Chapter 93 — The Beginning of Happiness

After bidding farewell to Garret, Lyyana and Petra immediately headed to the car and drove to the courthouse. Upon arrival, she saw Denzel, Berli, and Berli's adoptive parents, as well as the lawyer who had accompanied her at the beginning of the trial.

At exactly 11 a.m., the trial participants were allowed to enter and take their seats. Lyyana faithfully sat beside Petra, who was beginning to tense up, listening to the prosecutor reading the charges and accusations against Renaldi and Jessica and calling several witnesses. One of them was Petra, as a family member of the victim of the defendants' crimes. After taking the oath, Petra answered the questions posed by the chief judge.

The judge and the prosecutors, as well as Renaldi's defense team, asked Petra many questions, but she answered them all firmly and confidently without a hint of doubt in her expression or tone.

Petra stood there for quite a while, answering more than 30 questions. After finishing with Petra, it was Berli's turn to testify. Berli, who had been there before, wasn't surprised by the situation. She also answered honestly about what Renaldi had done and how he had ordered her around.

Berli didn't have to answer too many questions because her testimony had already been recorded in the legal records. Before deciding Renaldi's sentence, the chief judge asked the legal experts of both the plaintiff and the defendant, "Are there any other witnesses to be brought here?" The chief judge's voice was firm and loud.

Suddenly, a court officer approached him and whispered something. The middle-aged man's face initially showed surprise, but the next moment, he nodded from his high seat.

After getting approval from the chief judge, the man signaled to his colleague to open the courtroom door. When the door opened, a woman in all black walked in with her head bowed. All eyes turned to her in confusion, wondering about the figure brought into the courtroom. Some speculated she might be Renaldi's second wife, while others thought she might be someone like Berli, and still others guessed she might be a witness who would mitigate Renaldi's proposed punishment, as suggested by Petra.

The woman sat in the witness chair, her heart pounding with fear and anxiety. She glanced around the courtroom, feeling the pressure of the stares directed at her. The firm voice of the judge snapped her out of her reverie.

"Please introduce yourself," requested the Judge.

The woman took a deep breath, trying to gather the courage to speak. "I am... ."

The woman took a deep breath, trying to muster the courage to speak. "I am Alysa Ramora," she said, her voice almost a whisper.

The judge nodded, signaling for Alysa Ramora to continue her testimony. "What do you know about the defendant?"

Ramora paused for a moment, unsure how much she should reveal. However, she knew she had to tell the truth, no matter the consequences. "I... I am a nurse," she finally admitted.

The judge raised an eyebrow, prompting Ramora to elaborate. The courtroom attendees also began whispering about Ramora's admission, many saying their suspicions were confirmed. The noise in the courtroom made Ramora hesitant to continue speaking until the presiding judge banged the gavel and requested silence.

Once the situation was calm, Ramora resumed her statement. "I... I was employed by Renaldi," she said, her voice trembling, avoiding eye contact with Renaldi and Jessica, who were staring at her from the left side of the room.

"Employed as what? Please explain clearly and in detail. What were your duties and what do you know?"

Ramora nodded, her voice still shaky as she continued, "A few years ago, specifically one year after that accident, Renaldi paid me to... to replace Garret's medication and inject him... inject him with dangerous drugs in incorrect doses."

Gasps filled the courtroom, the revelation causing a commotion. "Order in the court! Or the session will be adjourned!" the presiding judge shouted, banging the gavel three times.

The room quieted down again, though whispers about Ramora's confession persisted. Several reporters captured the moment on camera. The judge then turned the proceedings over to the lawyers and prosecutor to question Ramora further.

"What evidence do you have to support your claim? You know that without concrete proof, you could be charged with defamation and slander," Renaldi's lawyer pressed Ramora.

"I have the evidence. Please, sir, show it," Ramora said to Petra and Berli's lawyer.

The 72-inch LCD screen lit up, displaying the evidence Ramora had kept. The audience murmured once more, some condemning Renaldi for deceiving everyone with his seemingly perfect demeanor.

"Renaldi and Jessica's original targets were Miss Aura and Garret. However, the Colton family protected them very well, so Renaldi changed his strategy to eliminate the Colton family. Unfortunately for him, Petra survived and took care of Garret with full security. Renaldi is the most dangerous person; he will do anything to achieve his goals, including eliminating my entire family to make me obey him."

After hearing the testimony and the evidence that Ramora presented, the presiding judge once again adjourned the court session. All attendees exited the courtroom, including Lyyana, Petra, and Ramora, who walked alongside Petra's lawyer.

"Darling, how did you meet Ramora?" Lyyana asked as they sat on the benches outside the courtroom.

"Berli and Denzel brought my lawyer to meet her. Berli had communicated with her directly during a previous assignment," Petra explained, putting his arm around Lyyana.

She rested her head on Petra's shoulder and nodded. "Sir, I’m sorry for—" Ramora's apology was interrupted as Lyyana and Petra stood up.

"It’s alright. What’s done is done. Thank you for your testimony. It means a lot to us," Petra said, his face expressionless. Lyyana nodded in agreement, offering a smile, in contrast to Petra's stoic demeanor.

They engaged in light conversation, although Petra couldn't hide his tense and anxious expression, given that the verdict had not yet been delivered. Lyyana made efforts to comfort and stay close to him, frequently rubbing his back or arm to ease his tension.

Then, the loudspeaker called all participants back into the courtroom, and the doors swung open. Everyone returned to their seats, and the presiding judge reentered the room, banging the gavel three times to signal the continuation of the trial.

The prosecutor resumed reading the charges against Renaldi and Jessica. Everyone in the courtroom appeared tense and eager to hear the verdict. Petra hoped the judge would act justly and not accept any bribes that Renaldi might have offered to escape legal repercussions.

"Based on all the evidence and witness testimonies related to the allegations of the planned murder of the Colton family and the attempted murder of Mr. Petra and Garret, we hereby declare the defendants Renaldi and Jessica to be…"