Chapter 104 On the Stand

Chapter 104 On the Stand
"None. Helen and Robert both made it crystal clear that they were following Patricia's orders. That this was her revenge against Adrian for Sophia's death."

"Thank you, Mrs. Wolfe. No further questions at this time."

Lisa returned to her seat. I gripped the chair arms, trying to steady my breathing. The hard part was done.

Except it wasn't.

Because now Brennan stood, buttoning his suit jacket, walking toward me with a sympathetic expression that didn't reach his eyes.

"Mrs. Wolfe, I know this is difficult, so I'll try to be brief."

Liar. He was going to tear me apart. I could see it in his eyes.

"You testified that you were desperate for money when you met Adrian Wolfe. Correct?"

"Yes."

"Three jobs, mother dying of cancer, no way to afford her treatment. You were drowning financially."

"Yes."

"And then Adrian Wolfe offered you two million dollars. A life-changing amount of money."

"Yes."

"So you'd say you had significant financial motivation to enter into this contract?"

"I had motivation to save my mother's life, yes."

"And now you're pregnant with Adrian Wolfe's child. Which means instead of the marriage ending after one year as contracted, you have a permanent connection to him and his wealth."

"Objection, argumentative," Lisa called.

"Sustained. Mr. Brennan, please ask questions, not make speeches."

"Apologies, Your Honor." Brennan didn't look apologetic. "Mrs. Wolfe, the pregnancy was unplanned?"

"Yes."

"But fortuitous. Because now you have a child together. A reason for the marriage to continue beyond the contract period."

"The pregnancy wasn't planned or strategic. It just happened."

"Convenient timing, though. Wouldn't you say?"

"No, I wouldn't."

"You discovered you were pregnant in late September. And then just three weeks later, you were kidnapped. Is that right?"

"Yes."

"And during this kidnapping, you claim Helen Wade and Robert Hartley repeatedly mentioned my client's name."

"I don't claim it. They did."

"But Mrs. Wolfe, you were in shock. Terrified. Traumatized. Isn't it possible that in your fear, you misheard or misunderstood what was said?"

"No. They were very clear."

"How many times specifically did they mention Patricia name?"

I tried to remember exactly. "I don't know the exact number. At least five or six times."

"At least five or six. So you're not certain of the number?"

"I was being held captive, thinking I was going to die. I wasn't counting."

"Of course. But memory can be unreliable, especially under stress. Isn't that right?"

"My memory of what happened is clear."

"Is it? You were hit on the head, you said. You lost consciousness. You woke up disoriented. Those aren't ideal conditions for perfect recall."

"I know what I heard."

"What you think you heard," Brennan corrected. "Mrs. Wolfe, Helen Wade worked for Adrian Wolfe. Robert Hartley was married to Patricia. It would be natural for them to discuss both Adrian and Patricia in general terms. Isn't it possible you heard their names and assumed there was a conspiracy when really they were just talking?"

"No. That's not what happened."

"But you were terrified. In shock. Possibly confused"

"I wasn't confused. Helen said, 'Patricia wants this. Patricia planned this. Patricia paid for this.' Those were her words. Exact words."

"Words you remember from sixteen hours of captivity while traumatized and fearing for your life."

"Yes."

"Mrs. Wolfe, you testified that you love Adrian Wolfe. Is that right?"

The shift in topic threw me. "Yes."

"And you want to protect him?"

"Of course."

"You want to ensure his happiness, his family's safety, his peace of mind?"

"Yes."

"So if Patricia the woman Adrian believes killed his first wife were to go to prison, that would be beneficial for your family, wouldn't it?"

I saw where he was going. "I'm testifying because it's the truth, not because"

"Please just answer the question. Would Patricia going to prison be beneficial for your family?"

"Yes, but"

"Thank you. And isn't it true that Patricia has been a source of stress and conflict in your marriage?"

"She kidnapped me. So yes."

"But even before the alleged kidnapping, there was tension. Patricia blamed Adrian for her daughter's death. She was fighting for custody of Lily. She was a threat to the family you were building."

"She was angry at Adrian, yes."

"So removing her from the picture permanently that would solve a lot of problems for you."

"I'm not lying to remove her from the picture. I'm telling the truth about what she did."

"Are you? Or are you telling the story that benefits you most? The story that makes you the victim and Patricia the villain? The story that ensures your wealthy husband stays wealthy, your comfortable life stays comfortable, and the woman who threatened all of that goes away?"

"That's not"

"Mrs. Wolfe, you entered into a financial arrangement with Adrian Wolfe. You're now carrying his child and stand to benefit enormously from his continued wealth and happiness. And you expect this jury to believe that your testimony is completely objective? That you have no ulterior motive?"

"I expect this jury to believe the truth!" My voice rose, anger breaking through. "I was kidnapped. I was terrorized. I thought I was going to die and my baby was going to die. And Helen Wade and Robert Hartley told me explicitly, repeatedly, that Patricia ordered it. That's the truth. Not a story. Not a strategy. The truth."

Brennan smiled slightly, like he'd gotten the reaction he wanted. "No further questions, Your Honor."

He sat down, looking satisfied.

I was shaking, tears streaming down my face, my hands clenched so tight my nails were cutting into my palms.

"Redirect, Ms. Martinez?" Judge Martinez asked.

"Yes, Your Honor." Lisa stood. "Mrs. Wolfe, Mr. Brennan suggested you might have financial motivations for your testimony. Do you receive any additional money if Patricia is convicted?"

"No."

"Does your financial arrangement with Adrian Wolfe change in any way based on this trial's outcome?"

"No. The contract ended months ago. We're married because we want to be, not because of any financial agreement."

"And the pregnancy did you plan to get pregnant to secure your position?"

"No. It was completely unplanned. We were careful. It just happened."

"One final question. In your own words, why are you testifying today?"

I looked at the jury. At those twelve faces who would decide everything.

"Because Patricia tried to have me killed. Because Helen Wade and Robert Hartley told me, over and over, that they were following her orders. Because Patricia wanted to punish Adrian by taking someone he loved, and she didn't care that I was innocent. She didn't care that I was pregnant. She wanted me dead, and she paid people to make it happen. I'm testifying because that's the truth. And because if she's not held accountable" My voice broke. "If she's not held accountable, then everything I survived meant nothing. And I can't let that happen."

"Thank you, Mrs. Wolfe. No further questions."

"The witness may step down," Judge Martinez said.

I stood on shaking legs and walked back to my seat. Adrian immediately pulled me close, and I buried my face in his shoulder, trying not to completely fall apart in front of the entire courtroom.

"You did it," he whispered. "Emma, you did it. You were perfect."

I didn't feel perfect. I felt like I'd been torn apart and barely reassembled.

But it was done. My testimony was done.

Now we just had to wait and see if the jury believed me.