The 5-time Rejected Gamma & the Lycan King

Chapter 156

Before the High Court building, journalists and reporters from every news corporation gathered at the court entrance with their cameras and recorders in hand.

A woman in a blue and black pantsuit, along with a pale blue beret tested the microphone pinned to her black coat before she looked into her colleague’s cameras. At the end of their countdown signal, she smiled and began speaking, “Good moming from all of us at the Latest News Network. I am Tasha Louise, here to report on the corruption charges against four long-serving ministers of the Kingdom. This concems the Minister of Defense, Alfred Cummings; the Deputy Minister of Defense, Pierre Whitlaw; the Minister of Finance, Marie Martin; and the Deputy Minister of Finance, Patrick Dupont.”

“Last Tuesday, exactly six days ago, the police arrested the ministers for alleged corruption. The hearing held just two days ago confirmed that a trial was necessary to determine whether the ministers are guilty of the crimes alleged. Their lawyers have previously argued that certain evidence relied upon by the prosecution was unreliable. Today, we shall see if that proves to be true.”

The trial will start with the prosecution opening its case, and will move on to the presentation of evidence in efforts to prove the charges against the accused. Witnesses will be summoned, and they will b e examined, cross-examined and re-examined in order for the esteemed Judge Cook to ascertain whether the ministers are innocent or guilty. More on that when the court is in session. Once again, I am Tasha Louise. Thank you for joining us on the LNN.” 3

The other reporters made similar reports with their camera person before making their way to the courtroom where the case was scheduled to be tried. The journalists, reporters and camera crew mingled among themselves.

But the noisy room immediately turned into dead silence when the guards opened the doors to announce,” Their Royal Highnesses, and the Duke and Duchess.”

Everyone stood upright before lowering themselves into a bow. None of them dared take pictures without permission after what happened last time outside Dr Yeil’s medical centre. They didn’t want to be suspended or fired for angering the royal family. After the royal family bowed in return, everyone stood, and the clicking of shoes was the only sound in the courtroom as the four of them made their way to the front row.

Every representative from news corporations started taking their seats as well. Judge Cook entered, and everyone stood, including the royals, before they sat back down upon the judge’s affirmative nod. The judge peered through his thick, round glasses as he called upon the prosecution to open its case.

The beginning was just a repetition of facts. Who the accused persons were, their jobs, and the charges against them. After that, the real action began when the prosecutor said, “My Lord, the prosecution calls upon the first witness, Alfred Cummings.“

“Proceed.” The judge nodded the bailiff’s way. The bailiff then brought the minister to the stand, where he took an oath to speak the truth, only the truth, and nothing but the truth. Those who were used to seeing Cummings noticed that he had lost considerable weight, and the bags under his eyes showed how exhausted he was.

Cummings’s eyes somehow found their way to Lucianne, and he scowled without thinking. Xandar’s arm went protectively around his mate’s shoulder as he threw Cummings a death glare, compelling him to look the other way.

The prosecutor then began her line of questioning, “Mr Cummings, in your significantly long tenure as the Kingdom’s Minister of Defence, have you ever had an issue with money?”

Cummings looked at her with hateful eyes as he spat, “Since you know that my tenure is long, you should know that I have enough to live a reasonably good life.”

“Reasonably good’, Mr Cummings? Let’s see.” She lifted up a sheet of paper and said, “In the course of your lifetime, you’ve managed to own seven apartments, five mansions, two limousines, five sports cars, twenty holiday homes and an art collection that was worth two million dollars when you acquired them, and is now worth five million.”

Despite the surprising gasps in the room, Cummings merely responded, “Perks of serving the people.”

“How do you serve the people?”

“I am the Minister of Defense, as you’ve told me so yourself.”

“We’ve calculated your salary, Mr Cummings, and I can tell you that, even if you had spent every penny acquiring those properties, you’d still have to take a loan in the millions to own what you have. We’ve checked with your bankers. You have no outstanding loans.”

The prosecutor then lifted up a sheet of paper and showed it to him before she said, “This is how you’ve been keeping your reasonably good life’, isn’t it, Mr Cummings? You’ve been siphoning money from the

government.”

reporters gasped in shock and murmurs soon filled the room.

have you or have you not been making illegal transactions of money

“No.”

do you

was forced

“By whom?”

“The Duke, Greg Claw.”

company, Wu Bi Corporation. So, in effect, you were

commissions from Wu Bi Corp, and you’re saying he has nothing to gain

commission amounts to less than fifteen percent of what you have taken from the government, Mr Cummings. It doesn’t make sense for the Duke to coerce you to take more and for him to take less,

spat, “How do

you have any evidence saying

eyes, until Judge Cook prompted him to answer, so he muttered in dissatisfaction,” No. But

the Duke forced you to siphon money from the government, and in doing so, he forced you

Lucianne had to constantly stroke his hand

moment of silence, the judge

take the money, and I was paid

I can see. Did the Duke force you to acquire the apartments,

defence lawyer, Mr Clark, shot up from his

to determine whether the coercion that Mr Cummings purports to be made by the Duke has reached the legal standards required by the law. How would we know if the accused was coerced

argued, “That question goes beyond the circumstances. It is irrelevant to the charges. My client should not

in any way he deems fit. Any properties, real or personal, which may be acquired by monetary means must be assessed for they

teeth, and threw a sharp glare at his

“Mr Cummings, I shall repeat my question, Did the Duke, Greg Claw, coerce yout o acquire the properties I’ve listed, which you did not deny owning at the beginning of my

to say, “Let me remind you, Mr Cummings, lying in the

Cummings muttered, “The properties were not acquired with

did these properties end up being in

was a series of gifts from the

“Your son, Sebastian Cummings?”

“Yes.”

you were purportedly forced to take, where

it to the Head of the

bank accounts before being transferred to five accounts, one of

looking for are Greg Claw and Helena Tanner, and whoever is running Wu

had to press Lucianne closer to his body and breathe in and out through her hair when he heard that, just to stop

simply. Do you admit that