Adrienne felt a surge of anxiety as she entered the courtroom with Richard by her side. The day was finally here; Linc's trial.
She glanced at the defendants' table, where Lincoln sat with his lawyer. He looked smug and confident, as if he had nothing to worry about.
He met her gaze and smirked, making her shiver. It brought back memories of the nights she was locked up in that old farmhouse.
She squeezed Richard's hand, grateful for his support. He had been her rock throughout this ordeal, always there to comfort her, protect her, and encourage her.
The judge entered the room and everyone stood up. The trial began, and Adrienne listened as her lawyer presented the charges and the evidence against Lincoln.
She felt a surge of hope as she saw the jury's expressions of shock and disgust. She hoped that they would see Lincoln for what he was: a monster who deserved to rot in jail.
Then it was Lincoln's lawyer's turn to speak. He stood up and cleared his throat, looking at the jury with a calm and confident expression.
"My client, Mr. Lincoln, is innocent of all the charges against him. He is not a monster, but a victim of a vicious conspiracy and a false accusation.
The prosecution has failed to provide any solid proof that he kidnapped, tortured, and raped Ms. Adrienne. All they have are her words, which are unreliable and inconsistent. The so-called evidence provided proves nothing.
The videos of my client and Ms. Adrienne submitted only prove one thing we are missing; Mr. Michael Ryan.
From the video, the late Mr. Michael Ryan was the abuser. My client was also a victim. He didn't want to partake in Mr. Michael's atrocities but he was forced to, and that is why he was seen holding Ms. Adrienne's hands while Mr. Michael defiled her.
My client should not be made to face the punishment for something he was forced into doing.
Let me tell you a little backstory of my client. He was born illegitimately to Mr. Michael Ryan and all his life, he wished for just one thing; to be with his father after his mom died.
He was always transferred from one caretaker to another and was constantly abused by each and every one of them. When he eventually met his father, he was an innocent twenty-year-old man that would do anything to spend time with his father.
His father, not caring about his own blood, took advantage of his own son's feelings. This innocent son was lured into performing that despicable act on Ms. Adrienne. He couldn't run away from it because his father threatened him with a gun and they were in the middle of nowhere.
His father forced his sick fantasies on his son and he had no choice but to comply. My client was kind to Ms. Adrienne whenever his father, the main mastermind, was absent.
There is no video evidence to support my words because Mr. Michael only put on the camera whenever he wanted to abuse Ms. Adrienne.
Ms. Adrienne here knows my client was nice to her whenever they were alone but she doesn't want to testify to that because she is hurt that the real perpetrator is dead and she wants my client to pay for Late Mr. Michael's crimes..."
Without thinking, Adrienne, who had been clenching her fist on her thigh, interrupted and stood up, shouting,
"He's lying! Lincoln is guilty! He did all those things to me! He's a monster! I'm telling the truth! I'm telling the truth! How can you defend such a horrible man?"
"Didn't I tell you stories about my childhood? Didn't I apologize to you whenever my dad wasn't around? Didn't I tell you how I just wanted to be with my dad?" Linc said with so much convincing emotion.
Adrienne looked at him and they locked gazes. She saw the tears well in his eyes. But behind the tear-filled eyes was a sinister gaze.
It was like she could actually hear him say "You are done," through the look in his eyes.
The judge banged his gavel and ordered her to sit down and be quiet. She clenched her fists and eventually sat down.
"It's not over," Richard whispered into her ears and held her hand once again.
"Your honor, I would like to ask for a mistrial. The actual criminal is Mr. Michael Ryan," Lincoln's lawyer objected.
"Objection. I'd like to ask for a recess," Adrienne's lawyer interjected.
"Five minutes recess," the judge banged his gavel.
Some people left the court, but Adrienne still sat there with Richard. Linc was smirking at her while wiping away his tears, mocking Adrienne.
"Trust me, he'll get the punishment he deserves. Just watch and see," Richard assured her.
They returned from recess, and the trial continued again.
"I'd like to call Ms. Adrienne to the questioning stand," Lincoln's lawyer said, and Adrienne nervously went. They did all that was necessary, and he started questioning her.
"You claim my client isn't innocent and raped you when his dad left you two alone, right?" he asked.
"Yes," Adrienne answered.
"That means you hate my client, right?" he continued.
"Isn't that obvious?" Adrienne fired.
"If that's the case, why did you sit and have a conversation with him two different times without throwing a tantrum? That's not how to act with someone you supposedly hate, right?" he challenged.
"What are you talking about?" Adrienne asked, clearly confused.
"Your honor, I'd like to present my first evidence," the Linc's lawyer smirked.
He handed over a USB, and when the video started playing, it was a video of Adrienne and Linc talking in her restaurant.
That was the first day she met Linc, when she was sulking in her restaurant.
"If the audio was available, you'd hear that we didn't have a normal or happy conversation.
I was even upset with him for interrupting my me-time, you can tell from my body language," Adrienne quickly defended herself.
"Oh, yeah? And what about this?" the second part of the video started rolling, showing Adrienne and Linc's second meeting, this time at her hotel.
"Seriously? What does that video prove? I should have smashed a teacup on his head or what? I still had my amnesia that day, so I didn't remember him," Adrienne rolled her eyes.
"Yes. Her medical report proves her amnesia," the Judge said.
"When did you recover your memories?" Linc's lawyer asked.
"On the third day of September, this year," Adrienne answered.
"Your honor, on the third day of September, Ms. Adrienne recovered her memory after meeting Mr. Michael for the first time after over three years.
Ms. Adrienne claims to have been assaulted by both Mr. Michael and my client, whereas she was only assaulted by Mr. Michael.
It was her first time meeting Mr. Michael after three years, and from the CCTV footage, she had something similar to a panic attack and fainted. That was when she recovered her memory and now, why was it at that moment? Because Mr. Michael was her only assaulter.
If my client, Mr. Lincoln Williams, was among the assaulters and didn't treat her nicely like he claimed, why didn't the same panic attack happen to her the first time they met at that restaurant?" Linc's lawyer challenged.
"Are you a medical doctor? Can you tell how the brain works? Because I couldn't remember..."
"That would be all, your honor," Linc's lawyer interrupted Adrienne and went back to his seat.
Adrienne was speechless. She looked at the judge, and the look on his face told Adrienne that he was actually considering Linc's lawyer's logic. No way!
She wanted to talk, but was silenced by the gavel, by the lawyer, by the system. She felt powerless and hopeless.
She felt like she was reliving her trauma all over again, only this time, in front of a crowd of strangers who were judging her, doubting her, blaming her. She felt like she was on trial, not Linc.
She looked at Richard, sitting in the front row next to Lisa and her mom.
He didn't look worried, which was surprising. Instead, he gave her a reassuring smile and mouthed the words "I love you." His calmness eased the worry in her own heart.
She looked at Linc, who was sitting smugly at the defendants' table next to his lawyer. He looked calm and confident, but also cruel and cunning. He gave her a mocking smirk and mouthed the words "You're done."
The judge looked serious and impartial, but also skeptical and unconvinced. He ordered Adrienne to return to her seat, and surprisingly, Linc's lawyer asked to call his witness.
Witness? He has a witness? Adrienne wondered.
"My witness is here to testify that Ms. Adrienne is indeed a manipulator and calculated strategist who leaked her own explicit images and blamed it on Mr. Lincoln, my innocent client," Linc's lawyer said.
"One of the charges against my client is unconsented distribution of Ms. Adrienne's explicit images.
After Ms. Juliette Davis revealed who Ms. Adrienne really was to the media, Ms. Adrienne leaked her own nudes. Why? This is because she wanted the public to think Ms. Juliette had just partnered with some of her enemies..."
"Objection, your honor. No one's believing that nonsense," Adrienne's lawyer interrupted.
"Agreed," the judge said.
"Let me call in my witness then," Linc's lawyer demanded.
The judge gave Adrienne a stern glance and said the words "Proceed."
"I'll like to call in..."
The door immediately swung open. Adrienne heard footsteps approaching. The sound of the shoe made it obvious to her that it was a male.
A scent filled the air, and it smelled familiar to Adrienne. Slowly, she turned to see who it was, and when she met his eyes, she was stunned.