“Uncle Clement, go inside first,” Queenie urged, her confidence unwavering.
Once he disappeared into the courthouse, she turned back toward Tessa.
“Did you see that? That is my uncle. Tessa, you’re finished today.” No matter how long it took, she would see to it that Tessa ended up behind bars.
Tessa let out a quiet, mocking laugh.
“What? Are you too scared to talk now?” Queenie’s irritation flared at the sight of her calm expression.
“You hurt Ysabel. I was never going to let you off the hook,” Tessa said coolly. “Now that you’re strutting around so arrogantly, I’ll make sure you get exactly what you deserve.”
Some people healed too quickly and forgot the pain. If that was the case, Tessa had no problem carving a wound so deep it would never close.
“Still talking big, huh?” Queenie sneered. “I’ll personally watch you get locked up.” With a haughty flick of her hair, she turned on her heel and strutted into the courtroom.
Tessa and Ysabel remained where they were, waiting for their lawyer.
The moment Raymond Grant stepped out of his car and spotted Tessa, he quickened his pace, jogging over.
“Sorry, I’m late.”
“You’re not,” Tessa replied smoothly. “You’re right on time.”
With that, the three of them entered the courtroom.
The moment Queenie noticed Tessa had brought a lawyer, unease flickered across her face. She immediately turned to Clement.
“Uncle Clement, do you know who her lawyer is?”
Clement lifted his head, his sharp eyes landing on the man beside Tessa.
The instant recognition struck; his hand, previously flipping through documents, froze mid-motion.
“So, it’s him,” he muttered under his breath.
Queenie frowned. “What’s wrong? Is he that good?” For the first time, a sliver of doubt crept into her voice.
“It’s just a defeated opponent. Relax! We’ve already secured victory in this case.”
Clement and Raymond had clashed numerous times, yet Raymond had never once emerged victorious.
At that moment, Raymond spotted Clement as well.
“The opposing lawyer is Clement?”
“You know him?” Tessa settled into her seat, unimpressed.
“Tessie, let me find you a stronger lawyer!”
“Why?”
“I have never won against Clement.”
As he spoke, Clement happened to walk by and overheard him.
“Raymond, at least you have some self-awareness. Haven’t I warned you before? If I’m on a case, you should steer clear. Losing every time must be humiliating, don’t you think?”
Raymond’s expression darkened, but he remained silent.
After all, every time he faced Clement in court, he lost. And losers had no right to dignity.
Tessa reassured him, “Raymond, don’t worry. The facts of this case are indisputable. They’re the ones who will lose.”
Clement smirked. “Little girl, do you really believe the world is as simple as black and white? Things are far more complicated than you think.”
Even if something was black, it could be turned white in his hands.
Tessa narrowed her eyes coldly. “Someone like you isn’t even worthy of being called a lawyer?”
“Whether I’m worthy isn’t for you to decide. Just remember, once you step into that courtroom, you’ll only have yourself to blame for hiring an incompetent lawyer.”
The judge entered the courtroom, and Clement returned to his seat.
The trial commenced.
“Your Honor, my client, Queenie, suffered a broken nose at the hands of the defendant, Tessa. Here is the medical report. Furthermore, the defendant has openly admitted to the assault. The facts of this case are undeniable.”
The judge turned to Tessa. “Do you dispute the plaintiff’s lawyer’s statement?”
“I did hit her,” Tessa admitted without hesitation.
“Your Honor, the defendant may be a minor, but for someone so young, she already demonstrates alarming brutality. She must be held accountable. Otherwise, she will pose a growing threat to the werewolf society we’ve fought so hard to build.”
Clement’s words made Tessa chuckle.
“Defendant, please show respect for the court.”
“Your Honor, I laughed because the plaintiff’s lawyer is utterly ridiculous. First, I acknowledge that I struck Queenie. However, the reason behind it warrants a thorough explanation. Otherwise, if Queenie truly becomes a danger to society, wouldn’t I share the blame for staying silent?”
Tessa spoke with a composure far beyond her years. “On the 23rd at 6:30 PM, I received a call from the plaintiff. She informed me that she had Ysabel in her custody and threatened to harm her if I didn’t show up. Fearing for my classmate’s safety, I went to the designated location alone, only to find Queenie surrounded by more than ten mercenaries. Ysabel was tied to a chair, her face visibly swollen from being struck. To save her, I fought them. Queenie was injured in the process, but my actions were purely self-defense. She committed kidnapping and extortion. According to the Navoris Werewolf Criminal Code, anyone who abducts another person for ransom or as a hostage faces a minimum of ten years in prison, up to life imprisonment, along with fines or asset forfeiture.”
“If the kidnapping results in severe harm to the victim, the penalty may even be…” Tessa locked eyes with Queenie, enunciating each word with chilling precision, “death penalty.”
The lawyer barely spoke. Tessa single-handedly handled her defense.
She submitted all the evidence to the judge. There was the surveillance footage of Queenie abducting Ysabel, the screenshots of her messages to Hector, and the audio recording of Queenie’s threats over the phone.
Clement’s expression darkened.
He had no idea there was a kidnapping involved.
“Queenie, what the hell is going on?” If she had told him earlier, he could have prepared. But now, caught off guard, he had no idea how to mount a defense.
“Uncle Clement, aren’t you the best lawyer in Navoris? You have to help me! I don’t want the death penalty!” She had always believed he could save her.
“You!” Clement was so furious he nearly exploded.
At that moment, Raymond stepped in. “Your Honor, my client is just a 17-year-old student. The plaintiff kidnapped her classmate. She was merely acting in self-defense. If students can get away with kidnapping and making threats, what limits will they have in the future?”
“Landon, this girl is something else!” The speaker was Hudson Jones, Montedra’s most formidable werewolf lawyer and a close friend of Landon.
“Looks like she doesn’t need you after all. You can go.”
“Alright, you’re the boss. Whatever you say.” The case was crystal clear; Hudson had no reason to stay.
Before leaving, he couldn’t help but remark, “This girl was born to be a lawyer.”
Landon didn’t bother responding.
Tessa had many sides to her. In court, she outshone most professionals.
And she was still just a teenager.
The trial concluded, and the judges withdrew to deliberate.
Raymond looked at Tessa in admiration. “Tessie, which university are you applying to?”
“I’m not sure yet.” She had too many options.
“Become a lawyer! You’d be the best.”
“Raymond, you can do it too. You’re just going through a rough patch. Don’t lose sight of why you started.” She knew his struggles; that’s why she insisted he take this case.
“Yeah, I know. I won’t give up.” He had been ready to quit. In a place like Navoris, dominated by power and privilege, someone like him had no place.
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