I approached him and grabbed the evidence he had presented earlier.
"Allow me to explain further, Your Honor!" I said, keeping my voice formal but with unmistakable firmness.
The judge simply nodded.
I didn't waste another second. I began dismantling his claims, piece by piece.
"Here! Look at this carefully!" I said, turning to him.
"Can't you see it's all fake? Everything's photoshopped, cropped, and edited!"
"Look closely—this is nowhere near the original footage from the crime scene. Sorry to say, but it doesn't match!"
Quickly, I retrieved the originals and presented them to everyone.
"See the difference? Everything's manipulated. This evidence is unreliable," I said, bringing it right in front of him. Even the jury gasped.
"Oh… I see," I laughed lightly, holding my head high.
"I believe it's important to ensure that all parties adhere to the highest ethical standards," I added.
"Sorry, but this kind of strategy won't work on me anymore. If you fooled me before, not now," I said firmly.
"The information you presented contradicts the known facts of the case," I continued sternly.
He immediately fired back,
"What's with those accusations, Atty. Claiden?"
"Are you looking for a loophole to ruin my reputation? You're wrong!" I snapped.
"Are you threatened?" I added sharply.
After a few tense seconds, the judge slammed the gavel multiple times, silencing us both. The courtroom fell quiet. Minutes later, the jury spoke.
"The court has found the defendant not guilty."
The gavel hit again twice. I smiled at the verdict, so thankful that we had won.
"What! This is so unfair!" she shouted, but no one paid her any attention.
She glared at me with piercing eyes, but I just winked and left. Finally, after three months, I had won this case.
I was overjoyed with this achievement, especially since my father was only a victim of false accusations. He was deeply grateful, but I thanked him the most. Even stuck in the worst situation, he was always there to cheer me up and support me to the very end.
Before heading back to my condo, I made sure he got home safely. If you're wondering, yes—I worried about his safety, especially since people's eyes were on him. But he had heavily armed bodyguards, and I knew they could protect him if anything happened. That's why I brought him home myself.
He has a secret underground hideout only he and I know about. It's bulletproof and bomb-proof, designed specifically for situations like this.
Winning the case didn't mean it ended here. I still needed to find the killer, to make him pay for what he did to Mang Adolfo and my father—framing my father for murdering his own friend. How dare he!
"Knock me down, watch me rise. You'll pay for what you did!"
"Once you fall into my hands, you'll never escape," I muttered angrily to myself.