Jane and Edric drove to Mr. Sandoval's mansion.
Edric was driving the car while Edric was on the driver's seat.
She was silently looking at the sceneries outside.
It took them five minutes to reach the mansion.
While they were waiting for the gate to open for them, Jane felt excited at the same time worried. She was anticipating this to happen.
The gate finally opened and they drove inside.
The mansion was so quiet from the outside when they got out of the car.
It seems like there was not a single ghost around them.
"Are you sure that we're in the right place?"
"A hundred percent." 'Follow me.'
Jane had no other choice but to follow Edric.
While they were going in, three serious looking men greeted them inside.
"Good afternoon Young Master!"
"Who are they?" She asked in a whisper.
"They're his people yet as you can see, they're already loyal to me." Edric didn't hesitate to tell the truth to her.
"Really? What did you do to them? Did you cast a spell on them or something?"
It was just her innocent question yet it made him to halt from his step making her to ask him.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Let's go."
As they walked down the hallway, they saw one or two guards standing in snappy position.
They were both led to the basement of the house.
Inside, Jane saw a series of rooms with iron bars as their doors.
The set up was like that of a mini-version of a prison.
Jane didn't expect to see this below this big house.
She could not help but think of her mother and their condition had Edric not intervened in the scene and helped them.
She could still smell some faint smell of blood inside
"What's going on?"
However, Edric didn't answer his question.
Then all of a sudden, they hear a scream coming from the last cell.
When they reached that cell, they saw Mr. Sandoval, in his torn and dirty clothes. He was restless and mumbling of something.
"What happened to him?"
"He's gone mad."
"What? How are we going to put him in jail if he's crazy. They're going to put him into an asylum."
Edric just raised his brows while looking at her.
"I thought you wanted to kill him?"
Jane became silent after she was asked with that question.
Out of impulse, she wanted to. But this world ran differently.
The rule of the jungle, the battle of the fittest, didn't apply and is not acceptable in this world.
Law which valued each and everyone's human rights and the chance to defend oneself in front of a criminal court prevailed.
A long and lengthy process which would take almost a year or more than that, just for the justice to be served.
For some reason, there were people who could cheat the system by bribing the judge, paying the witnesses and many innocent people were jailed because of those mentioned earlier.
Money.
But not all were like them. There were few dignified people, full of integrity, who were true to their oaths and duties and never get the satisfaction with money but instead in punishing the criminals and acquit the innocent.
"No. I want to see him locked up inside the jail."
"Really. But this man's a very influential person. What if someone would help him to escape prison and get back to your family? What are you going to do?" Edric wanted to challenge her resolve by giving her the worst case scenario.
And it did hit her.
The best thing to approach this queation was to be honest to herself. On what was the right and not the right thing to do.
As much as possible, she no longer wanted any violence in this life but it was very impossible to achieve.
"Honestly, I want to kill him. I want him to suffer for what he did to my mother. But a bigger part of me wants to do what is the ethical thing to do. I don't want to place the law in my hands." 'Yet.'
She didn't know if she could hold back herself like this in the future. But one thing that she was sure of, she didn't want her darker side to prevail.
"If that is your wish, then I'll honor it." Edric had no problem with what Jane wanted.
At least Jane had proven herself to him.
(A/N: Wife slave in the making.)
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me. We will send him to jail. I'll hire the best lawyers in the country just to convict them."
Since Jane wished for it, he would surely do his best for Mr. Sandoval, together with his minions to receive the right punishments as soon as possible.
"No need. Attorney Fernandez is already enough. I trust his capabilities as a lawyer."
"Okay."
"But how are we going to convict him? Isn't it what we're doing now illegal, too?"
"Maybe."
They only locked him up inside. They even made sure to feed him well.
He was like that because what they did to him last time traumatized him.
"Okay. I don't want this to backfire to my family."
"Jane, I never intended to do it half-heartedly."
That was what he meant when he said he'd take full responsibility.
Mr. Sandoval didn't even dare to look at them.
Jane didn't know that Edward was messing with him all this time that's why he was not looking at them.
That's what he got for messing the wrong people.
The following day, Atty. Fernandez filed a complaint to the Ombudsman against the mayor of their town.
At the same time, he filed a complaint against the polices who arrested Mrs. Sanchez and her companions. The Town Chief of Police was dismissed from service immediately.
The Ombudsman immediately took action and immediately investigated the matter the day after.
To make sure that Jane's family won't be endangered just in case, Edric hired a private army to protect them. And of course, it was Pedro who led them.
The case would take time to resolve. It won't be done in a snap of a finger.
However, the judge promised to resolve this within a year.
But their case became heavy when Mr. Sandoval surrendered to the police during day 2 of the investigation.
He admitted to his crimes. Even so, he still had to face the court to receive his sentence since it was the SOP.
Since he pleaded guilty, he didn't have to face trial and his sentence was served immediately.
The mayor was also convicted together with the judge who helped him to cover up all their crimes.
All that happened less than a week.
This shocked the whole C Province because for the first time ever, this was the fastest case solved ever. And this was against big people.
Jane and the whole family rejoiced with this result.
Jane could see Mrs. Sanchez's sudden shift in aura. After all, a huge load was taken off from her shoulder.
Everything happened so fast that it felt like it was a dream. However, this was now their reality.
They were a hundred percent free.
And it all thanks to the man who was standing at the corner, silently looking at their celebration.
Naomi dragged him towards them so he could join the celebration.
Jane didn't forget to thank him for what he had done for them.
Now that he had fulfilled his promise, it's her turn to do her part.
Before they went back to the capital, something big was going to happen in their house.
Their civil wedding which was going to be attended by their servants and most especially, Jane's family.
The judge that Edric knew had to fly to C Province just to officiate this wedding.
Waiting inside the room was the bride to be together with Mrs. Sanchez and one of their newly hired servant.
For this wedding, Jane decided to show her true face to everyone who attended it. They had already used to her usual make-up covered face and so she was not worried that they would see her like this.
The situations had already shifted.
She didn't know when she had become this confident and bold to show off her face to everyone.
Maybe because she wanted to at least try her best in this marriage and what was the better way to start it than to being true to herself.
But also maybe because this was her wedding. That's why her mood was like this.
She didn't know if she would get the chance to marry again in the future after this would end so she was trying to do her best to be herself.
Jane had died her hair with black this morning.
No, she's not yet ready to show to him and to everyone how different she actually looked like to the rest. Especially not her hair and eyes.
Jane was sitting on the bridal chair while wearing her robe. She decided to apply a minimum make-up. A blush on, powder and a lip tint. She put some eye liner on and apply a mascara to her long eye lashes.
As for her skin, she didn't mask them with make up.
Mrs. Sanchez and the servant was doing her hair in a bohemian style.
"Young Miss! You're really pretty!"
"Thank you." Jane blushed after receiving such complement from the young servant named Rosalie.
However, compared to the enthusiastic Rosalie, Mrs. Sanchez seemed bothered.
"Jane, you can still call off this wedding you know. It's not too late to say no to this. Don't worry, I think Edric will understand you." She mumbled to her.
However, Jane grabbed and gently squeezed her hand.
"Mama. It's okay."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Upon receiving her confirmation, Mrs. Sanchez then helped Jane to wear her dress.
It was a three-fourth sleeved, knee-length, body fit, white lace dress.
When she finally wore the dress, Jane was even amazed to look at her self in the mirror.
"Is this what they called bridal glow?" She mumbled to herself.
Mrs. Sanchez who saw Jane wearing a wedding dress immediately cried.
She could not believe her baby girl was finally leaving the nest.
'So this was the feeling a parent must feel during their daughter's wedding day.'
Jane who saw her mother crying, became emotional as well.
"Ma, please don't cry. I'm just going to marry today but it didn't mean I'm no longer your daughter. I'll always be your daughter."
Jane then planted a kiss to her cheeks.
"Silly. I'm just happy to see you and thankful to experience this. It's such an honor."
But then she saw the ring on Jane's right ring finger.
"I think you should remove that ring."
"It's fine Mama." Even if Jane wanted to, she couldn't.
In fact, it had been with her ever since.
Mrs. Sanchez didn't made a comment when she first saw this when Jane woke up.
Suddenly, they heard a knock on the door and it was Naomi.
"Ate, they're already waiting for you downstairs." Naomi was not looking at her when she said that but when she did, she screamed in amazement.
"I'm coming."
"Wow! Ate, is that really you?" Naomi knew how pretty her sister but she had not seen her like this.
"Come! Give Ate a hug!"
Naomi didn't hesitate to ran towards her and gave her a hug.
After that, Jane grabbed both Ann and Naomi's hands as she said, "Let's go Ma."
Since it was raining outside, they had decided to hold the ceremony in the living room.
There was not much decorations per Jane's request.
Everyone were wearing white dresses for the occasion.
The judge was already waiting for her to come out while Edric was waiting on the other side wearing his white suit.
Phil was his best man.
When the door of Jane's room opened, they immediately looked up in anticipation.
Everyone gasped when they finally saw the bride.
Beautiful.
Everyone watched as Jane slowly descended down the stairs wearing her four-inches sandals for this occasion.
Jane took her time stepping down the staircase one step at a time.
Everyone's eyes were glued on her that when she finally landed her feet on the ground, she was blushing heavily.
"Ahem!" Edric then cleared his throat for everyone to snap out of their daze.
Naomi then gave her her flowers.
Jane immediately walked towards the center and so the ceremony began.
Since they didn't prepare their vows, they just followed the usual one.
"I, Jane Sanchez, take Edric McWilliams to be my lawfully wedded husband. In sickness and in health. For better or for worse. Simpeternally."
After that, she took his wedding band and slowly slid it on his long left ring finger.
She didn't expect for him to prepare a ring for this so she was actually surprised.
This was still a contractual marriage, right?
Why did she feel like they're doing the real thing.
But before she could process everything, Edric's baritone voice echoed in the room.
"I, Edric McWilliams, take Jane Sanchez to be my lawfully wedded wife. In sickness and in health. For better or for worse. For all future time."
Edric then took her wedding band and put it on her ring finger.
"With the power vested upon me by the state, I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Edric McWilliams. You may now kiss the bride."
'Hey! Wait!'
Jane internally panicked immediately.
'Do you trust me?'
Jane didn't answer him through telepathy but she did through her mind.
When she nodded, Edric then grabbed her by the waist, making their body touched in a very intimate position.
Then he placed both of his hands on each side of her cheeks and drew his face closer.
Jane could feel her heart to beat faster like it was going to come out of her chest. So she closed her eyes.
She didn't know what happened next but she heard cheering from the crowd and Mrs. Sanchez's crying while looking at them.
At the same time she was clapping in cheers.
Cheers of congratulations filled the room.
Meanwhile Jane's face was beet red and Edric had that contented smile.