Chapter 547 Implementing the Plan (1) The Hotchner family takes over the case handling
The next day, Cecilia was at her desk when Dominic called.
She hadn't slept well the night before, not just because of the press release, but because Alaric was on her mind all night. Even in her dreams, she saw his frail figure. She woke up several times, forcing herself back to sleep each time.
She picked up the phone, "Mr. Kingsley, what can I do for you?"
"Cecilia, are you stirring up trouble again?" Dominic didn't hold back, launching into a tirade.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Cecilia replied.
"Don't know?" Dominic's tone dripped with sarcasm. "The press release, you don't know about that?"
"Oh, that press release. I wonder who has so much time on their hands to release such a thing, even suggesting Juliana's death is related to you. By the way, Dominic, is Juliana's death really related to you?" Cecilia shot back.
"Enough!" Dominic's anger was palpable, even through the phone. His rage was immense.
This matter had greatly affected his reputation.
"Dominic, I'm at work now and about to go into a meeting. If you have something to say, say it. If not, I'm hanging up." Cecilia kept her cool.
"You better hope I don't find out it was you!" Dominic threatened harshly.
The call ended abruptly.
Cecilia looked at her phone, her expression equally grim.
She dialed Dashiell, "Dashiell."
"Yes," he answered.
"The press release has gained traction. We can start shaping public opinion," Cecilia said.
"Got it," Dashiell agreed immediately.
"Be careful. Dominic's people are probably keeping an eye on you. If they find out you're spreading rumors or hacking multiple websites maliciously, they'll accuse you of breaking the law," Cecilia warned.
"Don't worry," Dashiell reassured her.
At 1 PM, another press release suddenly appeared.
The content was: [In Alaric's trial, shouldn't the Monroe family recuse themselves?]
Such a straightforward statement directly spotlighted the Monroe family's identity.
The press release covered many aspects but boiled down to two key points.
First, since Dominic was one of the suspects in Juliana's death, and as the Monroe family's son-in-law, the Monroe family should recuse themselves from this matter for the sake of fairness. It was well known that the Serenovia City District Court was primarily managed by the Monroe family. Therefore, regardless of the trial's outcome, there would be misunderstandings. Moreover, the Yakurosean Empire's law clearly stated that anyone involved in a legal trial couldn't have any direct or indirect connection to the case.
Second, Dominic and Alaric had always been enemies. The depth of their hatred was known throughout the Yakurosean Empire. Now, with Alaric on trial, having the Monroe family, who were related to Dominic, presided over the trial was clearly unfair.
The press release quickly gained unanimous support from netizens.
From the initial heated discussions to the final unified stance, everyone agreed: [The Monroe family should recuse themselves from this trial!]
The public pressure began to have some negative effects on the Monroe family.
Dominic received a call from Tomas, who berated him, "How could this happen at this stage? Dominic, what have you been doing? Is it really that hard to deal with Alaric?"
Dominic felt humiliated by the scolding.
He had thought he had everything under control.
Now, Alaric had found another opportunity.
Tomas said, "Given the current situation, if we insist on handling Alaric's trial, even if we get the outcome we want, the public won't buy it!"
"Dad, what do you suggest?" Dominic asked, trying to keep his cool.
"We have to bring in the Hotchner family," Tomas replied.
Dominic clenched his jaw. Involving the Hotchner family would make it tough to pull strings behind the scenes.
"Could the Hotchner family have any hidden agendas? They've been low-key, but they're still one of the two major noble families alongside us. I don't trust them," Dominic voiced his concern.
"Whether they're straightforward or not, they won't dare to mess with us right now. We've kept our distance for years, and no one wants to make the first move. Our peace is because no one's broken that barrier. The Hotchner family wouldn't be foolish enough to provoke us now. If they did, it would spark a conflict between our families. They don't have the strength to challenge us, so they won't risk it," Tomas explained.
Tomas was convinced that the Hotchner family wouldn't dare to offend them now!
Dominic nodded, understanding the Monroe family's current power.
"So even if we involve the Hotchner family, Alaric's case won't be a big problem. It might make things a bit more complicated, but I know how to handle it," Tomas said coldly. "Dominic, if it weren't for Lyra being pregnant with your child, I would've given up on you long ago. I don't care if you're responsible for this or not; you've been a disappointment for years!"
With that, Tomas angrily hung up the phone.
Dominic's hand trembled as he held the phone. He had always been looked down upon by the Monroe family.
Dominic sneered. One day, he would rise to the top, stepping over the Monroe family's corpses.
When Cecilia got a call from Gideon, she had just finished work.
She took a deep breath as she saw the caller ID, "Mr. Hotchner."
"The Monroe family just came to see me," Gideon said directly.
Cecilia hadn't expected the Monroe family to act so quickly. The news had only been out for half a day, and they had already made a decision. She had to admire their decisiveness.
"They want me to get involved in Alaric's case. To be clear, I'll be supervising, but the main trial will still be at the Serenovia City District Court," Gideon explained.
"Okay," Cecilia replied. She knew the Monroe family wouldn't give all the control to the Hotchner family.
"I called to tell you that I'll be involved in this case, but more importantly, to remind you that I won't offend the Monroe family. In other words, if they don't abandon Dominic, I won't dig too deep," Gideon continued.
"I won't make things difficult for you," Cecilia assured him.
"I'm suddenly curious about how capable you really are," Gideon said before hanging up.
Cecilia stared at her phone, a bit dazed. Gideon's words clearly had a deeper meaning.
She gritted her teeth, trying not to overthink it. The most important thing now was to drive a wedge between Dominic and Lyra. And the key to that was making Lyra miscarry.
Cecilia's eyes narrowed. She couldn't afford to be too kind to Lyra.