He turned to face the judge, his expression earnest. "Your Honor, the defense has presented solid alibis, credible witnesses, and a lack of motive. Mr. Blake has been nothing but a dedicated employee and a man of integrity. To convict him would be a grave miscarriage of justice."
Ryker took a deep breath, his final words resonating in the silent courtroom. "I urge you to look beyond the accusations, beyond the assumptions, and see the truth. Mr. Blake is innocent. Do not let an innocent man suffer for a crime he did not commit."
As Ryker finished, the jury members exchanged glances, clearly moved by his compelling argument. The judge nodded, acknowledging the strength of Ryker's defense.
Ryker had returned from the court and the ringing landline interrupted the rush of pleasure Ryker Cadel was feeling. Sylvia, one of the paralegals at Cadel Law Firm, moaned softly as she straddled him. She was his go-to stress reliever, especially in the office; he had another outside of work.
"Hang on," Ryker held her waist and stopped her movements before picking up the phone. "What?" he let out.
"Mrs. Fontaine-Cadel is here to see you," his assistant said across the phone.
"Let her in—in two minutes," he said and hung up.
"Get up and fix yourself," Ryker ordered as he tried to push Sylvia off him, but she tightened her hold and continued to move, pulling him back into the pool of pleasure.
"Mr. Cadel, you said to let her in, in two minutes," she slurred in his ear and placed a kiss on the side of his neck.
But Ryker didn't want to get distracted. His mother was outside his office, and she could barge in at any second. The last thing he needed was her scolding. "I said get up!" he stated more sternly and pushed her off him. She let out a gasp but quickly gathered herself, pulling on her skirt and fixing her hair before exiting his office.
His mother barged in instantly, her overly expensive heels making a clacking sound across the room with every step she took. Some leather-covered files were clutched to her chest with one hand while the other held a handbag. Her face was caked with makeup, and her usual red lipstick was hard to miss. The frown on her face only made her look more imposing.
"I don't know what in the name of the gods you were doing with that woman who just walked out, but you better hope your father doesn't find out. You're going to get married to the Cunningham's second daughter, and you shouldn't be seen with those bottom feeders—at least before the wedding," she stated, earning an eye roll from Ryker.
His father had presented the marriage proposal from a business partner, making it clear Ryker didn't have to accept if he didn't want to. However, his mother had accepted it on his behalf, ruining his peace.
"Ryker, this is serious. You need to get married and have kids so you'll finally get the respect you deserve. Your father will do anything for his grandchild. Take your stepsister, Monalisa, for example. Despite her issues, your father gave her child hectares of land. Imagine what he would do if you had a son with Electra Cunningham. He might give your child half of the company's stocks."
"..."
"Use your brain, Ryker. Remember, you're a mistress-turned-wife's child. The reason you're where you are today is because you're a boy. If you were a girl, you would have been abandoned. I heard your father talking about promoting you to Senior Partner if you get married. Don't you want that?"
Ryker did. He wanted it desperately. If marrying Electra was the only way to achieve that, he would.
"You know your stepbrother Michael has low sperm count, so he and his wife can't give your father a grandchild. As for Gabriel, he's gay. Now, remember how we entered this family and how they treated you? Don't you want to take everything from them?" she questioned, and his answer was yes.
Ryker had always wanted to prove to those demented scumbags that he was better than them, but was there another way?
"Well, I don't care about what you want. You will marry this girl and have a child. I'll tell my husband to promote you to Senior Partner after your wedding in two weeks," she stated and threw the files she had in her hands on his table carelessly.
"These contain information about the house you and your wife will move to after the wedding. Pick one and give it to my secretary before the end of today," she stood up and straightened her dress.
"...Also, your body is not the Land of the Free. Sleep with sophisticated women—not cheap ones like Sylvia Clément."
Ryker's mother left the room with a swish of her designer dress, leaving him alone with his thoughts. He sat back in his chair, staring at the files on his desk.
He picked up one of the files, leafing through the pages. The houses listed were all fancy, befitting someone of his status—or at least the status his mother was so desperate for him to achieve. He couldn't help but feel trapped, his fate sealed by his family's ambitions and manipulations.
Ryker sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair. He thought about Electra Cunningham. He had never met her, but he knew of her. She was the daughter of a prominent family, just like his mother had said. He wondered what she thought about this arrangement. Was she as reluctant as he was? Or was she complicit in their families' schemes?
He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. It didn't matter what Electra thought or felt. This marriage was a business transaction, nothing more. His personal feelings were irrelevant.
A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. It was his assistant.
"Mr. Cadel, Mrs. Micheals asked me to remind you about the files," she said hesitantly.
"Yes, thank you. I'll have them ready shortly," Ryker replied, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice.
As the door closed, Ryker picked up his phone and called Sylvia back into the room. When she entered, she looked nervous, clearly aware that she might have crossed a line earlier.
"Mr. Cadel, I'm sorry if I..." she started, but he cut her off.
"Forget about it, Sylvia. It's done. Now, I need you to take these files to Mrs. Micheals. Make sure it's done before the end of the day," he instructed, handing her the chosen file.
She nodded quickly, taking the file and leaving the room.
Ryker turned back to his desk, opening another file related to a case he was working on. He needed to focus on his work, on the immediate tasks at hand. There was no point in dwelling on things he couldn't change. He would marry Electra Cunningham, become a Senior Partner, and solidify his place in the company. His personal desires and feelings could wait.