Isabella~
"Xavier, all the best." A wide smile spread across my lips as I observed him dressed in his lawyer's attire.
"Bella, I am nervous. I don't know how I will stand up against my Jorawar uncle in court." His voice was filled with uncertainty.
"Don't worry about that; I have full faith in you. You will surely bring justice to Victor." I gave him a hug to boost his confidence.
"Bella, are you not coming with us?" Victor's voice broke our embrace.
"No, I have my court session to attend today." I shook my head.
"What am I going to do without you, Bella? The only thing that motivates me to appear in court is your encouragement, but how will I handle things without you?" Xavier's eyes grew intensely needy for me.
It made me feel good to see my worth and importance in his life, but when I realized that his desperation in my presence was not due to love but rather to his fear of facing the courtroom as a lawyer, it filled me with sadness. He was seeking my assistance in presenting his case in court. He first asked me to recruit him as my assistant, but after I turned him down, he demanded that I teach him how to make arguments in court.
"Xavier, listen to me carefully; you don't need my presence to defend Victor in the courtroom. Since becoming a lawyer is in your blood, rely on your instincts and focus on your inner self when you argue in court." To reawaken his dormant confidence, I cupped his face and gazed intently into his blue eyes.
"But what if I didn't succeed?" He expressed his innermost fear once more.
"No, you will not fail; I have trust in you." Although I did my best to hide my nervousness from them, the reality is that I am also nervous about the court hearing today.
This case intertwines many lives, and notably, it involves all my loved ones. Victor's reputation and entire career will be ruined if Xavier fails to properly defend him. If he loses this case, Xavier will never have the courage to fight another one. I persuaded him to resume his law practice with great difficulty, knowing that if he failed to prove his worth in front of his father, he would never give his blessing to our relationship.
The involvement of his entire family in this case has already caused my dad a great deal of stress.
I never thought Jordan Lucas could have such a clever and crafty mind that he would use our loved ones against us in such a deadly way, even if Xavier had tried to warn me of his ruthless
"Bella, please come to the courtroom if possible, as both Xavier and I want your presence there." Victor's pleading voice jolted me out of my inner conversation.
"All the best to both of you. I will try my best to finish my court session as soon as possible." I checked the time and said my goodbyes to them.
Alan already left for his school with James.After resolving his issues with Xavier, James decided to permanently settle in the USA, which led him to join my law firm and assist me with my cases. Even though James is helping me effectively balance my personal and professional lives, I still feel as though I didn't give Xavier my whole focus during this chaotic time in our lives.
Our busy schedules prevented us from spending time together after he declared love, and we never discussed our issues.
"Bella, I wish you all the best in your case. I am confident that you will bring justice to a client like you always do, and you will give me reason to be proud of you." Dad's prideful voice caught my attention.
"Thank you, Dad." I gave him a joyful embrace.
Following his heart attack, he decided to reside in this house, and I am delighted that my family has once again agreed to share the same home as we did in the past. The family of Xavier's older brother is still unwilling to move into this house because of a personal problem in their marriage, but I do not doubt that they will eventually agree to my suggestion that we all live in the same home as a family, just like we did years ago.
"Why are you crying, Bella?" His question shattered my illusion of a happy family.
"Nothing, Dad. I think of my dad every time I feel your cozy embrace." I grinned broadly and wiped away my tears.
"Bella, don't you think of me as your dad?" He looked at me with a complaint-filled gaze.
"No, Dad, I don't mean to hurt you." I shook my head in fear at the sight of his sad face.
"Come on, I'm just kidding; there's no need to worry about me. I wish you all the best once more." After giving me a forehead kiss, he placed his hand on my head to bless me.
"Dad Xavier also requires your blessings as he prepares for his court hearing." Victor and Xavier came downstairs as well, and I saw they were prepared to leave the house.
I tried to bridge the gap between their hearts once more since I knew that Xavier's confidence would naturally increase with the blessing of his dad.
"Huh... I don't want to waste my wishes on losers like him. I already feel suffocated by this man's presence, and I only agreed to allow them to live in this house at your request. Now that I've cut all ties with them, don't expect me to treat them like my sons." Dad gave Victor and Xavier a furious glare before leaving the hallway.
"I am sorry; please don't take Dad's words seriously." I looked at Xavier's face and apologized.
"It's okay, Bella; he has every right to express his anger towards us." Xavier sighed defeatfully and then left the house with Victor.
I also sat in my car to attend today's court hearing, as this case holds a special place in my heart due to its unique nature. Even though I put a lot of effort into defending my client in this case, I still feel uneasy today.
When I arrived, James was waiting for me outside the courtroom with all of the paperwork, and we went inside together.
During the court session, I confidently argued with the prosecutor to bring justice for my client, but I don't know why my chest tightened with unknown fear. The judge gave his verdict and proved my client innocent, but instead of feeling joyful and content, I felt a strange sadness in my heart.
I looked at the time; it was already 1 p.m. I was so tense about Xavier's case that I immediately headed to the next courtroom to learn about the progress of Victor's case.
As I made my way to the courthouse, where Xavier was engaged in an argument with his uncle about restoring his lost confidence, demonstrating his value to his father, and bringing justice to Victor, every step felt heavy.
His uncle's sarcastic laugh and tone startled me upon opening the courtroom door, causing me to stand motionless.
"Xavier Thompson, you don't even know how to argue in court, so why did you come and waste my time?"