Flustered, Charles attempted to control his temper. Rising from his seat, he approached Sarah, affecting the demeanor of a considerate husband. "Darling, is anything wrong? Why are you here? I told Martina to care for you at home. Where is she?"

Sarah sneered at his hypocritical words. How dare he mention Martina? The woman had nearly killed her, had Hannah's people not intervened in time.

Charles saw the resentment in her eyes, but ignored it, deciding to remove her immediately. He grasped her hand, but she threw it off.

"Don't touch me!"

"Don't be loud, darling, or you'll be punished," Charles said, his voice falsely tender. "Let me take you home, shall we?" He then apologized to the judge and the court, maintaining his pretense of uprightness. "I apologize for disrupting the court's proceedings. I will return to accept punishment after ensuring my wife's safe return home."

"Let me go!" Sarah's voice cracked. She knew he would kill her if he took her away, but she lacked the strength to resist. He played the affectionate husband, deceiving the audience into believing it was a mere marital dispute. Sarah, fresh from a near-death experience, was terrified.

Suddenly, Theodore blocked their path. "Where are you going?"

"Get out of the way!" Charles snarled.

"Your wife seems unwilling to accompany you," Theodore observed.

"None of your business," Charles ground out.

"I have a sense of justice," Theodore said coldly. "If Mrs. Sawyer wishes to leave with you, I'll allow it; otherwise, you will not leave this courtroom."

Charles' face darkened. He instantly recognized Hannah's hand in this. Through clenched teeth, he threatened, "Theodore, don't cross me!"

"Well, you seem to lack a good side," Theodore retorted, a teasing glint in his eyes. He turned to Sarah. "Are you going with him?"

"No way! I'd rather die!" Sarah declared firmly.

Theodore smirked, flexing his neck, wrists, and ankles. In the next instant, he punched Charles, knocking him to the ground. He continued his assault, a torrent of curses— "You bastard! Who do you think you are? How dare you maltreat Oscar!"—filling his mind. He pummeled Charles relentlessly, while Sarah watched impassively.

The bailiffs intervened, apprehending Theodore for disrupting the court. Hannah sighed; Theodore always acted as he pleased. This was an unexpected bonus, as she'd only asked him to stop Charles. She anticipated his imprisonment for a couple of weeks, but considering Oscar's suffering and Charles' battered face, she considered it a fair price.

"Goodness, I didn't know Theodore could be so aggressive!" Susan exclaimed, a mixture of fright and exhilaration evident in her voice.

Charles, despite his injuries, tried to rise and take Sarah, but she remained resolutely distant. Loretta, distraught, cried out, "Beating is wrong! Imprison him! Shoot him!"

The court descended into chaos. The judge pounded his gavel. "Quiet!"

Silence fell. Then, Sarah declared, "Please allow me to present evidence of Charles' crimes, Your Honor!"

The judge was in a quandary. He didn't wish to antagonize Sarah, yet Charles had controlled the proceedings until now. Melvin intervened respectfully. "Your Honor, under Northfield law, is it permissible to hear two cases concurrently?"

"Only if related."

"Then please accept Mrs. Collins' complaint."

Overwhelmed, the judge remained silent for a moment before stating, "Given the procedural complexities, I require consultation with the jury."

After the judge and jury retired, the gallery erupted again. Before returning to his seat, Melvin glanced at Hannah, surprised by the Collins family's rejection of Charles.

Ten minutes later, the judge and jury returned. "Sarah Collins," the judge announced firmly, "present your evidence against Charles Sawyer."

Sarah, thrilled, replied, "Thank you, Your Honor."

"Sarah!" Charles called, as bailiffs seized him. Two bailiffs also escorted Sarah, who passed him coldly, his feigned affection sounding ironic to her ears. Charles was led to the dock, just two seats from Oscar. He couldn't believe the turn of events.

Sarah presented her evidence: "These records prove Charles' collaboration with River Town City Hall, and the financial transactions involved. He bribed staff to frame Oscar, paid the men who delivered money to Oscar's home, and caused Mary Cooper's death. He intended to have Mary seduce Oscar and then kill her to frame him. However, Oscar didn't sleep with Mary, so Charles had to use another person to rape and murder her, dumping her body in the river. They planned to retrieve the body days later to obscure the evidence. In this way, they almost successfully framed Oscar."