In the courtroom.
Barrister Douglas looked at the evidence that Amy suddenly handed over to him. He had been arguing with words for a few minutes. After he took his seat, Smith had brought the supply man on the stand to prove their case when Amy handed over the evidence.
"Why am I just getting this?" He asked. He felt that if he had the materials a while earlier, he would not have needed to argue back and forth with the opponent.
"This evidence has been missing," Amy replied. She felt like she had been walking on ice since the evidence had disappeared from her hands.
She knew Emily was a kind boss; she could forgive a mistake, not a betrayal. She did not even dare to imagine how to wash clear of the situation; after all, it was indeed too much of a coincidence to lose both copies.
She has also been paying attention to Peter and the other two involved in collecting the evidence. Even the hacker who helped her prepare the document. In the end, she found nothing. She thought that if she proved her innocent, her punishment would be lighter.
Over the past few days, she could only gather a few details which could not be used to win the case before the court.
"What do you mean missing?" Barrister Douglas felt that she was playing him for a fool. How could something be found just at the right time? Amy looked at him, not knowing how to answer the question. Should she tell him that she was careless?
"Why are you asking this when you should use this time to understand the evidence in your hand," Amy answered. She felt that even if he had questions about the material in his hands, he should wait until the hearing was over.
"Why? A lawyer and his client must have a trusting relationship. Since you don't trust me, I don't think I need to continue to be your defence lawyer," Barrister Douglas said. His voice was low, but Amy could feel how firm it was.
"Well, it is okay to quit, but don't forget that you will pay for the bridge of the contract. Of course, Steam would be suing you for an unauthorised leak of information," Amy said.
"What are you talking about?" Barrister Douglas was furious, but he knew better than to raise his voice and disturb the court. Any did not bother to answer him. Instead, she turned her face and looked at the lawyer who was questioning the sale representative on the witness stand.
" Any cross-examination from the defendant?"
"yes, My lord," Barrister Douglas said, getting up. He was already aware of the witness that would be bought to the stand, so he prepared questions to this effect.
"Mr Steve, you told this court that you delivered materials according to specifications, and these materials were cross-checked before being delivered, is this correct?" Barrister Douglas asked.
"yes," the man on the stand looked calm and composed as he answered the question. One could tell that he was very confident.
"you also delivered the same Materials to ABM the same day, correct?" Barrister Douglas asked.
"Correct," Mr Steve answered.
"were these materials already separated from the company, or did you deliver them at random?" Barrister Douglas asked.
"Objection, my lord, defendant questions have no purpose," Annabel's lawyer spoke up.
"My lord, the persecutors have presented evidence claiming that my clients and ABM had received goods from the same badge. It is important to know if this was delivered randomly or sorted according to company," Barrister Douglas said.
"Objection overruled," the Judge said.
"Mr Steve, please answer the question," Barrister Douglas said.
Mr Steve paused, not knowing how to answer this question after all the two companies' materials had indeed been separated. If he said at random, then the evidence provided by The Smith using ABM would be valid. But if Steam brought out evidence that the goods were explicitly delivered, his lies would be exposed.
"The materials were selected randomly from the warehouse, but they were delivered specifically for easy logistics and time-saving purposes," Steve answered after a bit of thought.
"I have no further questions," Barrister Douglas bowed and returned to his seat.
"We would take a two-hour break and continue the hearing after this," the Clerk announced.
...
Back in the waiting room.
"I will quit; look for another lawyer," Barrister Douglas said once he was alone with his two assistants and Amy.
"The Ceo wants to talk to you," Amy handed over the phone to the man. She had only repeated the words like Emily asked her to; after all, she was also unaware of the situation.
"Barrister Douglas, I hear you want to quit," Emily asked. Her voice was calm and pleasant to listen to.
The call was a video call, so the lawyer could see the pale-looking lady sitting on the bed wearing her hospital gown. One could tell that she was sick. Her lips were dried, and when she asked the question, her tone was nonchalant.
Her attitude was carefree, and it made Barrister Douglas's heart jump. As a lawyer, he knew a bit of psychology, and he could tell that Emily was treating him the way a predictor treated his prey.
He was part of those who sued Mr Adams and Co; how could he forget so soon that Emily was not easy to deal with?
"Yes, you deliberately hide evidence from me, making me unprepared for the case. How can a lawyer and clients work together to achieve their goals without trust?" Mr Douglas could only calm himself and pretended to be tough.
"oh, it's okay if you want to quit, anyway I can always get a lawyer to represent my company in court. Your leaving at this time is also good. At least the court would be forced to give us a week to get another lawyer. Steam can do without you, the evidence is in my hand, but I wonder what would become of Barrister Douglas after I released the information of you selling out your clients. Would anyone dare use you again, " Emily had a thoughtful look?
Barrister Douglas panicked when he heard this, but he did his best to remain calm." I don't know what you are talking about, " he replied in a low confident voice. If Emily did not have the evidence in her hands, she would have been fooled by him.
"Is that so?" She asked. Emily had a playful smile on her lips. She was someone who did not easily trust, so even when she handed over the evidence to Amy, she kept a copy for herself. Seeing that Annabel found out about the evidence and destroyed it, how could she dare hand it over to him?
So she had thought of the plan to request the change of date and patiently paid attention to the lawyers. Her plans was to know what they thought and how they could help in that situation. She did not expect to find out that there was a mole in her team of lawyers.
"Do you know I can sue you for slander?" Barrister Douglas threatened. He gave a look of an upright man who could not easily be bow to pressure.
Emily chuckles when he hears him. Do you think I will be foolish to try to get evidence from you? As a lawyer, your tongue us usually very tight. I just wonder how much damage you will pay when I sue you for illegal sales of Steam company secrets. Of course, if I loss the case to the Smith, I would make more money; after all, I can also prove that the information you sold cause the steam to suffer such a high loss, " Emily paused. She observed the man's face on the phone and realised that his confident face had cracked.
" l don't believe you have any evidence; after all I did nothing wrong, " Barrister Douglas replied. He was quick Wit, and did not easily fall for her words. He remembered that Emily was someone who could allow curses and insult to be rain in her before she come out. She was not the type that threatened but took action.
So he felt that since she used threat, her evidence was inaccurate, and she might be sending him back to use him.
"Why not check your mailbox before you argue with me?" Emily suggested. The more she spoke, the happier she felt.
When Barrister Douglas saw the look on her face, he became uneasy and took his phone to check his mail. He knew that Emily was not a person that bluffed about things.
After checking his mail, he was dumbfounded; he had indeed shared information with Annabel's assistant. He was the one who confirmed the evidence missing. There was a voice note to this effect. This evidence could be used against him; making him the first suspect for the missing date.
His call to Annabel's assistant to inform her of his plans. Even if Emily did not sue him, his part in the legal world would have been completely blocked after the news go out. Moreover, he could not afford to pay for the damages.
"What do you want to do?" Barrister Douglas asked. He was panicked but tried his best to remain calm.