Her Heart Her Terms (Lily and Xavier)

Furious, Hazel turned back and gave Lily a shove. "How could you mess this up? You told us you'd hire Mr. Siester! That's the only reason I convinced your father not to interfere!"

"I never said that," Lily said while stumbling back a step. Her gaze shifted to the courthouse entrance, where another car had just pulled up.

It was Sylvester, who was holding a stack of documents related to the case.

He stood there, looking both awkward and displeased, without approaching them.

Lowering her voice, Lily tried to reason with him. "Mr. Siester is really busy. Sylvester is the best attorney we could get. We have to trust him!"

With the trial about to begin, switching lawyers wasn't an option anymore.

Besides, after a couple of meetings, she had come to believe Sylvester was indeed highly capable.

Bobby's face was dark with frustration, but he had no choice but to accept the situation.

He feared pushing too hard and angering Sylvester, who would easily jeopardize Hayden's case in court.

"If we lose this case... you'll pay for it, Lily!" Bobby spat before storming into the courthouse. He was furious. Maryanne walked up beside Lily and gently patted her shoulder.

She knew she couldn't criticize Lily's parents. No matter how harsh they were, they were still her family.

"I'm okay," Lily said. With the trial about to start, Lily couldn't afford to dwell on Bobby's attitude.

She gave Alan an apologetic nod. "I'm sorry, Mr. Siester."

Alan smiled and simply said, "It's fine." Then, he looked at the person behind Lily.

"Mr. Hammock, thanks for your hard work."

Sylvester approached and stopped beside Lily. "No trouble at all. I only hope that if we lose... you'll understand, Ms. Joyner."

Clearly, he had overheard Bobby's harsh words.

Lily shook her head. With her gaze full of trust, she responded, "I believe in you, Mr. Hammock. Even if we lose, we can always appeal, right?" Her sincerity contrasted sharply with Bobby's aggression.

Sylvester's expression softened as he said, "You don't have to reassure me, Ms. Joyner. As long as you're prepared for the possibility, that's good enough." After some brief pleasantries, the group made their way into the courthouse.

In Nova Group...

Xavier worked late into the night. He managed just two hours of sleep before returning to his desk.

Dark shadows loomed under his eyes, and he furrowed his brows in deep concentration.noveldrama

A knock on the office door broke the silence. He said softly, "Come in."

Timothy stepped in. "Mr. Fulton, Hayden's case goes to trial today. Should we let it follow the usual process or intervene?"

The standard process would likely result in a loss in the first trial, forcing them to gather more evidence and appeal.

During that time, Hayden would have to be in jail. Having been raised in luxury, it was uncertain if he could handle the harshness of that reality.

With Xavier's influence, they could intervene and likely secure Hayden's immediate release.

However, with the case having drawn so much public attention, and given the compelling evidence, a premature release would forever brand Hayden in the public eye as someone guilty of manslaughter. It would severely affect his future prospects.

"If he can't endure the hardships of prison, he won't be able to carry the weight of that accusation for the rest of his life. Let it follow the standard process," Xavier declared.

As a man, he wanted Hayden to be exonerated with dignity.

It was only a matter of time, and Xavier believed Hayden had the resilience to withstand it.

He hadn't interacted with Hayden often, but from what he remembered, Hayden had a streak of stubbornness, much like Lily's.

"Alright. I'll inform Mr. Hammock right away."

Timothy quickly sent a message to Sylvester. Then, he put his phone away and placed a file on Xavier's desk.

"Mr. Fulton, the police just sent over the investigation report regarding Mrs. Fulton's car accident."

Xavier picked up the file and skimmed through it. As he looked at it, he frowned.

So, Lily's forehead scar had come from that crash.