Blacken Alandra Rankin (the alpha prince and his bride full story free TXT) 📖

around her feeling as though it moved in a slow-motion fluidity.

Finally reaching the podium, she heard the distorted voice of the bailiff recite the vow for her to plead to, the world coming in as a sharp focus as soon as his words finished.

“Avie Conrad, do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth—so help you God?”

“I swear.”

The woman sat, staring at the Crown prosecutor with her raven hair and bright chartreuse eyes staring back. Here she was at last. All the apprehension building up for her testimony and here she sat, awaiting to start it.

It was time to tell them what happened that night.

CHAPTER 24

“Miss. Conrad, could you tell us the date of the incident that took place?”

Avie had the whole courtroom’s attention. She tried to keep her stare on the questioning woman in front of her as best as she could, the temptations of looking over the audience tickled at her sightlines, yet they remained fixed instead on the Crown counsel dressed in black.

“It was October twenty-sixth.”

“That date is significant in another way, was it not your birthday too?”

She nodded, “Yes it was.”

The Crown began to stride across the room, asking questions to her at the stand, but also gauging the jury’s reactions as the testimony took place.

“How old are you now?”

“I am twenty-seven years old.”

“Very exciting, birthdays. Especially for a young lady like you, you must have had big plans, with someone special?”

“I did, yes. I had gone out to dinner with my boyfriend.”

“And this boyfriend, is he in the room today?”

Avie easily shook her head, “No, he isn’t.”

“Miss. Conrad, did the defendant ever know about this relationship you had?”

“Yes. The both of them actually met a few times, unfortunately, they didn’t get along.” The redhead laced her fingers, holding them in her lap, hoping it would help their shaking.

The prosecutor held her hands steepled in front of her chin, “Did the defendant ever treat you differently upon learning of your relationship?”

“He was very upset, trying to intervene and declaring his own feelings. Owen said it wasn’t right, that I was with someone else. Like he was entitled to me.”

Her brow furled, “Could you explain, please?”

She drew a deep breath, looking down at her ring before addressing her once more, “Two days before the incident, Owen didn’t know of my relationship. We were all together and he quickly put two and two together. Owen pulled me aside and said that I was supposed to be his instead, he crossed a line and forcefully kissed me. I was mad at his actions and attitude, and I told him to leave, which he did.”

“And did Mr. Zagorski try to contact you before the night of the event?”

“No. I tried to initiate contact in the afternoon of the next day, I was hoping it was an out of character moment, I’ve never seen him act so aggressively before. I stopped by his house, hoping for an apology. All I got was a person who couldn’t accept the fact that I wouldn’t be with him romantically. He accused me of being tricked into thinking I was in love with someone else. The logic just didn’t make any sense and I thought for sure he was not himself.”

“How do you mean ‘not himself’, Miss. Conrad?”

“Owen started to act a little differently for a few weeks prior, as though he was so wrapped up into the little amateur case study we were doing, that he couldn’t focus on anything else. And then with the addition of my relationship, he came undone—a shell of the former man who was initially sweet and kind, turned bitter and accusatory. As I see him now, he’s not even the same person anymore.”

“This is the same attitude you had during the defendant’s visit on the night of the incident?”

“Yes, it was.”

Avie couldn’t help it, she looked over, just for a flash of a second, to see Owen and his sour look. He couldn’t be bothered to even look at her.

She went on to explain what transpired that night; how she had entered back through her bedroom window after sneaking out, having no idea if Owen still lingered outside of her door. Only to leave her bedroom to find that he broke in, standing on the other side with his gun drawn and pointed to her. Absolutely no provocation.

“Thank you, Miss. Conrad, that is all—”

“Permission to cross examine, Your Honour?” Owen’s lawyer piped up, catching the attention of everyone, causing her to slightly squirm with concern.

“Granted, go head.”

The Crown counsel returned to her seat as the man in the bright suit waltzed up the bench. His dark skin made his attire look chic instead of tacky. Fixing his tie, he leaned a nonchalant elbow onto the stand in front of her. He reminded her of one of those slick 1920’s gentlemen with a no-nonsense attitude and dapper sense of style.

“Miss. Conrad… your father’s name was Harvey Conrad, right?”

Her blood drew cold at the name.

“Yes, that’s right,” she spoke slowly. Where was he going with this?

He laughed once out his nose, “Quite the character, wasn’t he? Murdered your sister in cold blood and is still serving time across the country, isn’t that correct?”

“Yes…”

“Do you have a history of violence, Avie?”

“No! My father is unwell, that doesn’t mean I am the same.”

“Right, right... What about your late sister Aubree, she had some mental deficiencies, didn’t she?”

Avie paused, she wasn’t sure where this man was going bringing up her family, what could it possibly help serve?

“She did, Aubree was mentally at the age of two-years-old, even into her teens.”

“And could it be possible that you suffer from some undiagnosed mental health issues too?”

“Objection, Your Honour! More prejudicial than probative,” the Crown jumped up, voice projecting.

Judge Neish nodded, “Sustained, defence is allowed to rephrase their argument.”

He rolled his bright shoulders, looking back at her, “Miss. Conrad, your sister had a lot of development issues, were you diagnosed with anything as well?”

She shook her head, “No, Aubree