Vincent POV
The next day, I arranged a meeting to discuss the case.
We all knew that a law firm couldn't directly prosecute a criminal case—especially one involving both Italian and Californian jurisdictions.
Although I had told Aurelia that she would be assisting me, I later realized that she could only assist me outside the courtroom. I hadn't remembered that legal technicality until much later.
Well...
Telling her gently wouldn't make me a bad person.
Nor would it make her sad.
I called the team, along with an old friend of mine—the District Attorney who would officially lead the prosecution, handle the courtroom arguments, and question the witnesses.
As I entered the meeting room, everyone stood up.
I greeted them before taking my seat.
"The reason I've called this meeting is because, according to Californian law, our law firm isn't permitted to prosecute this criminal case directly. I personally forgot this detail until Austin reminded me last night."
I adjusted my coat before continuing.
"I've invited a District Attorney who has worked closely with our firm on several previous cases. He'll officially take charge inside the courtroom."
"He should be arriving any minute."
As I finished speaking, my eyes drifted toward Aurelia almost instinctively.
I wanted to know her reaction.
As always...
She remained calm.
Graceful.
Exactly the same as the day we first met.
I shifted my gaze toward the rest of the team.
Austin.
Evelyn.
Carl.
All three nodded in agreement.
I knew my team well.
They were incredibly capable...
and somehow entertaining at the same time.
Even today, I silently thanked my father for trusting me enough to let me lead this team.
It was, without question...
the best decision he had ever made.
A few minutes later, the District Attorney finally arrived.
Same black suit.
Same composed expression.
No changes whatsoever.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Matteo Silver, the assigned District Attorney for this case. Thank you, Vincent, for appointing me."
"There is no need for thanks. I hope Mr. Sanchez has already explained the details of the case."
"Yes, he has. I remember everything clearly. I assume today we'll be discussing our overall approach?"
"Exactly."
One by one, everyone stood to shake hands and introduce themselves.
When it was Aurelia's turn...
she looked slightly confused.
No...
It was more like a distant memory had suddenly taken over her thoughts.
After everyone settled back into their seats, she looked at Silver.
"Sir... did you graduate from UCLA School of Law?"
"Yes, I did."
He smiled.
"I've also returned there several times to deliver guest lectures. Why do you ask?"
"Sir... I graduated from UCLA as well."
"I remember attending one of your lectures."
"It was incredibly inspiring."
"Your speech... everything about it was wonderful."
I quietly adjusted my sitting position.
So...
Matteo Silver was her inspiration?
I was smarter than him.
I should've been the one giving those lectures.
I even remembered receiving an invitation from UCLA once.
Now...
What was the point of remembering it?
"What was your name again?" Silver asked.
As if he would actually remember her.
Her name was Aurelia Vale.
How could anyone forget it?
"Aurelia Vale, sir."
"Aur... Aurelia Vale..."
He frowned for a second before his eyes widened.
"Yes."
"I remember now."
"You came to me after the lecture."
"You asked several questions about career paths and legal ethics."
He smiled.
"I still remember your questions."
"They were fantastic."
Of course they were.
If Aurelia asked something...
it would naturally be fantastic.
How exactly had he become her inspiration?
I straightened my tie.
Coughed lightly.
Then interrupted.
"Can we begin the meeting?"
"So, now that everyone has been introduced, let's begin."
The room instantly settled into silence.
I placed the files on the table before speaking.
"We've finished collecting all the evidence, and it's strong enough to prove that Matthew Reynolds' death wasn't an accident—it was murder."
Everyone listened attentively.
"However," I continued, "we still aren't certain whether the Italian CEO, Enzo Perene, directly coordinated the murder. At this point, all we know is that he's involved in corruption."
I looked around the room before laying out the plan.
"So we'll begin with the doctor's trial first. That alone should be enough to legally seize the Californian branch and bring the CEO here as quickly as possible."
"Perfect."
Silver nodded in approval.
Although...
I hadn't exactly asked for his opinion.
Still, we had to coordinate.
I continued.
"Mr. Sanchez has already handed over every file and every piece of evidence to Mr. Silver. By today, he'll officially open the criminal case."
I pointed toward the documents lying before everyone.
"At the same time, our law firm will file a civil wrongful death lawsuit against the Californian branch."
"This will allow us to request a Temporary Restraining Order, or TRO, from the civil court."
I paused briefly, making sure everyone was following.
"Once the order is approved, the company's local bank accounts can be legally frozen, and their computer servers seized to protect all digital evidence."
I folded my hands together.
"Is everything clear?"
"Yes, sir."
The response came almost immediately.
The meeting had gone exactly as planned.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Austin, Evelyn, and Carl quietly discussing something among themselves.
I ignored them.
My attention had drifted elsewhere.
Toward Aurelia...
and her so-called inspiration.
I still believed I was better than Matteo.
Without realizing it, I adjusted my tie once again.
I always looked presentable.
But this time...
that movement wasn't planned.
"So, if everything is clear," I said, standing from my chair, "the meeting is dismissed."
I looked toward her.
"Aurelia."
She immediately looked back at me.
"Meet me in my cabin."
"Okay."
A few minutes later, there was a knock on my cabin door.
"Come in."
Aurelia stepped inside.
As always, her face remained expressionless.
It shouldn't have looked...
cute.
Yet somehow...
my heartbeat quickened.
For a brief second, I simply wanted to stand beside her.
Look into her eyes.
And remain in that moment.
"Sir...?"
Her voice pulled me back.
"Sir!"
"Oh..."
I cleared my throat.
"Yes, Aurelia."
"I actually called you here because..."
I paused for a second.
"...I also received an invitation from your university."
She blinked.
"My father has invested in UCLA several times, and because of my professional achievements, they invited me to deliver a lecture."
"But..."
she frowned slightly.
"I never saw you there."
"That's because I never went."
I leaned back in my chair.
"I'm not exactly a person who enjoys social events."
She looked at me for a second.
"You called me here just to tell me this?"
"Yes."
I answered immediately.
"Well..."
"I had more to say."
She pulled out the chair opposite me and sat down.
"Then continue, Vincent."
"..."
I stared at her.
"...Actually."
"I don't have anything else to say."
The silence that followed was strangely comfortable.
I rested both of my folded hands on the table, unconsciously leaning slightly forward.
To my surprise...
she mirrored the exact same posture.
She leaned forward as well.
The distance between us suddenly felt much smaller.
My eyes softened on their own.
Goosebumps spread across my arms.
I wanted to move.
I really did.
But somehow...
I remained completely still.
"Vincent."
She spoke quietly.
"I have something to tell you."
I immediately returned to my senses.
Straightening myself, I leaned back against the chair, adjusted my tie for what was probably the third time today, and switched on the air conditioner.
It suddenly felt...
warm.
"Go ahead."
"Are we just going to ignore Marco?"
My expression didn't change.
Neither did my tone.
Whatever I was thinking...
stayed inside.
"We can't accuse someone without evidence," I answered calmly.
"We need something suspicious first before we have something to investigate."
I paused briefly.
"And honestly..."
"I don't think there's anything hidden inside him."
"But his behaviour was very strange."
She spoke without hesitation.
"I really feel like something isn't right."
"I understand."
I nodded.
"But for now, our priority is the CEO and the doctor."
"We can always look into Marco later."
"Cool?"
She thought for a second before giving a small nod.
"Hmm..."
"That's true."
"Okay."
She stood up and walked toward the door.
As soon as it closed behind her...
I let out a long sigh.
Picked up the glass of water beside me...
and emptied it in one go.
A few moments later, I rubbed my forehead.
No.
Water wasn't enough.
I needed black coffee.
Otherwise...
my mind was going to explode because of her.
I left my cabin and headed toward the break room.
As soon as I stepped inside, I froze for a brief moment.
Matteo...
and Aurelia...
were sitting together with cups of coffee in their hands.
"Oh, you both are here?" I asked, keeping my voice as casual as possible.
Matteo looked up and smiled.
"Ah, yes. I came here for a coffee and happened to see Aurelia, so I joined her."
What exactly is so interesting about Silver that she's so engaged in talking to him?
I kept that thought to myself.
"Oh."
I nodded.
"You two continue. I'll just grab my coffee and leave."
I walked over to the coffee machine.
Unfortunately...
the coffee wasn't ready.
It would take a few minutes.
Great.
I stood there with my back facing them, pretending to focus on preparing my coffee.
In reality...
my ears had already decided they weren't leaving this room.
What are they talking about?
The case?
Marco?
Wait...
Marco?
She was talking about her suspicion regarding Marco.
She had already discussed this with me.
This wasn't exactly a new topic.
"I think you should do a background check on him if you truly feel something isn't right."
Matteo spoke calmly.
"I've learned that investigators shouldn't ignore their instincts too quickly."
I remained completely still.
For some reason...
those simple words felt like a defeat.
As if I had just lost a competition...
that I never intended to participate in.
A part of me wanted to walk over there.
Tell Aurelia to discuss these things with me instead.
To trust me first.
But...
who was I to say that?
I wasn't her family.
I wasn't her friend.
I certainly wasn't anything more.
I silently picked up my cup.
Without looking back at either of them...
I walked out.
Looking at them any longer would only make my thoughts louder.
And the last thing I wanted...
was to create an unnecessary scene.
The next day...
Everything moved exactly as planned.
Matteo officially opened the criminal case.
At the same time, our law firm filed a civil wrongful death lawsuit against the California branch.
Soon afterward, we secured a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) from the civil court.
Within twenty-four hours...
the company's local bank accounts were frozen.
Their computer servers were legally seized to preserve every piece of digital evidence.
Nothing escaped the court's order.
As expected...
I had already sent an official notice to the company's headquarters in Italy.
They knew this was coming.
There was no escaping it anymore.
News channels picked up the story almost immediately.
Reporters crowded outside the company.
Journalists filled every news segment with updates.
What had once been an ordinary corporate name...
became the headline every citizen was talking about overnight.
Panic spread throughout the company.
Employees whispered among themselves.
Executives avoided the media.
Phones rang endlessly.
Meetings were called one after another.
The California CEO knew exactly what was happening.
He believed the District Attorney was coming after him...
and his company.
Fear made people impatient.
Impatient people made mistakes.
Just as we expected...
he tried to flee the country.
But we had already anticipated that move.
Every possible exit was being monitored.
Matteo coordinated with the authorities while our team continued tracking every development.
The FBI intercepted him at Los Angeles International Airport before he could board his flight.
Within moments...
the CEO was placed under arrest.
Handcuffs locked around his wrists.
There was no turning back now.
The courtroom doors were finally about to open.
Now,
the court starts with handcuffs.