Chapter 51 – Shadows of Innocence
Leaning back in his comfortable office chair, Jacob stared at the wall–mounted television. The stress on his face was accentuated by the morning sun shining through his office’s wide windows. After a long board meeting, he had anticipated for a brief break, but the newscast of Sebastian and Emily threw him back into the whirlpool he had believed he had left behind.
“Ugh, what is it again?” Jacob muttered as he reached for the remote to increase the volume.
The voice of the reporter filled the room, crisp and urgent,
“In a shocking turn of events, Emily Roberts has walked into the courtroom to declare Sebastian Young innocent. She has asked for all charges against him to be dropped. Moments ago, she interrupted the judge mid–sentence with her dramatic statement”
The camera cut to a shot of Emily entering the courthouse with Albert at her side and Madeline at her heels. They were surrounded by reporters, whose cameras were constantly flashing. Jacob’s jaw clenched as he took in the scene, his grasp tightening on the remote, Madeline must have reached out to Emily.
Why had Madeline gone to Emily? Was it an act of goodwill? A sense of responsibility? He couldn’t shake the question that lingered in the back of his mind, was she still in love with Sebastian? No, it couldn’t be.
Jacob let out a harsh sigh, remembering their last exchange. He now regretted the
uncomfortable situation, which had been full of mistrust and accusations. He had treated her unfairly, allowing his fears to influence his decisions. He reached for his phone, determined to make things right.
Texting felt inadequate as his fingers lingered over the screen. Madeline was worthy of more than a quick phone call or a few lines on a screen. After grabbing his suitcase, Jacob strode to the door, pausing only to glance at the time, he stopped at a neighboring store on his way home and bought a bottle of her favorite wine and a bunch of lilies.
Emily, meantime, sat in the dreary interrogation room within the police station. Her tired face was palely lit by the faint buzzing of fluorescent lighting overhead. Officer Davies sat across the table from her, his ever–critical eyes focused on her, and Victor Lanning, the attorney who had been prosecuting Sebastian at first,
“Miss Roberts” Davies began, leaning forward with a pen poised over his notepad,
“We need to hear your version of events. Walk us through what really happened”
Emily inhaled deeply and clutched her fingers together, shivering a little. Although she spoke steadily, her eyes showed the strain of the memories,
“You got most of it right” she said softly,
“Until the part whered stepped outside that door. That’s where everything went wrong‘
Davies exchanged a glance with Lanning, who nodded for her to continue,
“It was dimly lit outside” Emily explained,
I
“Quiet, deserted. I was trying to figure out where Sebastian was when I saw someone emerge from the shadows. At first, I thought it was him, so I walked toward the figure” She paused, her throat tightening,
‘But as I got closer, I realized something was off”
What happened then?” Davies prompted,
“The man grabbed me aggressively” Emily said, her voice breaking slightly,
“I was startled and asked who he was. That’s when he said… he said I owed a debt of 25 million”
Davies straightened, his pen pausing mid–air
“Did you recognize this man?”
Emily hesitated, then nodded,
“I don’t, but I know exactly who he was talking about. He tried to force me into a car parked nearby. I fought back, screamed as loudly as I could, but he was strong. He hit me, tried to muffle my shouts… it all happened so fast. I clawed at him, trying to get away‘
Tears welled up in her eyes as she relived the nightmare,
“At one point, I managed to break free, but before I could run, he grabbed my arm and punched me in the head. I… I hit the ground”
Davies scribbled furiously, his expression grim,
“What happened after that?”
“As I lay there‘ Emily whispered,
“I felt like my life was slipping away. I could barely move, barely breathe. I saw him… standing over me. For a moment, it looked like he regretted what he’d done”
“His hands were on his head, and then…, then I heard the door open. The man panicked and
ran off into the darkness. That’s when I saw Sebastian, he came out of nowhere, running
toward me”
“Did he chase after the attacker?” Lanning asked
Emily nodded,
“Yes. He tried to go after him, but by then, people had already started coming out. Everyone
ap
assumed…” She trailed off,
They assumed Sebastian was the one who attacked me”
“You didn’t try to tell them otherwise?” Davies asked,
“I wanted to” Emily said, her voice cracking,
“I wanted to scream that he was innocent, that the real attacker had escaped. But I couldn’t, I couldn’t move or speak, and then everything went black”
“So” Davies said finally,
“What you’re telling us is that Sebastian was in the wrong place at the wrong time”
“Exactly” Emily said firmly,
“He didn’t do this. He’s innocent”
As Davies leaned back in his chair and tapped his pen against the notebook, there was a brief pause in the conversation. Lanning’s countenance was contemplative as he folded his hands on the table,
Davies sighed, running a hand through his hair,
“This changes things, Miss Roberts. But we’ll need more than just your word to clear him completely. Do you think you can identify the man who attacked you?”
Emily hesitated as she remembered the dark alley and the dark figure that had appeared out of
it,
“I think I can.”
