Chapter 564 Second Trial (7) Alaric Acquitted
When Lyra laid out all the evidence, it was like a bomb went off in the room.
Dominic stood there in the defendant's box, eyes bloodshot, completely out of arguments.
He never thought Lyra would have such airtight evidence.
Dominic believed he had everything under control. He thought he was playing everyone, including the Monroe family, and that he'd use everything at his disposal to reach the top, living a life everyone envied.
But in reality, someone had been watching his every move.
The moment he slipped up, he was done for.
Right now, Dominic's fists were clenched, his body shaking with barely contained rage, his face twisted in anger.
Since he was a kid, his goal was always clear: to be at the top, looking down on everyone, making them bow to him. So failing this badly, being here, being looked at with disdain and ridicule, was something he just couldn't accept.
He shot a fierce glare at Lyra, but she met his gaze with icy calm.
Dominic thought he was a master at manipulating women, but he never expected to be outplayed by one—especially Lyra.
No, to be precise, he was outplayed by Cecilia. His bloodshot eyes found her in the audience, and he was almost sure this was all her doing.
Lyra being rescued, Lyra being brought here, Lyra publicly accusing him—it was all Cecilia's plan!
But right now, Cecilia wasn't even looking at him; her eyes were locked on Alaric.
Even in her moment of victory, she wouldn't give Dominic the time of day.
Dominic thought, 'Cecilia, the woman who once loved me so deeply—why did she change so suddenly? How did she fall for another man so easily?'
His bottled-up emotions started to spill over.
After Lyra exposed all of Dominic's crimes and felt a sense of revenge, she noticed his gaze was fixed on Cecilia.
Even though Lyra no longer loved Dominic and was heartbroken to the point of wanting to tear him apart, no one knew the true extent of the torment she endured during that week Dominic imprisoned her.
The abuse she suffered was worse than death. Whenever Dominic was unhappy, he would beat her, and except for her face, there wasn't a single unmarked patch of skin on her body.
It wasn't just Dominic; that bitch Penelope would slap her and constantly mock her. Including Octavia, the so-called good mother-in-law, who, when her mask was torn off, turned out to be even crueler than Lyra had imagined.
The entire Kingsley family was vicious and hypocritical. She dreamed of destroying them.
Finally, she was rescued. At the most critical moment, someone saved her. Now, she could finally vent all her grievances and make Dominic and the Kingsley family suffer a fate worse than hers.
However, the satisfaction in her heart was greatly overshadowed by jealousy because Dominic never looked at her from beginning to end.
During the week when Dominic had Lyra locked up, the name he kept bringing up was Cecilia. He'd never admit he liked her; his pride wouldn't let him care for the woman who ditched him. But if he didn't have feelings for her, why did he hate her so much? Why was he so desperate to make Cecilia bow to him?
Thinking about this, Lyra's expression darkened. She didn't feel any gratitude towards Cecilia. To her, Cecilia's rescue was just a move against Dominic. It was a fair trade, and Lyra wasn't about to be thankful.
Instead, Dominic's obsession with Cecilia only made Lyra more determined to take her down. Lyra couldn't stand anyone having power over her life, nor could she accept losing to anyone. Cecilia had clearly become a major threat.
In the courtroom, Felix finally spoke up. He walked over to Dominic and asked, "Do you plead guilty to the evidence provided by Ms. Monroe?"
Hearing this, Dominic locked eyes with Felix, his gaze bloodshot.
Felix, who used to kiss up to him, now stood tall, questioning him.
Dominic sneered and then burst into maniacal laughter. His sudden outburst made everyone look at him like he was a freak. He never thought he'd fall this low.
With the setbacks from Cecilia, he could still tell himself he could start over. But now, he couldn't fool himself into thinking he could still reach the top, with everyone bowing to him. He was truly, utterly defeated.
As he laughed, tears began to stream down his face. His once stellar reputation had turned into a joke. He had become a laughingstock in all of Serenovia City and the entire Yakurosean Empire. His laughter grew more exaggerated as he spiraled into complete madness.
Felix asked several times, but Dominic only responded with crazed laughter, as if he couldn't understand a word Felix was saying.
The trial had to be temporarily adjourned, despite the mountain of evidence against Dominic. There was no doubt—Dominic was done for.
The bailiffs took Dominic away.
He looked utterly pitiful.
Cecilia finally glanced at him.
Dominic had spent his whole life, from birth, in a bubble of arrogance. He thought he was above everyone else, never respecting anyone, always assuming people looked at him with envy and admiration.
But now, he had suddenly fallen into the abyss.
Cecilia felt that whatever punishment Dominic would face later didn't matter. His mind had already completely shattered. He was already a loser, and she felt no pity for him.
Cecilia looked at his defeated figure without any change in emotion. This was Dominic's fate—the fate he deserved. She then shifted her gaze slightly and turned to Joe.
At that moment, Joe began to read Alaric's final verdict. Everyone stood up as Joe announced, "After a trial, the Serenovia City District Court finds the defendant Alaric not guilty and orders his immediate release!"
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
