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Chapter 177: Throwing The Brat To The Gutter

"Does Mrs. Laura have a witness to call to the stand?"

Laura looked back at Emir for a moment, and seeing him nod, she turned to Mercer and said: "Yes, we do. Witness, please come up to the stand."

Every attendee kept their silence and watched as a beautiful young man with androgynous looks and hair made of silver locked in a ponytail that trailed behind him as he made his way through the courtroom.

The boy arrived at the stand and stood there confidently, his blue eyes shining as he said: "I\'m Elijah, the very son of Eldritch, the head of the family\'s name you were throwing around, and I\'m here to provide recounts of the truth regarding Prince Emporium."

Laura turned around to Emir, her face mirroring shock like all those around them, and he simply nodded, answering her unspoken question.

Emir then looked to his left and watched as Hargrove and company all collectively stood up in surprise, fear etched on their faces.

Even the man who had similar features to Elijah joined them in their actions.

"Young Lord Elijah, what are you doing here?!" He exclaimed, almost screaming.

Elijah ignored them and turned his gaze to Mercer, prompting him to stutter out while repeatedly slamming his gavel down:

"Order! ORDER!"

"I request that you quiet down in my court and show respect!" He added, confident that with the backing of Elijah himself, one of the main family\'s children, he had nothing to fear.

They all listened to his words and sat back down, each of their faces showing absolute terror. "Your Honor," Elijah began, his voice clear and confident.

"I\'m here to provide a firsthand account of Prince Emporium\'s business practices. As the third son of the Moonscribe family head, I can attest to the integrity and honesty with which they operate their relic business."

Hargrove tried to interject, but Mercer silenced him with a stern look.

"Let the witness speak," he commanded.

Elijah continued, "Party A\'s claims are false and misleading. There is no evidence of illegal activities or collusion with underground relic traders. Prince Emporium has always followed fair and legal practices in their dealings."

The tension in the room was palpable as everyone hung on Elijah\'s every word.

It was especially so for the Moonscribe member.

"As for the witness presented by Party A," Elijah said, his gaze fixed on Hargrove.

"I can confirm that he has been manipulated and coerced into providing false testimony. I recognize him as a known associate of the underground relic traders, and it\'s not the first time he\'s been used to fabricate evidence against reputable businesses."

Gasps and whispers rippled through the courtroom, and Hargrove\'s face flushed with anger and embarrassment.

Mercer raised an eyebrow, looking intently at Elijah.

"Are you suggesting that the Moon Scribe family is involved in framing the Defendant?" Elijah nodded confidently.

"Yes, Your Honor. Their motive is to eliminate competition in the relic market. This trial is nothing more than an orchestrated attempt to tarnish Prince Emporium\'s name and strip them of everything they have."

Mercer\'s gaze shifted to Hargrove, his expression now unyielding.

"Mr. Hargrove, do you have any response to these accusations?"

Hargrove stammered, attempting to find his footing:Nôv(el)B\\\\jnn

"Your Honor, these are preposterous claims! We stand by our evidence and the witness\'s testimony."

Elijah smirked with a glint of mischief in his eyes.

"Then I suggest you investigate the witness\'s background thoroughly. You\'ll find that he has quite a history..."

The room fell into an uneasy silence as Hargrove seemed to realize the gravity of the situation.

Their plan had backfired spectacularly.

Mercer considered Elijah\'s words carefully, his impartiality once again resurfacing.

"I will take these claims into account during my deliberation," he declared firmly.

"Thank you, Mr. Elijah, for shedding light on this matter."

Elijah inclined his head graciously.

"You\'re welcome, Your Honor. I\'m merely here...."

Emir stopped listening to Elijah\'s words and focused his attention on the man behind Hargrove; his eyes locked, scrutinizing his actions with curiosity.

The man appeared to be texting someone on his terminal, prompting Emir to wonder:

\'Is he reporting this to them?\'

\'No... don\'t tell me...\'

Emir watched as the man suddenly stood up, interrupting the proceedings:

"Your Honor, I must interject," he said with a smug expression.

"Elijah\'s claims are baseless and must not be considered. I am Sebastian MoonScribe, and I can assure you that he is no longer a part of our family. He was disowned for colluding with Prince Emporium to undermine our family\'s business."

The courtroom fell into stunned silence as everyone\'s attention shifted to Sebastian, who seemed eager to share the news.

Emir\'s heart sank, understanding that the Elite had no line they wouldn\'t cross if it were for the betterment of their relationship with Magnus.

He exchanged worried glances with his mother, knowing that their defense was over...

This move was checkmate.

Mercer looked at Sebastian with a raised eyebrow.

But before he spoke, Elijah interrupted, remaining composed, unfazed by Sebastian\'s attempt

to tarnish his credibility:

"Your Honor, I stand by my testimony and the truth it represents. MY OWN family is desperately trying to divert attention from their own misconduct by discrediting me. But I

assure you, I have no reason to lie. I seek justice, not revenge."

Mercer\'s expression remained inscrutable as he listened to both of them.

The tension in the room was ever present, as the fate of the trial seemed to hang in the

balance.

"Mr. Sebastian," Mercer addressed him firmly.

"If you have any evidence to support your claims about Elijah\'s disownment, you may present

it."

Sebastian faltered for a moment; he then glanced at Hargrove and the rest, but they avoided making eye contact, leaving him to face the Mercer alone, not wanting to intervene in something as big as the disownment of a legitimate child of an Elite family\'s head. Letting out a chuckle, he put down his terminal on the table in front of him, allowing the secretary to deliver it to Mercer.

Emir watched as Mercer\'s face paled while reading the terminal\'s contents, and after a few more moments, he slammed his gavel down, stating:

"I shall take a short recess to deliberate before delivering my final verdict." Emir\'s brows twitched in frustration, knowing that the only reason for recess was for Mercer

to contact the MoonScribe family to confirm the situation.

He felt a rising tide of rage boiling within him as he waited for Mercer\'s decision.

His mind was consumed by thoughts of his escape plan-when, where, and how he would manage it if Lyra didn\'t arrive in the next few days.

The courtroom was silent for a long while until Mercer finally returned to his seat and addressed the courtroom with a somber tone.