Chapter 354 - Don't Meander

It was such a lovely moment to watch her laugh and giggle and be excited in general that Daryn leaned on the frame of the door with his arms across his chest and just watched… His lips curled up. 

"So when is it?" he asked. 

Reyna got up as soon as she saw him. 

"Please keep sitting Reyna," he said and then walked in. 

Dawn patted the sofa next to her. "Come, sit here. Let me show you how this will work out." 

Daryn scratched his chin and walked up to her. 

"I am planning it next month, but Reyna says that we should have it before the next month starts because the ceremony happens in the seventh month," said Dawn. She pointed at the laptop screen. "See those dates. Which one is best for you? We have to book in advance. There will be quite a number of guests I believe." She blushed at thought and covered her bump. "Reyna is saying that we should go for a theme and create a website for people to send us gifts." She clasped her hands in excitement.

Daryn chuckled. He wrapped his arm across her shoulders, gave a light peck on her head and said, "We don't need to create the website baby."

Dawn tilted her head and realized that the man was so rich that creating a website and asking for presents would perhaps not suit his status. "Okay," she breathed out. 

Reyna left the office for the two of them to discuss things.

And for the next one hour, Daryn didn't go anywhere just to spend time with Dawn because this event was making her happy. If she was happy, his wolf was happy and his heartbeat stayed normal. Over the past few days it had been so bad that this brief period of delight was a welcome change. 

Dawn deliberately didn't go to her office. She stayed with Daryn all the time, clinging to him even when he went for his meetings. She would sit next to him in the chair and keep playing games or replying to emails. In one of the meetings she put her feet on his lap because they were aching and beginning to swell a little. The CEO of the Silver House was seen massaging her feet in that meeting. 

Three days later they arrived together for the trial. The lawyers had ensured that there were not many people in the courtroom and the media was not even allowed. 

As usual Bree was sitting behind her lawyer. She gave Dawn a vicious look and then turned her gaze away. 

"You are so going down bitch!" Bree murmured and Dawn easily listened to it. 

The judge arrived right on time. He was looking business as usual. 

Geoffrey picked up a document and handed it to the judge saying, "Your Honor, we went to meet the sister of Erika Trey. Here are the details of her sister."

The judge frowned. "What has this got to do with the case?" 

"It has a lot of connections. May I call Ms. Bree again at the witness box?"

"Sure!" The judge said, taking in a deep breath. He started scanning the document. 

Bree was looking much more contained and sober than the previous time. 

"Ms. Bree, you said that Ms. Erika was a loner. Her sister hardly ever bothered to contact her," asked Geoffrey. He handed her the same document as the one he gave to the judge. "These are the call records of Ms. Trey."

Bree clenched her jaw and looked at them. 

Geoffrey started. "These say that Ms. Erika called her sister at least once a week. The last she called her, she mentioned that she was planning on taking a leave and spending time with her sister and her daughter. Her sister is a single parent and she often helps her sister monetarily. She was about to wire some money to her sister when she died in this incident." 

Bree gave back the papers to him and shrugged. "So? Too bad she died, thanks to someone neglecting their duties!" 

Geoffrey continued, "Now that Ms. Erika is in the hospital for her surgery, how come her sister doesn't know about it? When we contacted her sister, she said that she had no information about Erika's condition. So my question is didn't Erika or you ever call her to tell her in what situation was she? With what her sister talked to my paralegal regarding her relationship with Erika, it seemed that the two were close." 

Bree shifted in her seat. She licked her lips and looked at her lawyer who was staring at her as if telling her to tell the truth. "Well, how would I know? You need to ask Erika about that." 

"Very well," said Geoffrey politely. "So basically you agree that Erika wasn't a loner?" 

"Where the hell is the case going?" Kirk demanded. 

Geoffrey winked at him and said, "Be patient, dear friend." He turned his attention back to Bree. "Have you met Ms. Erika lately?" 

Bree nodded. "Yes, I met her yesterday. She is recovering but the right side of her face is bad. She needs money for surgery." 

Geoffrey handed another folder to the judge and said, "After a thorough investigation, Alvarez over here," he pointed to the police officer, "found pieces of metal rolled below the kitchen counters and cabinets." He showed a plastic bag containing those pieces to everyone and then gave it to the clerk. "This seems to be a cleaving knife. Its pieces were also embedded in the charred body of the woman who was found there." He looked at Bree. "My question is that why would a woman who doesn't know anything about the course, come to the kitchen with a cleaving knife."

Bree shrugged. "How would I know?" she rolled her eyes. 

"You should Ms. Bree, because this was a new knife which was just bought a few hours back because you had ordered it and had asked Erika to keep it there."

Bree's eyes became wide. Dawn couldn't understand whether it was fear or anger or panic.

"So you mean to say that Erika gave this knife to the deceased woman to keep it in the kitchen?" 

"I didn't ask Erika to keep it in the kitchen," Bree denied. "You can ask her!" 

"I am not saying that you gave her. I am saying that Erika gave it to the dead woman." 

Bree flinched. Her body became still. "Yes, maybe…" she said in a jarring voice.

Geoffrey passed another piece of papers to the judge and the clerk. "But Alvarez also found fingerprints of Ms. Erika Trey on the site of the explosion. This report says where all they were present." He pointed at the report. "This only means that Erika was there before the explosion just occurred."

Kirk got up and said angrily, "What the hell are you implying Geoffrey? If Erika was a staff, then it is not out of ordinary to find her fingerprints in the kitchen. What are you getting at?"

"I am not getting at anything Kirk. I am only presenting the evidence to the court. Is it that bad?" said Geoffrey. 

"I am uncomfortable with your assumptions and questions, Sir," Bree added. She looked past him towards Dawn, whose muscles were strained. 

"You better tell us what you are getting up to Geoffrey," said the judge. "I don't want you to meander your way to the point you are trying to prove."