The Bigshot Married Himself to the Heiress-Chapter 491 - 492: The Silent Mental Assessment Process

"Then please conduct a mental assessment on Sabrina Johnson," the prosecutor said respectfully to Alexandria.

"Alright!" Alexandria replied. He stood up, took a gold pocket watch from his pocket, and walked over to Sabrina Johnson. A court clerk brought him a chair, and he sat down in front of her. The two were separated by a black iron railing.

He smiled. When he wasn’t smiling, he looked very serious and imposing. But with a smile, he became much more amiable, like a kind old grandfather.

"Hello, my name is Alexandria."

When Alexandria spoke to Sabrina Johnson, he sounded like a grandfather addressing his granddaughter, his voice full of affection.

However, Sabrina Johnson didn’t see it that way. She was extremely wary, staring fiercely at Alexandria, her lips pressed tightly together in a clear attempt at non-violent non-cooperation.

Sabrina Johnson didn’t answer, and Alexandria didn’t press her. He calmly took out a notebook and began to write. The Parker pen in his hand glinted under the lights, catching everyone’s attention. Some journalists aimed their telephoto lenses at the paper, trying to capture what Alexandria was writing, but none could decipher the script. It consisted of strange symbols, more akin to a code.

An entire hour passed in this manner. Sabrina Johnson, Alexandria, and everyone else in the courtroom remained silent. The judge should have intervened to stop what appeared to be a passive and pointless exercise. Yet, the old man, Alexandria, seemed to possess an almost magical aura of persuasiveness, one that commanded trust in his professionalism. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Sienna Johnson couldn’t resist leaning close to Adrian Desmond and whispering, "Adrian, what on earth is he doing?"

"Isn’t he conducting a mental assessment on Sabrina Johnson?" Adrian Desmond replied, his tone implying the question was obvious.

"But it’s been an hour, and neither of them has said a single word!"

Suddenly, a man’s voice came from behind them. Arnold Cooper squeezed his head between the couple and explained, "Haven’t you read martial arts novels? Duels between masters always look like this. True masters don’t reveal their techniques easily. Just wait, the results will be out soon..."

Seeing Arnold Cooper leaning towards his wife again, Adrian Desmond, annoyed, pushed his head back towards the rear seats.

"Brother," Arnold Cooper began, "I’ve brought our family’s media and reporters. When you and Sister-in-law leave, could you say a few words to my people? Help boost my ratings. Of course, it would be even better if Sister-in-law could give us an exclusive interview."

Adrian Desmond remained silent.

Undeterred, Arnold Cooper turned to Sienna Johnson. "Sister-in-law, I haven’t seen you in a few days, and you’ve become even more beautiful and youthful..."

Sienna Johnson, aware of Arnold Cooper’s glib tongue, wasn’t bothered and teased back, "Yes, I’m aging in reverse."

Ever since Adrian Desmond had beaten Arnold Cooper to a pulp—breaking two of his ribs and both his legs—Arnold Cooper had been bedridden for three solid months. The experience had thoroughly humbled him, and he now obediently went to work at the company. He no longer harassed Sienna Johnson, pestering her about becoming an in-law or trying to steal Sienna Johnson away from him. Instead, he treated Adrian Desmond with utmost respect, constantly calling him "Brother" with an almost cloying familiarity. The Cooper Family had even visited with heaps of gifts to thank Adrian Desmond, telling him before they left, "If that kid steps out of line, beat him hard! Don’t hold back!"

Adrian Desmond said to Arnold, "Have your people report on Alexandria’s involvement. I want everyone in Sileria City following Sabrina Johnson’s case to understand how formidable Alexandria is."

"Alright, Brother! I’ll get right on it." Arnold Cooper was thrilled. Adrian Desmond rarely gave him tasks, so upon receiving this one, he eagerly hurried off.

Sienna Johnson watched Arnold Cooper’s cheerful, retreating figure with a slight frown. Adrian Desmond, beside her, said disapprovingly, "Don’t look at other men!"

"In my heart, Arnold Cooper doesn’t even count as a man!" Sienna retorted.

Another half hour crawled by. The judge was growing increasingly agitated; he badly needed to use the restroom. He picked up his gavel, toyed with it, and nearly brought it down, but then reconsidered and set it aside. If I interrupt such a master, will the media and audience accuse me of incompetence, of recklessly slamming my gavel while such a master is at work? he worried. This is a live broadcast! He had been a judge for decades, and in his courtroom, his word had always been law. He’d never had to defer to anyone like this.

I really need to go to the bathroom... the judge thought miserably.

I really want to sleep... echoed the silent sentiment of many in the courtroom.

Suddenly, a chime broke the silence. All eyes turned to see Alexandria pulling out his pocket watch; it was the pocket watch chiming again. Alexandria glanced at it, pressed a button to silence the alarm, and slipped it back into his pocket.

Is it not over yet? everyone wondered.

Alexandria wrote a few more lines in his notebook. After another five minutes, he finally put his pen away, meticulously clipping it into the slot of his leather-bound notebook. His movements were so slow and deliberate that everyone felt a surge of impatience, the more restless among them wanting to snatch the notebook and do it for him.

Then, Alexandria stood up. Everyone was stunned. Their astonishment was comparable to the Orienta national men’s soccer team making it to the World Cup finals.

Alexandria walked over to the judge and stated respectfully, "Your Honor, after conducting the assessment, I find that the defendant has no mental illness. In terms of her mental state, she is a healthy individual."

The judge scratched his sparsely haired scalp, his expression one of utter bafflement. What can I even say? He could argue that Alexandria hadn’t performed a proper assessment, so how could he know about her mental state? But earlier, while Alexandria was supposedly assessing Sabrina Johnson, Mr. Ryans had submitted Alexandria’s verified credentials and extensive resume. The man was, indeed, a genuinely world-class expert in psychiatry, his reputation beyond reproach. Alexandria’s standing in the field of mental illness was akin to Stephen Hawking’s in physics.

The judge pondered for a moment, then announced, "This court will recess for thirty minutes."

A collective sigh of relief swept through the courtroom. People rushed to get water or use the restrooms. Even the judge hurried off, practically racing to secure a stall, knowing that with so many people, being late meant missing out.

During this recess, Sienna Johnson felt her worries dissipate. She watched as Sabrina Johnson was led away by a bailiff, all her previous arrogance gone. The back of Sabrina’s dress was soaked through with sweat, a clear indication of how nervous she had been during the silent confrontation with Alexandria.

Sabrina Johnson, your fate is sealed! Sienna thought, her brow finally smoothing as a faint smile touched her lips.

"Let’s go check on the old man," she said to Adrian.

Adrian Desmond took her hand, and they left the courtroom together.

"Will Sabrina Johnson be sentenced later?" Sienna Johnson asked.

"Yes!" Adrian replied firmly. "But even if she isn’t immediately, it doesn’t matter. No matter how much she struggles, the end result will be prison!"