Chapter 40
The tension in the courtroom was already palpable after Rebecca’s explosive testimony. Everyone was reeling from the revelations—Damian’s secret relationship with Rebecca, the murder of Roger Steele, and the attempted framing of Zayden Huntington. Victoria sat in stunned silence, her mind racing to piece everything together. Tobias leaned closer to her, whispering, “This is bigger than we thought.”
Victoria nodded absently, her eyes glued to Damian. He remained eerily composed, though his pale complexion and stiff posture betrayed his inner turmoil. His lawyer whispered furiously in his ear, but Damian barely responded, his gaze locked on Rebecca with a mix of anger and disbelief.
Suddenly, the double doors at the back of the courtroom burst open, slamming against the walls with a loud bang. Everyone turned toward the noise, and a collective gasp rippled through the room as Selena stormed in. She was dressed in a sharp red suit, her makeup flawless, but her expression was anything but composed. Her eyes burned with fury, and her lips were pressed into a thin, trembling line.
“Damian!” she shrieked, her voice echoing through the room.
Victoria’s heart skipped a beat. This is about to get messy.
Selena marched down the aisle, her heels clicking furiously against the floor. Reporters scrambled to capture the scene, cameras flashing as Selena’s rage-filled presence became the center of attention.
“How dare you?” she screamed, pointing a manicured finger at Damian. “You cheated on me? With her?”
Damian’s composure finally cracked. He turned to Selena, his face contorting in frustration. “Selena, now is not the time.”
“Not the time?” she repeated, her voice rising. “You’ve humiliated me on national television, Damian! You’ve been sleeping with her—using her—behind my back, while I’ve been out there defending you? Supporting you? What the hell is wrong with you?”
The judge banged his gavel, his voice booming. “Order in the court! Ms. Kane, you are disrupting proceedings!”
But Selena was far beyond reason. She turned toward Rebecca, her eyes narrowing like a hawk zeroing in on its prey. “You conniving little snake!” she spat. “You think you can come in here, ruin everything, and take him from me? He’s mine!”
Rebecca, who had remained relatively calm until now, smirked faintly, leaning back in her chair. “Oh, sweetie,” she said mockingly, her voice dripping with condescension. “You think you ever had him? Damian’s been lying to you just as much as he’s lied to me.”
Selena lunged toward Rebecca, but two police officers immediately stepped in, grabbing her arms to hold her back. She struggled against their grip, her face red with rage. “Let me go!” she screamed. “She’s trying to destroy everything we built!”
Damian finally stood, his voice sharp. “Selena, stop this! You’re making it worse!”
“Worse?” Selena shouted, turning her fury back on him. “How could it possibly get worse, Damian? You’ve ruined everything! Our company, our lives—me! And for what? For her?” She jabbed her finger toward Rebecca again.
The officers began dragging Selena toward the exit, but she wasn’t done. Her voice carried through the room, cutting through the judge’s repeated demands for order. “You’re a liar, Damian! A cheat! And now you’re nothing but a criminal!”
Damian clenched his fists, his mask of control completely shattered. “Selena, enough!” he barked, but his voice lacked the authority it once held.
As the officers escorted Selena out, the courtroom settled slightly, though the energy remained electric. The judge looked like he was on the verge of calling a recess, but before he could, another pair of officers stepped forward.
“Damian Blackwood,” one of them said, his voice clear and authoritative, “please stand.”
Damian’s lawyer immediately rose, protesting. “This is outrageous! My client hasn’t been charged with anything—”
“Damian Blackwood,” the officer interrupted, “you are under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder, obstruction of justice, and corporate embezzlement.”
A collective gasp rippled through the courtroom. Damian’s jaw dropped, and he took a step back, shaking his head. “This is ridiculous. You have no evidence!”
The officer ignored his protests, pulling a pair of handcuffs from his belt. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law…”
As the cuffs clicked around Damian’s wrists, he turned toward Victoria, his eyes filled with desperation. “Victoria, you know me. You know I didn’t do this!”
Victoria’s stomach churned. She didn’t respond, her gaze cold and unwavering. Whatever shred of humanity she once thought Damian had was long gone.
Rebecca, meanwhile, looked entirely unbothered, leaning forward slightly to watch the spectacle unfold. “Karma’s a funny thing, isn’t it?” she murmured, loud enough for those nearby to hear.
As Damian was led past Victoria on his way out, he leaned closer, his voice a low, angry whisper. “You think you’ve won, Victoria? This isn’t over.”
She didn’t flinch, keeping her expression stoic. “It’s over, Damian,” she said quietly. “You just don’t realize it yet.”
The courtroom buzzed with murmurs and the frantic clicks of reporters’ cameras as Damian disappeared through the doors, leaving behind a shattered legacy and a scandal that would haunt the Kane name forever.
