Page 14 of Stella’s Manster

I turn to the judge. “Your Honor, there is no proof that Darren put those drugs in his car himself. I believe we should bring forensics into this and put Travis Birk on the stand to ensure we’re prosecuting the right man,” I confess, slashing my own case. “We can arrest the right guy, but this man,” I motion toward Darren, “isn’t him.”

The judge glances down at me from over her glasses. She takes a moment to review her paperwork and finally, nods her head in agreement. “Due to the lack of evidence in the case against Darren Gold, he will remain in custody until more evidence is provided to prove his innocence. This case is postponed,” the judge announces and slams the gavel on the podium.

Step one, complete. No judgment for Darren today. Soon enough, he’ll be a free man, I’m sure of it. This is a win today!

Looking over my shoulder excitedly, my eyes dart toward Stella. Hoping to see her smiling bright and cheerful, but I freeze when I see that she’s not. Her eyes are wide and it appears that I’m not out of the woods yet. For Stella to see, I’ll need to close out this case and pin the right guy. Only then will Darren be cleared of this mess, and Stella and I can be together once again.

???

It doesn’t take long for forensics and more police officers to get involved. Travis Birk’s prints were scattered all over Darren’s car and for that, Travis stands trial here today.

This time the court hearing is even longer and more grueling than before. The court reviews forensic reports, hears from new witnesses, and reviews security camera footage. Travis is unruly and uncompliant in court. He’s practically dragged to the stand and refuses to confess.

Lucky for Darren, the evidence against Travis is evident.

“Will the jury foreperson stand?” the judge asks and a man stands from the jury box. “Has the jury reached a verdict?” the judge inquires.

“Yes, Your Honor. The jury finds the defendant, Darren Gold, not guilty,” the jury foreperson announces.

I have to keep myself from punching the air out of victory. This case made things cloudy. I was put in a tough position, choosing to play the enemy. I betrayed my own position and career, but I did it for love. As a lawyer, I want justice at the end of the day. But as a man, I want the love of my life by my side.

I glance over my shoulder at Stella and the sight is everything I hoped. With tears streaming down her cheeks, she hugs her brother tightly. As much as I want to go over to her and tell her everything is fine now, I hesitate. This has been traumatic for both of them. I need to respect their space. I’ll find time with her soon, but it’s not now. She needs time with her brother.

Closing my briefcase, I slip out the side door.

She’s worth the wait.

Chapter Seven: Stella

Darren is a free, innocent man once again, and things feel almost perfect. I’m thrilled to have my brother around, but I can’t stop thinking about Ace. I never gave him a chance to explain and smashed our relationship to bits when all along, Ace was keeping his promise and had been trying to help Darren.

I feel so foolish that I didn’t see it. Now, perhaps I’m the guilty one.

With Darren back these past few days, I haven’t had the chance to talk to Ace. I’m afraid if I look the other way, my brother will disappear again. My heart’s at capacity.

“Thanks for letting me come over to watch this new Netflix special,” Darren grins as he plops on my couch with a platter of snacks in front of him. “I haven’t had a chance to set up my place yet.”

I remove the bag of hot popcorn from the microwave and carefully dump it into a bowl. “Of course, you know you can come over anytime. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to watch this comedian’s new special. He’s hilarious and at the moment, I think we both could use a good laugh.”

I plop into my reclining chair and set the bowl on my lap. I pick up the remote to turn on the TV when a knock on the front door confuses both of us.

“You expecting someone?” Darren says as he hops up, offering to get the door but walks off before I can answer. A minute passes by, and Darren calls out to me. “Uh, Stella. I think you should come to the door.”

Narrowing my eyes in confusion, I get up and walk into the foyer. Stopping dead in my tracks, I place a hand over my stomach and gasp. “Ace?”

Dressed as Batman from head to toe, Ace holds a Golden Doodle puppy in his arms. The adorable puppy squirms and wiggles as he tries to leave Ace’s arms and run to me.

Darren pats me on the shoulder with a smirk. “Batman, huh?” he smirks. “Good for you, sis. I approve,” he chuckles under his breath before leaving the foyer to give Ace and me some privacy.

I step closer to Ace, my eyes remaining wide. “Ace, what’s going on?” I ask him as my eyes dart between him and the pup.

Ace scratches the happy, panting puppy behind its ears. “Stella, I’m falling for you in every way. You’re smart, funny, sweet as pie, and sexy as ever. I know the case made things complicated, but I need you to trust and believe that I don’t break my promises. I wasn’t going to let your brother go to prison for something that he didn’t do.”

Speechless, my heart races in my chest as tears sting my eyes.

Ace continues, “I’m dressed as Batman, because this is how you first saw me. I’m a protector of all, but I want to be your superhero. You complete me in ways I never knew I was empty. You are the Catwoman to my Batman.” He lowers himself to the floor and releases the puppy in my direction. “And this little guy,” Ace pauses as the pup jumps at my legs. “He’s all yours, but if you let me be a part of your life, we can be a family.”

Bending down to the ground, I scoop the pup into my arms and let the tears cascade down my cheeks as I hug my new Golden Doodle.

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