Roger Wood, the witness in question, was a middle-aged man who had once worked as a caretaker at the Williams Orphanage. It was rumored that he had resigned back then because he refused to partake in the misconduct. Initially, he seemed eager to testify, but unexpectedly, he denied the allegations during the trial.
Many in the courtroom instantly sensed the hint of a conspiracy. Some began murmuring among themselves, while others sat in heavy silence.
Bruce sat in the gallery, maintaining the demeanor of an ordinary wealthy man, leisurely observing the proceedings. However, in that fleeting moment, his fist clenched tightly. He suspected that someone had gotten to Roger Wood in secret, using threats or bribes to make him retract his testimony—there was no other explanation for such a reversal.
''Master, calm down,'' Avery said.
Avery sat upright, eyes fixed straight ahead, but his hand quietly reached over and grasped Bruce's tense, vein-popping fist. In a voice only the two of them could hear, he whispered words of reassurance.
''It was my oversight that gave her the opportunity,'' Bruce admitted, reflecting on his mistake. Even though he had meticulously monitored everyone connected to the case, it was clear now that something had slipped through the cracks.
Avery didn't blame him. After all, Batman's experience had mostly been with violent cases—shootouts, criminal brawls, or terrorist attacks orchestrated by villains. This was the first time he'd dealt with something that didn't involve fists, knives, or guns, but instead lurked in the shadows of society. It was understandable that he lacked experience handling this kind of threat.
One must remember that when Batman first swung between buildings, he once ended up slamming himself against a wall and sliding down.
Moreover, this sort of issue couldn't simply be resolved with experience; Avery believed it required power—the kind of influence that compelled people to act according to the answers he provided.
''You can't prevent everyone from using any means to contact the witnesses.'' In other words, during this time before the court proceedings, anyone Roger had encountered could have been sent by Margaret to intimidate him into changing his testimony. Clearly, she had succeeded.
Avery suspected that Margaret's machinations went beyond this simple act. After all, she wouldn't be sitting there so relaxed, waiting for judgment, if it were just that. The crimes she committed were numerous; even if one charge were dropped, the others would be more than enough to keep her behind bars for a long time.
At this moment, after repeated confirmations from the judge, the witness firmly stated that he would not change his testimony again. This left the representatives of the plaintiff incredulous, believing that Roger might have been bribed or threatened.
The judge dismissed their claims, asserting that the courtroom was not a place for investigating the case, and the trial continued.
Due to insufficient evidence proving Margaret's involvement, the accusations of child molestation ultimately fell solely on the caretaker, as per the defense lawyer's arguments and the so-called 'evidence' presented.
Next came the charges concerning over a hundred children who had died. The plaintiff presented a wealth of evidence that could not be refuted. As the principal, Margaret could not possibly be unaware of the deaths of so many children; in fact, she had been present at the burial site when she was arrested.
However, these children had died from a flu infection, not due to Margaret's actions. Although the opposing side attempted to cover this fact afterward, there was ample room for movement in this matter; they could easily distance themselves from any blame.
As expected, the defense lawyer spoke up at this moment: ''I believe this matter is entirely unrelated to Ms. Margaret. As the principal, she also did not wish for the children to leave her, but life and death are beyond her control.''
Margaret promptly wiped away her tears, saying, ''Yes, I deeply mourn for these children.''
The plaintiff's lawyer appeared unable to refute this argument, or perhaps he was a second Roger Wood. As a result, Margaret won this round, while the plaintiff's side could only watch helplessly as everything unfolded.
Avery also watched silently as everything unfolded, harboring no expectations for the trial's outcome. It was evident that the enemy was fully prepared and confident; perhaps his only concern was how Bruce would feel about it all.
Next came the serious charges of trafficking and corruption. Avery had personally investigated and discovered that during Margaret's more than twenty years in office, she had indeed embezzled nearly a million dollars. However, at this moment, based on the investigators' findings, this matter was deemed unfounded.
''She may have already covered up that portion of the money...'' Bruce Wayne whispered softly to Avery, indicating that during her time in custody, she had managed to conceal her actions.
At this point, Bruce seemed to have shed all the anger he previously held; he appeared calm and composed, demonstrating remarkable emotional management skills. However, that didn't mean he would concede defeat.
Avery understood the implication clearly. Although he and Bruce had previously speculated that someone was likely backing Margaret, allowing her to escape detection for years, he hadn't anticipated that the other party would still dare to meddle with the case even after she was arrested with irrefutable evidence. It seemed they still wielded significant influence.
Margaret had no close family; could it be that some high-ranking official was being blackmailed by this cunning woman?
Finally, regarding the issue of child trafficking, the defense attorney responded, ''Margaret acted this way for the sake of these children.''
The representative for the plaintiffs was incredulous and laughed in disbelief, ''What more nonsense are you trying to spin?''
The defense attorney remained unfazed, speaking confidently, ''Those children originally came from very poor families. I've reviewed their files; some even relied on government assistance to survive. They couldn't provide the best for these lovely children, but Mrs. Margaret did. Just look—''
As he spoke, he held up a stack of documents and passed them to the jury and the judge. These were records of the children who had been adopted over the years, showing that their adoptive families were in good economic conditions and social standing.