Divorced Heiress
Chapter 96

My fingers lightly tapped my knees, while the sepulchral silence extended for longer than I would have liked, the only thing that could be heard were the breaths and sighs that Abby occasionally let out.

No one had been able to utter a single word since we all sat down on the couch, staring intently at lawyer Richman, who was motionless in the chair in front of us, and I didn't know if the others were feeling as bad, with a discomfort in their hearts, as I was right now for having done such a thing to a human being. -What are we waiting for?- Abby asked impatiently beside me, fidgeting her leg.

That was a good question, and the truth was, we were waiting for the lawyer to calm down to speak with the evidence in hand and put an end to all of this once and for all.

Just when I thought Mr. Richman had finally given up, he started to squirm in the chair again, trying to loosen the tight knot that Alex and Vincent had tied around him, immobilizing his hands and legs. As his furious gaze landed on each of us, it was clear that he wanted to protest, insult us, tally up the amount of time we would spend in prison. But from his throat came only a faint sound, as the gag prevented him from uttering a single word.

Now it could truly be considered a kidnapping.

I got up from my seat, unable to wait a minute longer. I would be the first to speak and let it all out, regardless of the fact that he was still struggling to break free from the restraints on the chair.

-Mr. Richman, first and foremost, I want to apologize for reaching this point, but you left us no other choice. I have something to tell you, and don't worry, it has nothing to do with all the harm your clients have caused my family. In fact, it has to do with you and your marriage. I started in the calmest way possible, walking back and forth with my hands behind my back.

Alexander came over to my side to hand me his cell phone, where the photo that I would show the lawyer at the right moment was stored. I couldn't help but look Alexander up and down; he was still wearing an apron. However, I didn't say anything so as not to lose the attention that Mr. Richman had focused on me when I mentioned his marriage.

-Let me help you a little, darling.- Alexander said before approaching Mr. Richman, who was looking at him without understanding a word of what we were talking about.

-Lawyer, I'll ask you a few questions, and you'll respond with a yes or no. Lately, have you noticed that your marriage has deteriorated?-

As soon as he posed the first question, I looked at the bound man, waiting for a response from him, but the lawyer didn't move his head at all. Instead, he furrowed his brow as if he were looking at a madman, and in a way, Alexander looked like one with the apron covering his torso.

Without seeing it coming, Abby stood in front of the lawyer.

-Answer, yes or no. You don't want to know what a Dubois is capable of.- Abby forced him to respond with a stern voice that would make anyone tremble, and immediately, the lawyer nodded his head in response to Alexander's question. -See, it's not that difficult. If you cooperate, we'll do the same.-

-Have you noticed any changes in your wife? I don't know, maybe she disappears or has unusual nocturnal outings.- Alexander asked the next question, and I had to hold back laughter because it was starting to feel like a couples therapy session, and Alex's appearance didn't help much.

The lawyer nodded again, and his furrowed brow soon relaxed, as if he were understanding the point we were trying to make.

-Now a more direct question. Do you suspect that your wife is cheating on you?-

Alexander's interrogation made our job easier; he was planting doubts or suspicions in the lawyer's mind, which we would confirm by giving him the name of the man his wife was cheating with. The lawyer took a while to give a response, seemingly pondering it for a while as he looked at Abby, who mimicked horns with her hand on her forehead.

-That's enough, I'll get straight to the point, lawyer.- Vincent impatiently came to my side to take the cell phone from my hand and search for the incriminating image.

-Your wife is fooling you, she's cheating on you with her special client, the one she covers up all the dirt for. We're talking about Paul Dubois, I imagine you know him.-

Vincent showed the lawyer the cell phone screen, and his eyes widened when he saw the photo of Paul and the lawyer kissing each other.

- Thank you for ruining everything, Grey, I was having fun with the interrogation. - Abby complained before returning to the couch and crossing her arms. Meanwhile, I remained expectant of the gagged man's reaction.

His face turned reddish and he moved in the chair again, making sounds with his throat, a clear sign that the gag should be removed so he could speak.

I didn't hesitate for a second and even though Alexander tried to stop me, I loosened the knot behind his head, freeing his lips and making them ready to talk, scream, or whatever he wanted.

-I don't believe any of you. Where did you get that picture? It could be a fake, my wife may be distant but she would never cheat on me. What do you want? -

The lawyer's ridiculous words were silenced by the laughs we burst into in unison. I couldn't believe that this man was so naive and stupid, that was why we laughed at him behind his back.

-Oh, I can't stand this man. Did the gag knot prevent oxygen from reaching his brain? No, no. Remove the blindfold too. And I thought he was an intelligent lawyer, complaining about the pain of being cuckolded.- Abby mocked him, not holding anything back, and my laughter stopped when I realized that the lawyer still didn't believe what we were telling him.

-Seriously, Mr. Richman? Let me tell you where we got that photo from, and you can draw your own conclusions. On Friday night, Alexander and I ran into Paul at a restaurant on the outskirts of the city. We were surprised to see him so intimate with a woman, and then I remembered the face of that woman, I remembered seeing her with you when you were visiting Rachel Duncan in the prison in New York, do you remember?-

I informed him briefly, and he fell silent with a lost gaze, as if he was trying to remember, and not precisely our encounter in New York, because I was sure he remembered it perfectly.

-It's impossible, on Friday he went out with his friends like every Friday night. He said incredulously, and I sighed tiredly, finding it hard to believe that this man was so blind and, worst of all, he refused to believe something we had evidence of.

-Well, if we remove the beard, the suit and tie, and ignore the passionate kiss, you could say it's a friend, but unfortunately, it's Paul Dubois with his wife.- I said, taking Vincent's phone to look at the photo in more detail, although I had lost count of how many times I had seen it.

-We don't have to lie, here you can see the date, time, and location where the photo was taken. It's not a fake, and you're not dumb.- I showed him the phone screen again for him to observe it closely, and he took the necessary time to realize that we were telling the truth.

In a matter of seconds, his eyes became bloodshot, and his face blushed even more intensely. He seemed about to explode with anger, and it was understandable.

-I'm going to kill that bastard! Let me go! That woman is going to hear from me, I'll ruin her, I won't forgive you for this betrayal. I got my hands dirty for them, and this is how they repay me. Untie these damn knots!- His body moved from side to side, showing his fury upon finding out about his wife's infidelity. He was out of control, and I was grateful that he was securely tied to the chair because he could do something crazy right now.

-God, thank you, I knew no one could be that stupid in life.- Abby sighed with relief as the lawyer finally accepted that he was being deceived.

Seeing him like that reminded me of the day I found Alexander with Rachel, the stabbing pain in my chest as if thousands of blades were piercing me, the pain mixed with anger, the disappointment of believing they had fooled me for months. At this moment, I understood what he was feeling, but what differentiated us was that I didn't intend to make a scene, nor did I want to kill or destroy anyone.

I cleared my throat, erasing the bitter memories that lingered in the past because now I knew what was behind all that, and it was no surprise that in both cases, Paul was involved.

-Mr. Richman, do you think it's worth getting your hands dirty? They're not worth it. You should think about making them pay in another way, and I know how.- I spoke calmly, trying to reason with him, hoping that he would calm down so I could make him the offer of joining our side.

-I'm not interested, I'm going to look for those traitors and make them pay.-

I shook my head as I saw that I wasn't thinking clearly and went straight to the point without beating around the bush.

-Why not hit them where it hurts the most? You know a lot about Paul and you can ruin him if you want.-

The lawyer was left speechless and seemed to be pondering the information that he seemed to have forgotten.

-We know that he sponsored Rachel to commit the crimes she's paying for today, and we also know that he has her parents threatened in case she decides to turn him in. We know that Mrs. Dubois was behind the kidnapping attempt when I was a child. We know that the Dubois are responsible for my parents' plane crash and that they embezzled the Doinel company during the time Mr. Dubois was in charge. We know they have made many witnesses of their crimes disappear, not to mention the sudden possession of my parents' shares before their disappearance. We know more than you can imagine, but the thing here is that the only person who can make Paul suffer is you. You, lawyer Richman, have Paul in your hands and you know it very well.-

I spoke without hesitation, with such seriousness that his expression seemed panicked, knowing that we were aware of all the information they had tried to hide for years.

I interlaced my fingers, patiently waiting for a positive response, but he was shocked, he remained silent in his place, the color disappeared from his face and I could see his hands trembling slightly.

-I thought Vincent was the only man capable of driving me crazy, but this man has surpassed him.-

I heard my friend's irritated voice behind me, but I stayed in my place waiting for him to make up his mind.

-I can't do that, I'm involved in all of the Dubois' crimes, I would go to jail for this and my life would be in danger, you don't know what they're capable of. He confessed, fearful at the mere idea of turning them in, and I knew that this was more serious than I had thought.

-Now who is the criminal here?- Vincent muttered to himself, but it wasn't low enough for the lawyer not to hear.

-Vincent!- I scolded him because that wasn't going to help at all. He raised his hands in a peace gesture and went to sit quietly next to Abby, who looked irritated by what Vincent had just said.

I turned my attention back to the man who was now uncomfortable with my cousin's comment, and I pointed to the camera that Alexander had installed when we had just arrived at the apartment, our entire conversation was recorded, we had thought of all the details. If the lawyer wasn't going to collaborate, at least we would make him admit that the Dubois were guilty of all the crimes I had mentioned, and he admitted it.

-It's your decision, but this conversation has been recorded. You have the opportunity to choose the lesser evil for yourself. Either we take down the Dubois and along with them your unfaithful wife, or you become our ally. It's no secret that I have the best lawyers who can be at your disposal, and I could take care of your safety.-

I gave him my final offer that he couldn't waste unless he wants to spend many years in prison.

It didn't take him long to give me an answer, which relieved me.

-I accept, I will turn in the Dubois.- He spoke confidently, determined to cooperate with us, and a huge smile appeared on my face.

I refrained from jumping for joy at his sensible decision and felt arms wrapping around my waist from behind, in celebration of the good news.

-Finally something coherent comes out of your mouth, I can't believe it, thanks to...-

I heard Abby's excited voice, but her words were interrupted and I had to turn around to know what made her quiet, as it was impossible for her to keep silent on her own.

My mouth opened in a perfect O when I saw the unexpected scene on the couch.

Vincent silenced Abby with a kiss, while his hands delicately held her chin, my friend's eyes remained open and her body seemed tense, she was bewildered.

-Look at them, how sweet.- Alexander said delighted with the scene.

-Well, can you release me now?-