FreeNovel
Chapter 158
Sebastian swallowed a lump in his throat before he uttered, “Not in recent years.”
“Hm. When did your relationship with him tum sour?”
The prosecution jumped out of her seat and exclaimed, “Objection, my Lord! The question is irrelevant!”
MI Clark explained, “My Lord, the proximity of the accused’s relationship with his son will explain the
likelihood of him helping in the acquisition of assets.”
The prosecutor argued, “Mr Cummings had already denied aiding the accused in those acquisitions!”
Mr Clark counter-argued, “My Lord, it is clear that the accused and the present witness’s testimonies are
i n conflict. In light of this, we must assess the credibility of their statements. The whole purpose of a
cross examination is to assess the truthfulness of their assertions. The truth can only be found if we
assess whether the present witness has a motive for providing the conflicting evidence.”
Judge Cook uttered, “Objection dismissed. Mr Clark may proceed with his line of questioning.”
With an arrogant smirk, Mr Clark repeated his question to Sebastian, and Sebastian answered
reluctantly.” About a year ago.”
“And what is the reason for the strain in the relationship with your father?”.
“We just…stopped seeing eye to eye.”
“On what in particular? Business?”
“No, just certain…life decisions.”
Mr Clark continued smirking as he pressed on with a louder voice, which echoed through the courtroom
walls, “Perhaps asking ‘what’ reason isn’t accurate. Perhaps it’s a ‘who’.”
Sebastian and Xandar knew exactly where things were going. Xandar’s arm tightened on Lucianne’s
shoulder as her thumb stroked his other hand that was on his lap.
Mr Clark then asked, “Did your relationship with your father turn sour after you met the Queen-to-be,
Gamma Lucianne Freesia Paw?”
The murmurs and chatters in the room were cut off with the judge silencing everyone again.
“No.” Sebastian answered.
Mr Clark squinted his eyes and pressed on, “You’re saying that your meeting with Her Royal Highness
did not in any way affect how your father saw you?”
“That’s a question you’d have to ask him, not me. I’m not privy to how he saw me after I met the Queen.”
“How close would you say you are to Her Royal Highness?”
“Objection!” The prosecutor shouted from her seat.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtThe judge responded in an angered voice, “Sustained! Mr Clark, leading questions to challenge the
character of a member of the royal family are barred by law, unless they are on trial themselves!”
Mr Clark responded calmly, “I’m well-aware of that, my Lord. But given the history between the Queen
and the witness, I felt the need to explore the likelihood of the witness providing false oral evidence to
please
her.”
Xandar, Christian and Annie growled in unison. Lucianne was glaring daggers at Mr Clark, who refused
to look at any of them as he locked eyes with Judge Cook.
The judge pondered, his fingertips pressing his forehead before he sighed and asked, “What history?”
A radiant smile stretched across Mr Clark’s face as he explained, “The Queen and the witness were
bonded mates a year ago, prior to a rejection shortly after. Even so, the witness was seen speaking to
the Queen with intimate intentions on numerous occasions after the said rejection.”
The sound of fast-paced scribbles echoed through the courtroom walls. Lucianne already had to cupped
her mate’s cheeks to stop him from shifting, cooing him to breathe.
The judge looked at Lucianne and hesitated before he spoke, “My Queen?”
Lucianne tore her gaze away from her mate and stood before the old man asked, “Are the assertions
made by Mr Clark true?”
From her peripheral vision, Lucianne saw Mr Clark skimming her body from head-to-toe when Judge
Cook asked his question. In a clear voice, she said, “Not everything is true, my Lord. It is true that
Sebastian Cummings was my fifth-chance mate before I was bonded to the King. However, after the
rejection, we have never been intimate with each other as Mr Clark is now suggesting. Neither are we’
close’ as he sought to assert.”
Mr Clark smirked flirtatiously as he said, “Perhaps you’ve misunderstood me, your Highness. I merely
said that the witness himself had intimate intentions, not you, my Queen. I know the law enough to know
not t o question a member of the royal family.”
Lucianne’s eyes tumed ferocious as it fixed on Mr Clark’s coy ones when she spoke again, “Perhaps
you’ve misunderstood ME, Mr Clark. I am clarifying my position with the witness. Your line of questioning
was implicitly suggesting that I may have reciprocated any form of intimacy that you’re saying he
displayed. I know twisted speeches and hidden meanings behind words enough to know what you were
trying to do. Before you even think about questioning my character, you should assess your own. You
have no right to look at any woman like how you just looked at me. We’re not pieces of meat waiting to
be devoured.”
Xandar rose from his seat, his eyes were onyx when he glared at the lawyer. His hand at Lucianne’s
waist pressed her body closer to his. Clark was stunned. He had been looking at women like that
throughout his career, and no one had told him off before. He even stole glimpses of the Queen just this
morning and during recess, and nothing bad came out of it.
Judge Cook looked at the defense counsel and asked in amusement, “Something you wish to tell the
Queen, Mr Clark?”
Mr Clark was brought out of his shock, and he offered a low bow as he said, “Apologies f-”
“Kneel.” Xandar demanded in a low voice, sending a shiver down everyone’s spines. Well, everyone’s
except Lucianne’s. Before Lucianne could tell Xandar that kneeling wasn’t necessary, he silenced her
with a sweet peck on her lips before he whispered, “Just let me, my love.”
Lucianne mouthed ‘okay’ when her heart melted from his words. When their sights returned to the
lawyer, he was already down on one knee when he uttered, “Please accept my most sincere apologies,
your Highness. I promise to exercise more caution with the way my questions are framed. I apologize for
the distress I’ve caused you and the King.”
Lucianne’s expression was unperturbed before it softened when she kissed her mate on his cheek, and
whispered into his ear, “Let’s not waste any more of the court’s time, dearest. Let them proceed.”
“Mm.” Xandar muttered as he pecked a kiss on her forehead and lowered himself and his mate gently
back into their seats.
The judge got the cue to proceed when they sat, and he cleared his throat before ordering Mr Clark to
move on with the cross-examination. Being more cautious this time, he faced Sebastian and asked,”
Despite the lack of reciprocity on the Queen’s part, have you ever had a disagreement with your father
because you chose to take her side as opposed to his?”
Xandar, Lucianne and Sebastian immediately thought of the time when they sat together with Alfred and
Sasha Cummings at the breakfast table. When Alfred was trying to convince everyone that he had never
met Lucianne, Sebastian threw him under the bus by telling his father, in front of everyone, that Alfred
had met her. He chose Lucianne over his father.
“I take whichever side is right in principle. I don’t choose based on the person.” Sebastian said.
“So, there was such a time then?”
“Yes, because my father isn’t always right. I exercise this choice with everyone, not just with the Queen.”
“And what about today?”
“Today?”
“You met her outside the courtroom shortly before entering the bailiff’s office, did you not?”
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm“I did. It was a coincidence.”
“Did you both converse?”
“Yes, but we didn’t conspire if that’s what you’re suggesting.”
“Oh, that’s not what I’m suggesting at all, Mr Cummings. I’m in no way asserting that Her Royal Highness
may have known what you were doing. But what I want to know is whether you’ve somehow hinted that
you’d take her side in this case?”
Sebastian’s response was steadfast, “No! I only said that,”
“That would do, Mr Cummings. Thank you.”
“Objection, my Lord. The witness hasn’t completed his answer.” The prosecutor said.
“Sustained. Mi Cummings, you may proceed.” Judge Cook said in a fimm voice.
Sebastian immediately explained, “I met the Queen before entering the courtroom but in no way did I
imply or say that I would help tip the balance in any party’s favor. What I promised to do was to never
testify against the law when I take the stand.”
“Thank you, Mr Cummings.” Mr Clark uttered, somewhat less satisfied when Sebastian said that last
part.
Judge Cook invited the prosecutor to move on to re-examine Sebastian.
The prosecutor began, “Mr Cummings, you mentioned that you promised to never testify against the law.
Did the Queen suggest that you may do otherwise?”
He exclaimed, “No! She didn’t say a thing! She was leaving when I saw the need to mention that!”
“And why did you see a need to mention that?”
Sebastian glanced at the ground before looking back up and saying in a weak voice, “Because I was
asked t o do otherwise just yesterday.”
“By whom?”
“My father.”
Mr Clark shot up from his seat between the chatters and said, “My Lord, I ask that the witness’s final
assertion be excluded from evidence on the grounds of hearsay.”
Judge Cook looked at Mr Clark like an angered law professor as the old man said, “Mr Clark, if you’re
familiar with the laws on hearsay, you’d know that it is inapplicable. We can very well question the
accused regarding what the witness just said. Since Alfred Cummings is alive and in our custody, we
have no problem getting primary evidence to determine this issue. Hearsay is inapplicable.” 1
When neither counsel had any questions left for Sebastian, Judge Cook dismissed him and recalled
Alfred
Cummings.
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