Abigail nodded. "Thank you all for your hard work."

"It's no trouble at all," Jeremiah replied.

"Good timing," Abigail said. "The hearing resumes in a few days–I need to have another talk with my lawyer."

Jeremiah said, "Well, after the first trial was adjourned, I reviewed the trial proceedings. The Prescott family is doggedly pursuing your case, not only to keep you from getting an acquittal easily, but also to make sure at least one or two people you despise are protected, so they can continue to be thorns in your side."

Gazing at the elevator doors, Abigail asked quietly, "So, this case won’t be wrapped up so easily, will it?"

"Still, things will be more straightforward after the first trial. The second trial has a legally mandated timeframe, and it must conclude within that period. Even if delayed, it would only be postponed for about a year at most," Jeremiah said gently.

Abigail thought to herself, "I’ve already survived three years. What’s one more? But Ms. Prescott really makes me feel sick. Unless something goes wrong between Sebastian and me, I’d never give her a chance. If she's got what it takes, then she can try and take Sebastian from me."

A week later, the second court hearing began. Abigail was there once again, fully prepared to face it all.

Todd said, "Although Blanca struggled with insomnia, the Gibson family always ensured she had access to top-tier treatment."

"Before she was imprisoned, Abigail would regularly visit a place called The Hearth Table to order specially prepared calming soups to help ease Bianca’s sleepless nights. Even though Abigail hadn’t grown up under her care, from the ages of 12 to 18, she never once neglected her filial duties. On the contrary, it was Bianca who completely disregarded Abigail’s efforts, going so far as to force her to take the fall for Daniella’s hit-and-run. That kind of behavior? It makes her unfit to be called a mother. Your Honor, here is the evidence I have compiled. These records document that from age 12 until her imprisonment at 18, Abigail visited The Hearth Table every Friday to Sunday afternoon to purchase the soup."

After handing in the documents, Todd turned to Marcus.

But Marcus didn’t budge. Instead, he addressed the judge with steady confidence, "Your Honor, our stance is that Abigail’s actions, even from a young age, were motivated by her ambition to claim a stake in Gibson Group. It wasn’t out of genuine care. If it were, why would she show no mercy to the family after her release? Not once did she offer a kind word to her mother."

"In fact, after Abigail got out, Bianca tried countless times to make amends out of guilt, but every attempt was met with cold rejection and verbal hostility. There’s no trace of a mother-daughter bond left between them."

Marcus turned to the judge and said, "Your Honor, this is the evidence we’ve compiled. The defendant, a girl raised in an orphanage, somehow ended up owning 20% of Gibson Group’s shares, which is highly suspicious. On top of that, her close associate, Warren Judson, previously acquired 31% percent of the company’s shares from other stakeholders through questionable tactics–coercion, manipulation, and misdirection. We have every reason to believe her entire plan was to take control of Gibson Group. Years ago, even though she was clearly framed, she never appealed and instead pled guilty. Perhaps that was all part of the setup for what we’re seeing today."

Todd replied solemnly, "Back then, she didn’t appeal because Gibson Group was too powerful. As an orphan, even her own parents and siblings pressured her to plead guilty. She had no one to turn to, and she couldn’t even find a lawyer."

Marcus cut in sharply, "Couldn’t find a lawyer? She was constantly receiving financial support from Warren's friend, Sebastian, helping her look for a lawyer at that time, isn’t that the truth?"

"Yes, but by the time Sebastian started looking, Abigail had already been sentenced," Todd shot back. "The timeline doesn't match up, and she had no idea he was helping her back then. Mr. Crane, even the Gibson family admitted she was framed. So what exactly are you trying to argue here? The facts are public. Daniella fled the country after the crime, and all the evidence points to Abigail being wrongfully imprisoned. The people behind this were her own family. The law owes her a clean record, an acquittal, and the Gibson family should be held accountable."

After hearing Todd’s words, Abigail realized that Marcus was deliberately trying to muddy the waters. He wanted the court to forget the real reason they were here.

Feigning innocence, Marcus said, "Your Honor, I’m not claiming she’s guilty. I’m merely suggesting her imprisonment may have been part of a broader scheme to seize control of Gibson Group. Maybe she played along on purpose–maybe she resented the Gibson family and allowed them to commit crimes, all to drag them down with her. And look at the results–she now controls the majority of the company’s shares. The rest of the family faces prison, and the most competent among them, Wyatt Gibson, is dead, burned alive, with no way to testify, is that all just coincidence?"