Chapter 106 The final judgement
CHAPTER 106
The final judgement.
The courtroom erupted instantly. Clara burst into tears immediately. Trent shut his eyes heavily while officers moved closer toward them.
But before the judge could continue,
The large courtroom doors suddenly opened again. Everyone turned immediately. Two women were escorted inside one of them wearing handcuffs.
Leo frowned deeply.
One of them was Vivian Anderson.
The other was Ruby’s stepsister, C.
Murmurs spread across the courtroom instantly. Alex looked confused.
“What’s happening now?”
Vivian struggled angrily against the officers. “This is nonsense!”
But C looked terrified. Tears filled her eyes as she glanced around nervously.
The judge frowned sharply. “What is the meaning of this interruption?”
One of the officers stepped forward quickly. “Your Honor, new evidence was submitted regarding the reopened investigation into Mr. Anderson’s death.”
Leo’s expression changed instantly. Ruby’s father?
Vivian suddenly snapped toward C.
“You stupid girl!”
C flinched before finally speaking through tears. “She killed him.”
The courtroom became completely silent. Leo stared in shock.
Vivian screamed immediately. “She’s lying!”
But C shook her head desperately while crying harder. “I saw everything that night!”
The prosecutor stepped forward carefully. “Miss C Anderson came forward this morning with testimony regarding her father’s death years ago.”
Leo felt his chest tighten. C continued crying openly.
C screamed louder through tears.
“She arranged the accident that caused his death!”
Gasps exploded across the courtroom instantly. Even the judge looked stunned.
Leo froze completely in his seat.
For several seconds, he couldn’t even breathe properly because suddenly…
Everything Ruby once told him made sense. Her sadness, her loneliness, her broken relationship with her family.
The confusion surrounding her father’s death and realizing Ruby had been living beside her father’s killer all these years shattered something inside him.
Leo slowly lowered his head while emotions overwhelmed him unexpectedly. His eyes burned painfully.
Blake noticed immediately.
“Leo…”
But Leo stood up abruptly.
The courtroom suddenly felt suffocating, without saying a word, he walked out immediately.
Blake watched him leave silently.
Outside the courtroom hallway, Leo stopped near the wall and pressed a hand against his face.
For the first time in years tears filled his eyes, he was scared of everything Ruby
had survived, and life still continued hurting her.
Moments later, Blake walked out quietly and stood beside him.
“She doesn’t know yet,” Blake said softly.
Leo laughed bitterly. “How do I even tell her this?”
Blake sighed heavily, neither of them expected this nightmare to grow bigger.
Inside the courtroom, Vivian continued shouting while officers restrained her.
C cried uncontrollably beside them.
Finally, after several minutes of chaos, the judge restored order.
The final ruling came shortly afterward.
“Clara Benson, Trent Carter, and Vivian Anderson are hereby sentenced to ten years imprisonment each for their crimes.”
The gavel slammed loudly across the courtroom.
Back at the Hospital
The hospital room remained quiet except for the soft sound of the heart monitor beside Ruby’s bed. Even though she was still unconscious, her condition had improved greatly over the last few days. The swelling around her arm had reduced, and the doctors had assured everyone that her body was responding well to treatment.
The evening sunlight filtered softly through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the peaceful room.
Jane slowly pushed the door open and stepped inside carefully, holding a small bouquet of white flowers in her hand. The moment she saw Ruby lying there so still, her expression softened sadly. “You really scared everyone,” Jane whispered quietly.
She walked closer before placing the flowers gently into the vase beside the bed. For a few seconds, she simply stared at Ruby. Seeing her like this felt strange. Ruby had always been the strong one. The quiet one who carried pain without complaining. Yet now she looked so fragile resting against the white hospital sheets.
Jane slowly sat beside the bed and sighed deeply. “The doctors said you’re getting better,” she murmured softly. “So you better wake up soon because everyone is losing their minds out there.”
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
“Especially Leo.”
She shook her head lightly. “That man nearly destroyed the hospital because he wanted to leave his own room to see you.”
Jane glanced at Ruby’s hand before gently holding it. “You should’ve seen him after the incident. I’ve never seen Leo look that terrified before.”
The room became quiet again.
Jane looked down sadly. “So many things happened while you’ve been asleep,” she continued softly. “The court case… Clara and Trent going to prison…”
Her voice paused briefly. “And your family…”
Jane sighed heavily. She still couldn’t fully believe the shocking truth revealed at court earlier that day.
Even thinking about it felt unreal.
“You’ve really been through too much, Ruby,” she whispered. For a moment, Jane simply sat there holding her hand gently. Then she smiled again. “But it’s over now.”
She brushed a strand of hair carefully away from Ruby’s forehead.
“You can finally rest.” The heart monitor continued beeping steadily.
Jane leaned back slightly in the chair before speaking again.
“I can’t wait for you to recover fully,” she said warmly. “We still have so much to do together.”
Her eyes softened. “And honestly? This hospital is too boring without you awake.”
A small laugh escaped her quietly.
Then she squeezed Ruby’s hand once more. “So wake up soon, okay?”
Outside the room, Carl remained standing guard silently while the evening sky slowly darkened beyond the hospital windows.
~
The atmosphere inside the car felt unusually heavy after leaving the courthouse. Rain droplets rolled slowly across the tinted windows while the city lights reflected against the wet roads outside.
Alex drove quietly from the front seat while Blake sat beside Leo at the back.
Nobody spoke for several minutes. The shocking revelations from court still hung heavily in the air.
Leo leaned his head slightly against the seat, staring blankly outside the window. Everything felt unreal, Trent’s confession, Clara’s betrayal and now Ruby’s stepmom being responsible for her father’s death.
The thought alone still disturbed him deeply.
Blake glanced toward Leo carefully.
“You okay?”
Leo let out a quiet, humorless laugh.
“Do I look okay?”
Blake sighed softly.
Honestly, Leo looked exhausted, not physically but emotionally.
Blake could see genuine helplessness in his friend’s eyes.
Leo rubbed his face slowly before speaking again.
“All that time… Ruby was living with that woman.”
Blake stayed silent.
“There’s no way she knew,” Leo muttered quietly.
Alex continued driving while listening silently from the front.
The car eventually slowed near a quiet roadside store glowing beneath dim lights.
Alex looked back briefly. “We should stop for a minute.”
Neither Leo nor Blake objected.
A few minutes later, the three of them stood outside near the small shop while cold evening air brushed past them.
Blake handed Leo a cold drink bottle.
“Drink something.”
Leo opened it slowly before taking a small sip. The coldness barely helped clear his mind.
Blake leaned against the car beside him. “She’ll need you when she wakes up.”
Leo looked down silently. “I don’t even know how to tell her.”
Blake’s expression softened slightly.
“One thing at a time.”
Leo nodded faintly before pulling out his phone. He immediately called Carl.
The line connected after the second ring.
“Boss.”
Leo’s voice became serious instantly.
“How’s Ruby?”
Carl answered calmly from the hospital hallway.
“She’s stable. Jane is with her right now.”
Leo released a small breath of relief.
“She woke up?”
“Not yet.”
Leo nodded slowly even though Carl couldn’t see him.
“Don’t leave her alone.”
“I won’t.”
The call ended shortly afterward. For a moment, Leo stared quietly at the phone in his hand.
Then Blake lightly patted his s
houlder.
“She’s strong.”
Leo looked toward the dark road ahead. “I know.”
A few minutes later, they entered the car again while Alex continued driving through the rainy city roads.