Chapter 157

Lucianne tumed and found a little Evie in a light green dress running towards her with opened arms.

Lucianne didn’t have to think before bending down to scoop the little girl up.

“Hello, Evie. Where’s your mommy?” Lucianne asked with a smile.

Evie looked behind her and pointed, and Lucianne saw a frantic mother running in her way. Lucianne

then looked at Evie and asked, “Evie, did you tell your mommy where you were running to?”

“Mommy knows.” Evie said with no worries or remorse.

Lucianne pecked a light kiss on the little girl’s forehead before she said, “Evie, next time, drag mommy

along, okay? You don’t want to worry her, and you don’t want to be taken by bad guys, do you?”

“Bad guys?” Evie’s eyes grew wide with horror.

Lucianne’s soft but serious gaze peered into the little girl’s lilac orbs as she whispered, “Your mommy

and Lucy can protect you from bad guys, Evie. So, you need to have one of us with you when you’re

running next time, okay?”

“Mm-kay.” Evie muttered as her little ams opened up to ask for a hug. When Lucianne held the girl closet

o her chest with Evie’s small arms circling her neck, her mother came panting, “I am so sorry, your

Highness. Sh—”

Lucianne spoke in her normal voice then, “Ma’am, this really isn’t an issue. Evie is a sweet girl.”

“She ran, and I couldn’t stop her.” The mother was still guilty.

Lucianne pulled Evie gently out from her embrace before looking at the girl with a smile and said, “Who

knows? This one might be an accomplished artist and an athlete.”

The mother was shocked at the compliment. She took a moment to compose herself before a smile

graced her features as she said, “That’s very kind of you to say, my Queen. Thank you.”

After putting Evie down, her mother explained that she was in court to pay off a parking ticket. After

waving goodbye to a sad Evie, Lucianne watched the mother-daughter pair leave.

The future Queen was oblivious to the amount of attention she gamered with the way she interacted with

Evie. The scene eased the tension of every lawyer and client who watched the exchange. There was

something about Lucianne that could turn one’s mood around.

“Wow, I never knew you were this good with kids.”

Lucianne’s body stiffened at the familiar voice. How did he get here so soon? Wasn’t he just

subpoenaed?

She composed herself, and turned to face Sebastian with a forced smile as she greeted him, “Mr

Cummings, I can see the subpoena was executed quicker than one can expect.”

Her change of tone and demeanor got the people around her alert and defensive as well. Who was this

man? Why was the Queen so cold to him?

Sebastian adjusted his light blue tie nervously before he explained, “Dad mentioned they might ask me

to testify, so I just stuck around here.”

“I see. Well, good luck then.” Lucianne said curtly, and was about to leave when Sebastian’s voice

stopped her, “Lucy, I won’t testify against the law. I hope you know that.”

Lucianne’s eyes were stern when they bore into his as she said, “No one should testify against the law,

MI Cummings. Everyone knows that.”

Sebastian had a pained smile when he responded, “Yeah, that’s true.”

Lucianne was looking for an escape route so she said, “You need to be with the bailiff for the witness

briefing, and I have to return to the courtroom. We should part here, Mr Cummings.”

In a whisper, he spoke in dismay, “It’s just ‘Seb’, Lucy.”

Lucianne was getting agitated before a large hand from behind rested on her abdomen and moved to her

waist. She registered the sparks and her mate’s scent, allowing her to sigh with relief.

Xandar scowled at Sebastian and asked in a homicidal tone, “What did you just call my mate?”

Sebastian’s eyes glistened when he saw Lucianne melting in relief with Xandar but was so cold and

distant with him. He cleared his throat before uttering, “A mistaken slip of the tongue, my King. I

apologize. I should head for the bailiff’s office now.”

Xandar wamed, “If that ‘slip of the tongue’ happens again, Cummings, your career would be the next

thing you want to worry about after your father.”

Sebastian’s fists clenched to cope with the feelings of powerlessness, and he stole one more glimpse of

Lucianne before turning to leave. When he was out of sight, Lucianne stood on her toes and kissed

Xandar on his chin before she whispered, “Thank you, my love.”

The King’s hard face softened in an instant when he asked in concem, “You okay, baby?”

She nodded, then added with a smirk, “Perfect timing, my King. How did you do it?”

He matched her smirk as he replied, “Well, I told my Queen to not be gone for too long, and she left me

alone for what felt like hours.”

Lucianne rolled her eyes, and they walked back to the courtroom together. Judge Cook entered and the

trial resumed, calling Sebastian to the stand.

The prosecutor started the examination by asking, “Mr Cummings, what do you do for a living?”

“I’m the CEO of Shop For All.”

“The online retail company?”

“Yes.”

“How much do you eam?”

“It varies between half a billion to a billion dollars a year.” Some journalists were so shocked that their

note-taking paused momentarily, others almost dropped their pens.

“Have you used that money to acquire properties for your father?”

“No, never.”

“Are you sure, Mr Cummings? Not one? A house, a mansion, a holiday home, artwork or profitable

shares o f any kind?”

“No.” Sebastian responded without hesitation,

“And did you know about these properties that are under your father’s name?” She placed a sheet of

paper

containing the list of properties owned by Alfred Cummings in front of Sebastian.

Sebastian skimmed through it before he said, “I know about them. But I didn’t buy any of them.”

“Who bought them then?”

“Himself, I presume. It couldn’t have been my late mother. She didn’t earn as much as him. I don’t recall

hearing about her chipping in either.”

“Your sister, did she chip in?”

“Impossible. She never had a job and doesn’t have a habit of saving up to afford anything on her own, let

alone buy something like this for our father.”

“So, what you’re suggesting is that your father’s properties were acquired by himself, with his own

money.”

“Yes, that would be the only plausible way.”

“Thank you, Mr Cummings.” The prosecutor was very satisfied with the smooth examination.

The judge then called upon Mr Clark to cross-examine Sebastian, so he stood, buttoned-up his blazer

and began, “Mr Cummings, would you say that you share a good relationship with your father.”

Sebastian stiffened visibly at the question.