[BL]My Stepbrother, My Fated Omega-Chapter 79: In Courtroom

Lucien brushed past Ash, taking bites of his pizza as he walked toward the bedroom. Ash turned, curling his fists. "Fine. And if it was you, you’ll have trouble with me."

...

Farther into the city, Celeste, dressed in black, a shawl over her head and dark glasses, met a man beside a parked car. She handed him a black suitcase; he unlatched it, glanced inside at the neat bundles of cash, then closed it and grinned. Celeste’s voice dropped low. "Tomorrow, press heavy charges against her. Don’t let my brother sway you; I know you still have feelings for him. He’ll try to soften your resolve. Make sure she looks as guilty as everyone expects, or else."

The man inclined his head. "I won’t fail you."

Celeste gave a small, satisfied smile, then returned to the car and drove away.

...

The next morning, when Ash, Adrian, and Lucien arrived at the courtroom door, it was already crowded. Reporters flashed cameras while journalists whispered updates into their mics. Inside, rows were packed with spectators waiting for the session to begin.

At the front sat Lucien’s parents beside Adrian’s father and Celeste, all dressed in dark formal wear. Ash’s mother was seated at the defense side, her face pale but composed, a lawyer standing beside her with files neatly arranged. On the opposite table, the prosecution team reviewed their documents, their lead attorney occasionally glancing toward Ash’s mother with a sharp look.

Lucien turned to Adrian and Ash. "I left something in the car. You two go ahead, I’ll join you soon."

They nodded, entering the courtroom and finding only one open seat in the back. A group of omegas sitting there tried to move aside, but Ash smiled gently. "No need. Let’s all sit together. Don’t feel uneasy because of us." They relaxed.

Adrian sat, then patted his lap with a faint grin. "Sit here," he said quietly.

Ash hesitated. "I’m fine"

"If you don’t," Adrian said softly, "I’ll make them move to give you space."

Ash sighed and sat down quickly before Adrian could follow through. Adrian’s arm circled loosely around his waist as they both faced forward.

Behind them, a few whispers rose:

"They look so cute together...but they’re brothers," one omega murmured.

"Stepbrothers can still be more," another said under her breath.

"Shh, stop that. This isn’t a drama, it’s real life," the first warned.

Ash’s expression tightened, and his gaze lowered. Adrian noticed and leaned close, his voice calm. "Don’t let them get to you. I’m your mate, no matter what anyone says."

Ash managed a faint smile, then looked toward the door. "Lucien’s taking too long..."

The court usher stepped forward and announced in a firm voice, "All rise for the honorable judge."

Everyone stood respectfully. Cameras clicked as the heavy door opened, and to everyone’s surprise, Lucien walked in, dressed in a black judge’s robe.

Ash’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Adrian," he whispered, "why is Lucien the judge?"

Adrian looked calm, even faintly amused. "Lucien isn’t just a mathematics teacher," he said quietly. "He’s far more educated than people think. He studied law and judicial practice, graduated top of his class. Many courts tried to recruit him, but he turned them down. He said teaching mathematics was his passion."

Ash swallowed, his mind spinning. All this time, he was just pretending to be ordinary...but he’s been a genius hiding in plain sight.

Still lost in thought, Ash didn’t notice that everyone had already sat down until Adrian gently pulled him to sit on his lap again.

Across the room, Celeste suddenly stood up. "Where is judge Kevin? He was the one assigned to this case!" she demanded sharply.

The court clerk answered calmly, "Ma’am, judge Kevin reported sick this morning. Judge Lucien Johnson has been appointed to take his place."

Celeste opened her mouth as if to object, but noticing the curious eyes turning toward her, she quickly composed herself and sat back down.

The courtroom fell silent again as Lucien adjusted the papers before him and began the session. He leaned toward the microphone, his voice calm yet authoritative.

"Court is now in session. Case number 0287- The state versus Mrs. Eva Leclair."

Ash’s heart pounded as his mother was escorted in ,dressed in a plain beige prison uniform, her wrists lightly chained in front of her. She looked pale yet composed, her gaze sweeping across the courtroom until it met her son’s.

For a long moment, mother and son simply stared at each other, Ash with misty eyes, Eva with a faint, unreadable expression. Then she turned away, lifting her chin as if bracing herself.

Lucien’s tone remained even. "Prosecution, you may proceed with your opening statement."

The prosecutor, a tall man in a gray suit, rose and adjusted his tie. "Your Honor, the accused, Mrs. Eva Leclair, stands charged with the murder of two doctors from Backstreet Medical Hospital; Dr. Rhys and Dr. Callen. Evidence collected from the scene, along with witness testimony, clearly points to her involvement. The prosecution will demonstrate motive, opportunity, and intent beyond a reasonable doubt."

He sat down confidently.

Lucien’s gaze shifted to the defense table.

"Defense counsel, your statement."

The defense attorney, a composed woman in her late forties with steady eyes, stood, "Your Honor, my client maintains her innocence. She has been wrongfully accused and framed for a crime she did not commit. We intend to prove that the real culprit remains at large, and that’s Mrs. Leclair has been used as a scapegoat to conceal the true scheme behind Backstreet Medical Hospital."

A quiet murmur rippled through the courtroom.

Lucien nodded once. "Very well. The prosecution may call its first witness."

The prosecutor rose again. "The prosecution calls Guard Ken, the head of security at Backstreet Medical Hospital."

The bailiff opened the side door, and Guard Ken stepped forward. His uniform was neatly pressed, though his face showed clear unease. He walked to the witness stand, took the oath, and sat down stiffly. His gaze flickered toward Dr. willy Miles, the hospital’s lab supervisor, before quickly looking away.

Guard Ken cleared his throat, his voice trembling slightly. "That day, when Dr. Rhys and Dr. Callen arrived, Dr. Willy sent me out to buy him food. I left him in the lab, sharpening a knife."

The bailiff raised a knife sealed inside a transparent evidence bag. "Is this the knife you’re referring to?"

Guard Ken nodded quickly. "Yes, Your Honor."

"Continue," the bailiff instructed.

Ken swallowed hard. "On my way out, I met Mrs. Eva Leclair. We greeted each other, and she told me she’d come to collect her stepson’s daily pills that Dr. Rhys usually prepared for him."

Ash turned sharply toward Adrian, confusion flashing across his face. Adrian looked back, just as puzzled.

Ken continued, voice unsteady. "I left her there. About half an hour later, when I returned, I found Dr. Willy on his knees with a knife in front of him. Dr. Rhys and Dr. Callen were already... dead; their arms, legs and tongues cut."

Gasps rippled through the courtroom.

"I froze," Ken went on. " But he didn’t see me. Then Mrs. Eva Leclair emerged from the other side of the building -and froze at the scene before her. The moment Dr. Willy saw her, he panicked. He forced her to kneel and hold the knife until he said so. I was terrified...I heard sirens outside, and before I knew it, I ran."

He looked down, voice trembling. "That’s what I saw, Your Honor."

The prosecutor immediately rose. "Your Honor, that testimony is false. The witness has clearly been bribed by the defense to protect the accused!"

Lucien exhaled softly. "Order in the court." He turned his gaze toward Adrian. "Alpha Adrian. can you confirm that you sent your step-mother to collect your medication that day?"

Adrian stiffened as dozens of eyes turned toward him. His jaw clenched, and he cursed silently under his breath. Lucien, I’ll deal with you later.

Keeping his composure, he answered evenly, "Yes."

Lucien gave a brief nod and gestured to the bailiff. "Bring in the technician."

A man approached, connecting a laptop to the courtroom’s display screen. Within moments, a CCTV recordings flickered to life. The footage showed Dr. Willy attacking Dr. Rhys and Dr. Callen . Minutes later, Ash’s mother appeared, kneeling on the floor, trembling, a knife into her hands.

Ash’s eyes widened, tears filling them. "She’s innocent," he whispered, turning to Adrian.

Adrian gave a faint smile, voice low. "Looks like justice finally favored her."

But inside, his thoughts darkened. Poor Ash...if only you knew that footage was edited.

Across the courtroom, Dr. Wily suddenly stood, shouting, "That’s not real! I’ve never done that! The footage, it’s fake! I’m innocent!"

Lucien’s eyes lifted toward him; calm, but cutting cold. "Order in the court."

Two bailiffs rushed to restrain Dr. Willy as Lucien adjusted his papers and spoke firmly.

"After reviewing the evidence and witness statement, this court finds Mrs. Eva Leclair innocent of all charges. Dr. Willy is found guilty of the murders of Dr. Rhys and Dr. Callen and is hereby sentenced to thirty-eight years in prison."

Lucien paused, his gaze landing sharply on Celeste. His voice dropped, low and threatening. "And whoever paid Judge Kevin to prevent a fair judgement...no matter who your rank or power, I’m watching you."

Celeste froze, her knuckles whitening around her handbag.

Lucien struck the gavel once.

"Court adjourned."