Page 44 of He Doesn't Deserve You

Michael snapped his head around to look at his lawyer, and his lawyer made a hand motion, for him to calm down, as the judge read Michael’s file.

When the judge finished reading and looked up, Michael’s lawyer spoke. “Your Honor, my client has no intention of fleeing or tampering with anyone’s drink. To demonstrate this, we would be amenable to the imposition of strict bail conditions, such as regular check-ins and travel restrictions.”

The prosecutor argued, “Your Honor if the defendant is released on bail, returning to his place of employment would pose a significant risk to society, as he could potentially tamper with other customers’ drinks.”

Judge Traverse took a moment to contemplate before speaking. “After considering the arguments presented, the court sets bail at $100,000. Additionally, the defendant is prohibited from returning to his place of employment or working in any service industry establishments. He must check in weekly with the assigned officer and surrender his passport to prevent any risk of flight.”

As the detectives stood to leave, they overhead Michael say to his lawyer, “Where am I supposed to get ten thousand dollars?”

23

Emily pulled her car into the circular driveway and cursed under her breath, “Damn it,” when she saw that Gabriel had beaten her home. She parked her Mercedes next to his Lexus and walked inside, steeling herself for the inevitable interrogation that was about to come.

As she placed her purse on the side table, and closed the door, Ava ran to greet her. Wrapping her arms around her mother’s legs, Ava exclaimed, “Mommy, you’re home.”

Emily hugged her daughter tightly and asked, “What are you doing up? It’s late, sweetie. You should be in bed.”

“I wanted to see you,” Ava replied.

Just then, Gabriel strolled into the foyer with a stern look on his face. “Where have you been?” he demanded.

Emily glared at him, and curtly replied, “Out.”

Ignoring his indignation, Emily gently scooped Ava into her arms and said, “Come on, sweetie. Mommy will read you a story and tuck you in.”

Gabriel wasn’t about to let it go. He followed closely behind, frustration evident in his voice. “What kind of answer is that?” he demanded.

Ignoring him, Emily walked into Ava’s room and led her to the bookcase. “What will it be tonight?” she asked softly.

Ava eagerly reached for a book off the shelf and handed it to her mother.

Emily glanced at the book cover. “The Little Mermaid, again?” she asked with a smile.

Ava nodded enthusiastically.

“All right,” Emily said, carrying Ava over to her bed.

She placed Ava in her bed and as she settled in beside her, she noticed Gabriel standing in the doorway, arms crossed and a grim expression on his face. Meeting his gaze, Emily silently mouthed, “Not in front of Ava,” then started reading the book aloud.

Gabriel shook his head, then stormed off.

When Emily finished reading the book, she glanced down at her daughter, now peacefully asleep. Gently closing the book, she leaned over to kiss Ava on the forehead. “Goodnight, baby. Sweet dreams,” she whispered, carefully climbing out of the bed.

She placed the book on the nightstand, turned off the light, and made her way out of the room. As she quietly closed the door, her stomach rumbled – a stark reminder that she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. Despite her reluctance to face Gabriel downstairs, her hunger ultimately outweighed her apprehension.

Descending the back stairs, she found Gabriel sitting at the kitchen table with a half-full bottle of whiskey and an empty glass in front of him. He poured himself another drink and, without looking up, asked, “Are you going to tell me where you’ve been?”

Emily opened the refrigerator door, her eyes scanning for something to eat. “I went to see Roman,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone. After discovering his infidelity, she saw no reason to hide the truth from him.

“And why would you do that?” he slurred, his words thick with alcohol.

Emily found a pot roast in the fridge, took it out, and set it on the counter. “I went to update him about the case,” she said calmly.

Gabriel slammed his fist on the table, causing Emily to flinch in surprise. “What? Are you crazy? He raped you,” he exclaimed.

“He didn’t. No one did. He kept guard outside my door all night.” She placed some pot roast, carrots, and potatoes on a plate, then opened a drawer to retrieve a roll of plastic wrap. She covered the plate and put it into the microwave.

“Why didn’t anyone tell me?”

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