture making it impossible for the media to read anything into it.
"You keep saying murderer, but don't you know perfectly well how Hayden died? Mr. Brown, as a lawyer, don't you care about evidence?"
"Evidence?" William laughed. Having navigated the business world for years, his laugh made Emma's hair stand on end and her fingertips curl tight. She could yell at Thalia, but she didn't dare yell at William—even Wesley showed him respect.
"Ms. Wood, I'm a lawyer, not a judge dispensing justice."
"My client's demand is to send Mr. Wood to prison, and that so-called evidence needs to be provided by people like you who are trying to evade legal responsibility. If you can provide it, then you have grounds to argue. If you can't, then take your legal responsibility!"