Chapter 108 Chapter 108
Lianas Pov
The air was thick with quiet tension as I sat beside Serena in the backseat of the car, her hands pressed together on her lap, her knuckles pale against her skin. Stanley was at the wheel his eyes focused on the road but his fingers tapped nervously on the steering wheel.
The drive to the lawyer’s office felt longer than it should have, like the silence stretching between us was pulling time along with it. I kept glancing at Serena from time to time to make sure she was okay. She hadn’t said a word since we left the house.
She looked tired and disturbed and this stress didn't look like the kind of stress that came from lack of sleep, but the kind that clung to your bones and your heart. It was both emotional and mental. Her eyes were hollow, her shoulders drooped, and her lips were pressed together so tightly it looked like she was trying to hold in everything threatening to spill out. I reached out slowly and touched her hand.
"Are you okay?" I asked softly.
She nodded without looking at me. “Yeah,” she whispered. “I just... I’m not ready, but I guess I’ll never be.”
I wanted to say something comforting, something that would erase the fear in her voice. But what could I say? I wasn’t ready either. None of us were but yet here we were, finalising plans.
When we arrived, Stanley helped her out of the car. His arm slipped around her back instinctively, steadying her as we climbed the narrow steps to the lawyer’s office. The building was hidden at the corner of a quiet street. It walls were red bricks, with dull windows and an old brass plaque that read- ‘Walker and Stein.’
I had been here several times but today, it felt totally different.There was something about the faded letters that made my chest tighten and my hands trembled.
Inside, the office smelled like paper and old leather. Books were lined on every wall, and the air-conditioning hummed faintly in the background.
The receptionist offered us tea, but none of us accepted. My throat was too dry to swallow anything and we most definitely come all the way down to take tea.
A few moments later, Walker came out in a grey suit. His face was lined with age and experience, and when he looked at Serena, his expression softened.
"Miss Serena. Mr. Stanley. Liana," he said, shaking our hands one by one. “I am Walker,” he said facing Stanley and Serena since we obviously knew each other. “ Please, come in."
His office was neat, with carefully stacked files and a large window that let in natural light. We sat around the wide mahogany desk, Serena between Stanley and me. She was fiddling with the hem of her blouse and I let her, alrhough I kept a close eye on her..
Barrister Walker opened a folder in front of him and adjusted his glasses. "Before we begin, I want to say that I understand this is a difficult situation. But we have to be thorough if we want to win this case."
Serena nodded but didn't speak. He continued. "Dominic Smith is being charged with:
Attempted manslaughter of serena
Abuse, coercion, and psychological manipulation
Embezzlement and theft of interlectual properties, among other things.
From the statements you've given and the brief I have read so far, the case is strong. But we need to ensure consistency in everything we present."
I swallowed hard. Hearing it like that… Dominic’s full name and all the charges, it made everything so real.
"The problem,” Walker said, glancing gently at Serena, “is that the key witness to the strongest charge… you, Serena, still don't recall anything and that complicates things. Like I told Liana over the phone, we are not pressurising you but your memory is pivotal. If at any point you remember anything, please let us know.”
Stanley cleared his throat. “Is there anyother way around that? It is almost impossible right now.”
He looked away for a while, completely deep in thought. “Not exactly. But we can build our case on what others witnessed, the records, the documentation, and character testimonies. But still, the strongest case would come from Serena remembering and speaking her truth. Until then, we must work with what we have.”
He turned back to Serena. "I know this might be frustrating and you’re trying…, everyone can see that. But if you do remember anything… anything at all, even if it doesn’t make sense, it’s important you share it."
Serena looked up, her eyes dull. "I’ve tried. I promise. But there’s nothing... just flashes sometimes, like broken mirrors. I don’t know what they mean."
“That’s okay,” he said gently. “Don’t force it. Just stay open.”
He sat back in his chair and folded his hands. "Now, we need to make sure your testimonies are aligned. No contradictions, no overlaps, no uncertainty. If Dominic’s lawyers find even a crack, they’ll dig into it. And his lawyers are very trained and very meticulous, I will advice you don'ttry to spice up your testimony to sound convincing because if the find out…" He didn't complete it but we all understood the implications. Any sign of dishonesty on our part could make us lose the judges trust and our case.
Stanley nodded. "We understand."
For the next hour, he walked us through the case timeline. He asked us to recount our own sides… what we knew, what we saw, what we believed. Serena remained mostly quiet, interjecting only when necessary.
When Barrister Walker excused himself briefly to take a call, Stanley leaned closer to Serena.
"Are you sure you want to go through with this? Maybe it’s better to pull out now, while we still can. We can say you're not mentally fit to testify. No one would blame you."
I watched her closely as her jaw tightened. She looked down at her hands, breathing shallowly. Then she slowly turned to face him.
“Even if I don't remember Dominic and all the things he's done, or my cousin, Liana has been good to me and I promised to support her.” she said her voice trembling but firm. “I may not remember everything. But you remember that dream? I know he hurt me. I feel it. That’s enough for now.”
Stanley blinked, then gave a quiet nod. I could tell he wanted to argue, but he didn’t. He just placed a hand on her shoulder. I on the other hand was overwhelmed with emotions. I squeezed her hands in mine and wispered thank you.
When Walker returned, we went over witness placement and how we would respond under cross examination. He repeated again and again, “No contradictions. Be truthful. Keep it simple.”
At the end of the meeting, he closed his file.