Gasps echoed through the courtroom. Gray Winston’s face turned an ugly shade of red.
Sophia turned back to Mr. Hendricks.
"So tell , Mr. Hendricks, does my client’s financial compensation for wrongful termination now qualify as theft?"
Mr. Hendrick’s face twitched, but he remained silent.
Sophia faced the judge.
"Your Honor, it is now clear that Mr. Winston’s accusations are not only baseless but deliberate attempts to destroy my client’s life.
He first had him fired with false accusations, then ensured his na was tainted, and now, when Mr. Adam is trying to seek justice, Mr. Winston tries to twist it into sothing criminal. This is nothing but a personal vendetta."
The judge exhaled deeply, clearly unimpressed with the defense.
"Mr. Hendricks, do you have any valid counterargunts or new evidence that actually supports your client’s claims?"
Mr. Hendricks hesitated before shaking his head. "No, Your Honor."
The judge leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers against the desk.
"In that case, I believe we have enough evidence to make a ruling."
The courtroom fell into a heavy silence.
"Mr. Winston falsely accused Mr. Waters of theft, causing him to lose his job and suffer financially and emotionally.
With the presented evidence of financial dealings between Mr. Winston and the repair shop owner, as well as the proven legitimacy of Mr. Waters’ funds, the court finds in favor of the plaintiff, Adam Waters."
A wave of relief washed over Mary and Adam’s children as Sophia smiled triumphantly.
"Furthermore," the judge continued,
"Mr. Winston will be required to pay compensation for damages caused to Mr. Waters due to false accusations and defamation. The exact amount will be determined in a separate hearing."
Gray Winston stood up abruptly. "This is ridiculous! This is—"
"Sit down, Mr. Winston," the judge ordered sternly. "You have caused enough disruption. Court is adjourned."
As the gavel hit the desk, Gray slumped back into his chair, defeated. Mary turned to Sophia, his voice thick with emotion.
"Thank you... I don’t know how to—"
Sophia shook her head.
"No need to thank , Mary. Your husband deserved justice, and he got it."
Olivia, Theodore, Lucas, and Emily smiled. Only Adriana, who was sitting beside Adam, looked at him with a concerned gaze,
"Dad, are you alright?"
Adam forced a smile. His body was cold, and his heart was beating quickly. Only he knew how much he was panicking.
He was fearing that one of his children would ask the question, and he didn’t want to answer.
"I am alright." He answered in a weak voice.
Adriana frowned, unconvinced. She reached out and squeezed Adam’s hand. "You don’t look alright, Dad."
Sophia, who had been gathering her files, glanced at Adam.
Her sharp gaze softened for the first ti that day.
She had noticed his reaction when Hendricks brought up his past.
She suddenly turned toward Adam and said softly,
"You can hide the history if you want, but know it, the people and the situation are different this ti. Maybe if you tell them the truth, they won’t judge you, instead...they will support you."
Adam wasn’t moved by Sophia’s words.
If words could heal, then motivators would have the degree of doctors.
Adriana tightened her grip on Adam’s hand, her eyes filled with quiet determination.
"Dad, whatever it is, we’re not going anywhere."
Mary stepped closer, her expression unreadable.
"Sophia’s right, Adam. You don’t have to carry it alone anymore."
Adam exhaled slowly, looking at the expectant faces of his family.
They were waiting, not demanding—just giving him space to speak if he chose to. But how could he?
His past wasn’t just painful. It was humiliating.
Instead of answering, he forced a smile and patted Adriana’s hand. "We should go ho."
Sophia’s gaze lingered on him, but she didn’t press further. She simply nodded.
"If you ever change your mind, Adam, you know where to find ."
With that, she gathered her things and left the courtroom.
As Adam and his family stepped outside into the cold air, the reality of their victory settled in.
Reporters stood at a distance, murmuring among themselves, caras flashing occasionally in their direction.
Lucas nudged his father. "Dad, do you think Winston will actually pay up?"
Adam chuckled dryly. "If he knows what’s good for him."
Theodore smirked. "I wish I could see his face when he writes that check."
Laughter rippled through them, easing so of the lingering tension.
For a mont, everything felt normal.
Olivia rolled her eyes and asked,
"Theodore, are you truly going to wait for your son and daughter to beco famous and have given up on your dreams?"
Theodore chuckled,
"Well, now that I am thinking about it, it is not a bad idea."
Lucas tapped him on his shoulder and said,
"You can just marry an actress in the first place."
He was joking. But when he saw Theodore’s bright eyes, he regretted his words.
Sure enough, the next second, Theodore grinned mischievously.
"Now that you ntion it, Lucas, that’s not a bad idea at all," he said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
Lucas groaned. "Oh no, what have I done?"
Mary laughed, shaking her head.
"Theodore, you barely have ti to take care of yourself. How do you expect to handle an actress?"
Theodore winked.
"Easy. I’ll just beco her manager and live a life of luxury."
Emily snorted. "Or end up running after her schedules and dodging paparazzi."
Just as they reached the parking lot, Adriana froze.
Her eyes fell on a guy with blonde hair and black eyes. He was cuffed and was moved toward the courtroom.
Adriana stared in the guy’s direction for a while and only ca out of her trance when Olivia nudged her,
"Hey, what are you staring at?"
Adriana blinked and shook her head,
"Nothing. Let’s go."
"Hm."
The Waters family split at the intersection.
Mary still had to return to the library, and Adam went for his interview. Emily went to look for more properties, while Lucas and Adriana returned to their respective part-ti jobs.
Theodore returned ho, and Olivia returned to the hospital.
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