The judge looked at Archie who was already starring to her right at a woman standing at the doorway with her head facing the ground and her hands behind her back.
"Miss Brown, welcome." Archie spoke confidently, a smirk almost escaping.
…
The crowd started to mumble at the sight of the woman as Adam took a step back in shock. He closed his eyes and grinded his teeth.
The guards escorted her to a different space where she stood silently avoiding eye contact with Adam.
"This is my evidence. Miss Brown, would you like to explain to the court whether this email was falsely made?"
The court waited eagerly for her response.
"This isn't fake."
The crowd gasped and the murmuring got louder.
"This isn't all." Archie said to the judge before taking a zip lock bag from her file containing a small USB. She handed it to him who played the audio recording from their system. It was the conversation between Adam and Za'Niyah.
"Adam."
"Yes… how may I help you?"
"Do you have any idea how much effort my team and I put into creating that design?"
"So you found out?" His laughter pierced through the shaking speakers.
"Why wouldn't I?" "Do something about this mess or I'll…"
"Or you will?"
"I'll bring you to court."
"I'd love to see that happen. File a complaint against me and you'll see some photos online that wouldn't do your company any good."
The phone was hung up.
"This case was the simplest that I have ever heard of. To not know what it looks like behind bars even after hundreds and hundreds more of similar crimes which could only take a maximum of 15 minutes to prove is enough in itself to prove to everyone here that Mr Wayne, you are surrounded and receiving service from the most corrupted authorities I have ever seen." The disgust in Archie's words could be heard from her voice. "I rest my case." She said proudly as she returned back to her seat, maintaining intense eye contact with Adam who was uncomfortable in his stance and fiddling with his fingers.
The judge started to note something down on a piece of paper in front of him before looking back down at Adam.
"Mr Wayne, the court has decided that you pay a fine of 135,000 and remove the logo which you have wrongly stolen from Miss Abara from the premises of your firm. Failure to pay the fine within 24 hours will instantly result in jail time of six months." He stamped the wooden hammer on the piece of paper.
The crowd was painfully silent in shock until the sound of clapping came from near the entrance. It was Christopher, Afsah, Augustin, Za'Niyah and mother Devi.
She ran to them in joy and engaged in a group hug but from the corner of her eyes, she saw Adams face sweat in rage.
~
As Afsah begged Archie to return straight home after the case, she didn't get a chance to clear things with Christopher. Not that she cared as she proved him painfully wrong nevertheless.
It seemed that everyone around her was happier about her successful debate than herself who just sat silently smiling at the cheering family. She kept her emotions to herself, feeling absolutely content with her life and everyone involved. She watched peacefully as Augustin jumped around in joy, as Afsah joined him and dragged Mother Devi too. It was probably the most beautiful day of her life. She was feeling exceptionally grateful for this 'family'.
"Call your dad and tell him." Afsah managed to say gasping for air and falling beside her to the couch.
"Oh yes. I should."
~
It was night again and the mansion was getting ready to end the day. The three decided to sleep in Archie's room and gossip about the event, although who would sleep were was a question in the form of an elephant in the room who tried to expose herself occasionally but to no avail. Just ignorance.
They were crouched on the sides of the bed, Archie trying to keep herself away from Afsah as far as possible to avoid awkwardness with Augustin who was eyeing them continuously.
"How did you even get that girl to admit it?"
"I threatened her."
Augustin groaned.
"Fine. I emotionally blackmailed her."
"Sounds about you." He replied grinning.
"Do you think Adam's pissed?" Augustin asked again, slowly bringing his foot towards Afsah's face.
"Of course he is. I noticed his face. You better watch out, Architha. Especially since he has connections with a lot of people in this industry. Some dangerous eyes have set on you." Afsah interrupted quite angrily, smacking Augustin's foot off his face.
"Stop scaring her." Augustin whined, massaging his own feet.
But Archie was already half asleep.
"…We should sleep." Afsah said awkwardly looking at Augustin to hear his suggestion to where who should sleep.
"Uh-"
"I'll sleep on the couch." Afsah interrupted Augustin who was clearly hesitant.
"Well if you insist."
The lights clicked dark and Augustin wrapped his hands and legs around Architha who was already on her 2nd dream.
~
It was around 3 am and Archie's phone started to ring.
She struggled out of Augustin's grasp and managed to attend the phone.
"Hi…" The caller spoke quietly.
"Hello?" Archie replied trying to keep her voice as low as possible, thinking that it was Afsah who was sleeping next to her.
"Is this Architha?"
"Yes. Who's this?"
"It's me, Christopher. I got your new number from Za'Niyah."
"Oh, hey Christopher. Whats- Whats the.." She said looking irritably at the time on her screen.
"What's the matter? Is that what you wanted to ask?"
"Oh yeah. What is the matter. Why so late?"
His manly sigh made its way through the other end of the line.
"I just wanted to apologise for underestimating you."
"Okay. That's fine. I'm used to it."
"So tomorrow 7 as one of our lawyers?"
"Will do." Archie replied trying to hide the smile from her voice.
She hung up the phone.
Augustin tightened his leg around Archie's. She found it uncomfortable, unable to move or breath but she really didn't want to disturb 'Afsah's sleep.'
"Who was that?" Augustin murmured.
Archie shockingly turned her head to face behind her, meeting Augustin's face. She instantly threw his legs from hers and kicked him off the bed.
"Ew. Augustin it was you."
I know who you though I was." Augustin said, not even attempting to hide his smirk.
"Shut up."
The lights clicked on and Afsah was staring down in disgust at Augustin from his couch.
~
It was 6:30 am. Afsah and Archie were together in the room, locking eyes without conversation.
"I'm going to miss you."
"What! I'm only going for 7 hours." She laughed as he hugged her, placing his head on top of hers.
"I have to go back to work. I've been so involved in yours that I nearly forgot about mine."
Archie's heart started to beat unenthusiastically. That meant that he was going to leave.
"Wait what?" She enquired trying to come away from his chin.
"Yeah" he replied forcing her head back underneath his.
"So where do you go? How do we meet."
"Let's hope we do."
Those words pierced like needles into her. She wanted him to stay by her more than she would like to admit.
"No. Why can't you stay here with us?"
The door swung open just as Archie finished her sentence. It was Augustin.
"Where do you think you're going?" Augustin asked leaning on the door sill.
Archie and Afsah turned their heads towards him and separated from each other.
"I have a lot of work to do. I've wasted so much time here but now that you're settled and managed to get you dream job, I feel like I'm not a necessity here."
Archie's words muddled to bitterness inside her mouth. The realisation that what she felt for him was everything but what he felt for her questioned her self-respect. She suddenly felt stupid, as if she had no worth in his mind as anything more than a friend.
"If that's what you want…" She replied abruptly, letting the coldness ooze through her words.