A Word of Praise — Chapter THIRTEEN

The public defender assigned to handle Kiara’s case was sketchy, to say the least. She disliked him immediately but was unwilling to pay for a lawyer for something so petty, as the charge’s name suggested. It was not even considered a felony. It was classified as a misdemeanor, whatever the hell that meant.

Those were the terms that shady lawyer was telling her non-stop for the last half an hour, making her head throb with a crushing headache. It was worsened by the fact she couldn’t speak her mind to the man, who insisted she called him Greg instead of Gregory.

“Gregory, I already understood the charges. Can we please move on?” Her voice began with an undertone of passive-aggressive, but with each passing minute, the ‘aggressive’ part was getting more prominent. She was probably just a couple of sentences away from a straight ‘go to hell, Gregory’.

However, the jackass seemed to miss all the clues of an impending punch to his face and kept talking like he couldn’t get tired of his own voice. The only thing that allowed Kiara to keep her stress in check was the fact that the conciliation conference would begin in less than an hour.

Uncle Harry really sped things up on her behalf, getting her a lawyer and a scheduled meeting in only three days. She made a mental note to thank him properly, maybe over dinner with his family. Auntie Carol was always fond of her and often took her side on arguments against her father.

She checked the clock on the wall again, anxious to be out of the room. And if she was being honest with herself, getting away from that endless speech was just one of the reasons. Facing Chris was making her heart race an F1 track, mostly because she was dying to see him ever since she left that coffee shop.

For dramatic purposes – and perhaps fear of giving up - she left without looking back, and ever since she kept wondering if she was successful in causing turmoil in the pretty boy’s head. She knew he wouldn’t have the same look on his face anymore, but she still wanted to see the effect it had on him.

Taking her out of her revenge daydream, Gregory snapped his finger in front of her face. Fucking idiot.

“Are you nervous, Kiara?” His voice was sly, much like everything else about him.

“No. Can we go now? It’s almost time”

“Sure, but can I ask you something first?”

Then he reached across the table to place his hands above her own, causing her to immediately pull away and hide them under the table. What the hell was he thinking?

“Don’t worry honey, I don’t bite. Much.”

She cringed at the line, only now realizing the nature of his odd behavior. She replayed their conversation in her mind to search for any previous indication the man had that sexual assaulter vibe, but she was not really paying much attention before.

“I can see you are agitated about the hearing. We can talk later, when that pretty little mind of yours is more cooperative”

Her fists were already balled from before, but after that sentence her nails began to drill through her skin like they belonged between her metacarpal bones. She stood up, heading towards the door. She didn’t know the way to the conference room but was more than willing to ask around if it meant distance from that prick.

Much to her dismay, the man followed right after and began leading the way. When they reached the room, the moderator was already there. She had been instructed not to speak to him without the other party present, but at least her jerk attorney would refrain from talking gibberish in the presence of another person.

After a few silent minutes, the door opened to welcome two suited up gentlemen. Does he know the concept of casual wear? Her eyes diverted to the clock for a split second to confirm her suspicion. He was, once again, perfectly on time.

The process of getting him bent out of shape began as soon as he entered the room, and Kiara almost forgot the shitty incident with her lawyer when she saw him. She plastered the most innocent smile she could come up with and waved at him. He was wide-eyed in surprise, definitely not expecting that sort of reaction, but soon enough his jawline sharpened with the force of his gritted teeth. Score!

“Good, we are all here. Sit down gentleman, let’s begin” The moderator was an older man with an overall pleasant energy, which was a nice change from the atmosphere she was in for the last couple of hours. Chris and his million-dollar-suit lawyer sat across the table from them.

“Right, I’ve read the charges and interrogation report already, and I believe your lawyers are also up to speed on the topic, correct?” They all nodded affirmatively. “Perfect, so let me begin by asking you, Ms. Winter. Why did you steal the engagement ring from Mr. Wright?”

“I thought it was really beautiful and didn’t think it would make a difference for him, considering it was among millions worth of jewelry” She chose the honest approach regardless of Greg’s instruction not to. His idea was for her to play the poor artist card, saying she needed it to pay rent or something. Incredible agent of the law, that man.

“I see. You do realize that was wrong, don’t you?

“I do sir. That is why I gave it back” She mentioned, trying to convey guilt she didn’t actually feel. She vowed to speak the truth, but nobody said shit about honest body language.

“Wait, you gave it back?” The moderator seemed confused and went through the papers in front of him frantically before turning to Chris and his lawyer.

“Mr. Wright, why is that information missing from the police report?”

“I didn’t think it was important” He shrugged, but his lawyer shot him a glaring look that didn’t go unnoticed by her.

“What my client means is that the damage occurred prior to the return of the object, therefore it wasn’t vital for the comprehension of the case”

“Mr. Miller, this is not the Supreme Court, we are just trying to understand what really happened and if there is a way to avoid involving a judge. There is no need for fancy words”

Chris’ lawyer murmured an excuse and began to write on a piece of paper in front of him. Kiara was dying to see what he was writing, but by the irregular movement of his hands, he was probably just doodling to seem busy.

“Very well. Mr. Wright, why did you press charges after she gave you the ring back?”

“She needed to pay for stealing” His voice was acid, and Kiara trembled a bit with the tone. She still wasn’t scared of him, despite knowing he could send her to actual prison for it. Something in the way he carried himself told her he wouldn’t go that far.

“Understood. Is there a monetary value you would be willing to accept as penalty instead of prison?”

Kiara saw the engines turning inside his head before a mischievous smile came out. Fuck.

“Yes, I believe that is a possibility”

“Sir, I don’t have access to the amount of money that would make a difference in Mr. Wright’s bank account”

“What is the amount you have in mind, Mr. Wright? Please consider Ms. Winter’s condition in your offer” The moderator was doing a fine job, and he clearly had experience with financial deals. But that was not his usual custody after divorce case, and the interests behind it were not so clearly stated.

“I would say five thousand dollars”

It was her time clench her teeth and her heels began to tap against the floor like a woodpecker. It was not absurd, and she knew the moderator would be pleased by it. But it was more money than she ever saw on her bank account, apart from the never touched life insurance from her father’s accident. It would take at least a year to pay it all, and only if she made major adjustments to her lifestyle.

“Perfect. Ms. Winter, would you rather pay five thousand dollars for damages instead of going to jail?”

There wasn’t really a choice there, her night in the holding cell was enough of an outlaw experience for her.

“Yes sir, I believe that’s a possibility.” She sneered.

“Then it’s settled. The details regarding the transactions can be handled by your lawyers, and it shall be done within the next ten days.”

“Mr. Miller, I believe Ms. Winter and I will be able to handle it by ourselves.” He had such authority in his voice, speaking on her behalf, she almost contradicted him and asked the layers to take care of it. Presumptuous prick. But she was desperate to cut ties with Gregory, so she kept quiet.

The final details were arranged, and Kiara was the first to exit the room, running towards her onerously bought freedom. As soon as she was out of the building, she took a deep breath to steady herself. But her soothing moment didn’t last.

“Kiara, wait. We need to talk”