The Billionaire's web of deception

IN THE TRIAL

CHAPTER TWO

Eloise walked into the court, knowing that she would not let down her guard easily for anyone—not even her boss.

How could he just ask her to marry him out of the blue? Marriage was based on love, and she respected him as her boss with no feelings attached. So, how could he ask her that as if she were some w***e he could have anytime? That wasn’t happening under her watch.

She had used her last money to hire a lawyer to defend her in court. Even when her lawyer had told her that the chances of winning were slim, she was still adamant about it.

Either way, he had promised to try his best to defend her and reduce the charges she would be asked to pay.

Sitting in the accused seat made her feel like a sinner, and she felt even worse when she saw Mr. Robert walk in with the prosecutor, Mr. Alex—a man she had worked with and known for years.

He had called her the day before to ask what she had done to anger Mr. Robert so much that he would call for a court hearing for something that could have been resolved on a company level. She had not given him a tangible answer, but he had apologized in advance for whatever he would do and say in court today. “He was only following orders,” he had said.

Eloise could see a smirk on Mr. Robert's face as he took his seat in the crowd, while the prosecutor walked to his seat on the opposite side of the court.

Her eyes moved from Mr. Robert, who didn’t seem to care much about what was going on, to the prosecutor, who kept stealing glances at her. It was not until her lawyer gave her a light tap that she realized how absent-minded she had been.

“Miss Eloise, focus,” her lawyer whispered, and she snapped out of her thoughts.

Just then, the judge walked in, and they all stood to acknowledge him. After he took his seat, everyone sat, and the trial began.

She was called to the swearing box, took all the protocols, and answered a few questions as genuinely as possible. Then the company’s cashier was called out next as the next witness.

“Did you leave the work premises earlier than usual on the stated date?” the prosecutor asked him, and he responded positively.

“And what happened the next day when you arrived at work?” he asked again.

“Our boss, Mr. Robert, asked me if I had received the credit of a customer who had paid for her goods that evening. I told him no and explained that I had left the office early because of an accident involving my only sister,” he explained.

“And what was his response?” the prosecutor asked again.

“He told me that he had sent his secretary, Miss Eloise, here to deposit the money on my behalf. So, I first went to confirm the payment, but there was no transaction between the time I left and the next morning, which made me confused.

I went to her first and asked about it. She mentioned that she had deposited the money the usual way, which she always helps me do most times. She's the one who usually helps me, so I didn't doubt it. However, when I went back to the system, hoping the mistake was from me, proof that the money had been paid still wasn’t there.

That was when I went to the boss and reported the issue. We checked on his end, and it still wasn’t showing. That was when I realized that the money had gone missing,” the cashier said and stopped speaking.

“Do you think Miss Eloise is capable of taking money that belongs to the company?” he asked the cashier, who shook his head.

"I can't say yes, because in the two years of working with her, we haven't had any situation of this sort,” he responded truthfully, and the session ended.

"This court hearing has been adjourned to further hearing. The CEO of the accused company will be a witness then to give the final verdict. Court…”

The judge concluded, and everyone stood up.

Walking out of the court was a walk Eloise never dreamed of in her lifetime, and she knew there was not enough time to prove her innocence in court. With the way the hearing went, she would definitely end up in jail.

“Miss Eloise,” the prosecutor, Mr. Alex, called her, bringing her back to reality, and she turned to him with a plastic smile.

“Hello,” she greeted him.

“No time for formalities, Miss Eloise. The boss really has something against you. He has decided that you will refund double the amount of money that is missing. It's something you can raise with time, but he's not giving you the liberty of that time,” he told her, and she sniffed.

"How much?” she asked dreadfully.

“20 million dollars in one month, or go to jail. The choice is entirely yours to make. I can't guarantee you anything at this point, but you need to meet the boss and talk to him,” the prosecutor said, and Eloise could feel chills run down her spine.

Where the hell was he expecting her to get such an amount of money in such a short time? Unless he didn’t want her to get the money at all, he was just putting her in a tight spot.

That money was her salary for three years combined, and there was no way she was going to pay off such a huge amount like Mr. Robert wanted. She knew his main ambition wasn’t even the money—it was her he wanted. What was so special about her, she couldn’t figure out? Why her?

“Thank you, Mr. Alex. Thank you. Where is the boss?” she asked with the last of her energy. She was tired of fighting.

“He went that way,” he said, pointing in the opposite direction. “I hope he listens to you and I don't have to appear in court for your case again. I wish you luck, Miss Eloise,” he said and walked away.

Eloise stood at that spot for two minutes, knowing the decision she was about to make would either ruin or make her life. However, it seemed her life was already in ruins as she wondered how she had gotten to this point.

She was determined to try her luck with her boss, a man she dreaded so much. As she walked in the direction Mr. Alex had pointed out, she prayed that this decision would not be a mistake.

She met Mr. Robert just entering his car, and she walked up to his car and knocked on his window. When he turned and saw her, he smiled knowingly like an achiever and rolled down his window.

“Can I help you, Miss Eloise?” he asked.

“Can you give me a lift?” she asked in response, and his smile widened.

“Of course. Come in. I was thinking you’d never ask,” he said, and she gave him a small smile before turning to the passenger seat and slipping in beside him.

“I’ll marry you, Mr. Robert,” she said after she put on her seatbelt.

“Now, that wasn’t a hard decision to make, was it?” he asked, smiling widely, but Eloise glared at him.

“On one condition,” she added.

"What's that?”

"It’ll be a contract marriage, one that states that I am no longer in debt to your company,” she added.

"Of course, wife. That won’t be a problem,” he said as he drove them off the court car park, and Eloise wished against all odds that she wouldn’t have to come back here for anything.