Chapter 22 The following day marked the trial, and all the students from Honors Class One were in attendance. Samuel, whom Cas sandra had withdrawn the lawsuit against, was also present.
All the students were accompanied by their families. With Cas sandraâs absence, the charge would be considered null, allowing the possibility of seeking compensation from her.
Among those seeking justice was the Yates family, supporting Yulissa. How could they stay at home while their beloved daughter was unjustly sued by an ingrate in their eyes?
But they didnât worry much because Leonardo had settled the matter.
At nine oâclock, as the court session began, the panel of judges took their positions, and, lawyers from both sides were present.
âThe plaintiff, Cas sandra, please make your statement.â
There was no response.
Leonardo sat in the family and friends section, wearing a smile. âThereâs no way Cas sandra can come, he thought.
âPlaintiff Cas sandra Yates?â the judge asked again.
Sure enough, no response came this time either.
âMr. Youngblood, where is your client?â the judge, Hayden Fairchild, asked in a formal tone.
âYour Honor, please give us a moment. My client will be here in a minute,â Jonathan answered.
The opposing lawyer remarked, âWhat a joke. According to protocol, if the plaintiff fails to appear on time, it will be considered as conceding, and the plaintiff is expected to withdraw the lawsuit and apologize to my clients.â
In a deadlock, Hayden found it challenging to reach a decision..
With Cas s andra almost ten minutes late, there was a possibility of declaring an adjournment or deeming the plaintiff to be withdrawing her case, as per protocol.
Consequently, Hayden stood up. âI hereby announce...â
Unexpectedly, the door creaked open, and someone entered.
15 Chapter 22 It was Cas sandra.
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She intentionally delayed her entrance. Despite being near the door, she held back from entering the courtroom, allowing a sense of control to settle among the people inside. Her strategy involved making them believe they held the upper hand, only to later expose them to a harsh reality that would humiliate them.
That was why she opened the door and walked in just as Hayden was about to adjourn the trial.
Seeing Cas sandra, Leonardo was visibly shocked. The surprise on his face betrayed his thoughts. âHasnât she been kidnapped by my men? Why is she here? And sheâs here just in time!â
âApologies for the delay, Your Honor, Cas sandra walked up to Jonathan, then addressed Hayden politely. Every gesture she made exuded confidence, and it seemed she showed no remorse for being late.
âPlaintiff Cas sandra Yates, you are ten minutes late. Please explain yourself.â
âI apologize for my tar diness, Your Honor, but I have a compelling reason. Someone didnât want me to attend this trial, so they sent people to abduct me, causing the delay,â Cas sandra explained. Her gaze shifted from Yulissa to the section where the defendantsâ friends and families were seated, ultimately landing on Leonardo.
Leonardo wore a grim expression. âDoes she know the mastermind behind her kidnapping? Even if she does, thereâs little she can do about it, he mused.
âDo you have any evidence?â
Kidnapping was not a small matter, especially when the plaintiff was kidnapped before. the court session.
âI have the kidnappersâ confessions, and the kidnappers are currently outside. Your Honor, may I sue the mastermind as well?
Cas sandra looked at Hayden with an innocent expression, portraying herself as the clear victim in this situation.
Hayden was stunned.
After careful consideration of the panel of judges, Hayden stated, âIf itâs linked to the defendants, it can be considered as part of this case and investigated collectively.â
Yulissa was shocked by Haydenâs words.
She wondered, âWho could be behind Cas sandraâs kidnapping? Could it be Leo? If it is, Iâll feel embarrassed once his involvement is revealed by the kidnappers.
Yulissa felt her legs tremble, struggling to remain standing.
Chapter 22 âItâs related to one of the defendants. Itâs Leonardo, Yulissaâs brother. He orchestrated my kidnapping and promised a reward of 1 million dollars to the kidnappers. I possess. the kidnapperâs confession. Your Honor, you can listen to it.â
Hayden motioned for the staff to play the evidence, and the initial part of the recording began. It was the conversation between Cas sandra and the kidnapper.
âYou have two choices. Either you tell me who sent you here, or Iâll call the police and have you tell them yourself. The choice is yours. I see youâre still remaining silent. I assume you choose the second option.â
âDonât call the police. Itâs Mr. Yates.â
âWho is Mr. Yates?â
âLeonardo Yates from the Yates family in Drieso.â
Following that, the second part of the recording played. It was the conversation between Leonardo and the kidnapper.
âHave you caught her?â
âWe... we did.â
âGreat to hear.â
âMr. Yates, may I ask why you asked us to kidnap this girl?â
âShe wants to sue my sister. I want to teach her a lesson.â
Leonardoâs expression darkened upon the presentation of the two pieces of evidence. He didnât expect the kidnapper Sean to record their conversation from the previous night. All of this was orchestrated by Cas sandra.
She intended to deceive him into believing that she was kidnapped and couldnât attend court when in reality, she had already handled the kidnappers.
âCas sandra, why did you fake evidence to frame Leo? He is your brother, too. Even if hate me, you canât harm him like this. How could he possibly kidnap you?â
you Yulissa was the first to speak, disavowing any knowledge of the kidnapping and implying that the entire scheme was orchestrated by Ca s sandra.
By doing this, Yulissa could distance herself from the accusation even if Leonardo admitted to the kidnapping.
âThe kidnappers are outside, willing to testify in court in exchange for me not pressing charges against them. They took a check from Mr. Yates, which hasnât been cashed yet, 3/5 11:24 Fri, 16 Feb MâI Chapter 22 bearing Mr. Yatesâ signature and a timestamp...â
It was a plethora of evidence. Everyone was present on this occasion, except for Raymond, who was still in bed recovering from his injuries. It was too late for them to destroy the evidence.
If Cas sandra hadnât been late, she wouldnât have forced them into this dilemma.
Yulissaâs face turned pale with fear, and she didnât say a word, but tears streamed down her cheeks.
Observing Yulissaâs tears caused by Cas sandraâs aggressive tactics, the Yates family felt heartbroken, and it intensified their resentment toward Cas sandra.
Hayden summoned the kidnappers to testify, and they disclosed the truth. They then. presented a check for 1 million dollars signed in Leonardoâs name.
âIs Mr. Leonardo Yates here?â
Leonardo stood up in response to Haydenâs call.
âYour Honor, I firmly deny kidnapping Cas sandra. Sheâs my sister. How could I kidnap her? It was just a prank. I didnât think she would take it seriously.â Leonardo tried to downplay the incident as a harmless prank between a brother and his sister.
âMr. Yates, this prank isnât amusin in the least. Honestly, do you genuinely consider me your sister? Would you even glance my way if I hadnât put beloved sister in the your dock? Your idea of a prank is certainly unique, Mr. Yates, spending 1 million dollars on eight kidnappers just to jest with me.â
Cas sandra continued, âMoreover, if my memory serves me right, I have no connection whatsoever with the Yates family. Hence, how could I dare claim myself as your sister, Mr. Yates? I might lose my life for it.â
Cas sandra showed no mercy and revealed to everyone that the Yates family favored their adopted daughter.
Leonardo couldnât maintain his fake smile anymore. He didnât expect that Cas sandra would dare to refute his words.
âIs she really not planning to go back to the Yates family? Does she think this will attract our attention? What a joke!â he sneered inwardly.
âCas sandra, it is wrong of you to take legal action against your classmates. Now, withdraw the lawsuit and apologize to them in front of the judge, and we will forget about this.â Ridiculously, Leonardo played the role of a concerned elder brother, adv ising Cas sandra to withdraw the lawsuit in the presence of Hayden.
Chapter 22 In response to Leonardoâs unusual plea, Jonathan questioned, âMr. Yates, you threatened me and asked me to withdraw the lawsuit in the name of my client Ms. Cas sandra Yates. Could you enlighten me on the reason behind this demand?â
Observing the prejudiced family, Jonathan couldnât help sympathizing with Cas sandra.
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