The Rose He Killed novel Chapter 219

Chapter 197: Jade’s Trial

Bella POV

The courtroom was smaller than I expected.

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I don’t know what I had imagined. Something grander, maybe. But Court Three was just a room with wood walls, bright lights, and the smell of old paper. Benches filled up with lawyers, reporters, and strangers who just liked to watch other people’s disasters.

I had been in courtrooms before for Richard and Victoria. I had always been calm and left without looking back. I told myself this would be the same.

It was not.

Jade was already there, she sat at the defense table. Her hair was shorter, she had lost weight, and her face looked completely blank and cold.

I had thought about this moment in the car, in the hallway, and right before the courtroom door opened. I told myself it wouldn’t bother me.

It did.

But it wasn’t sadness or the old bond of being sisters. It was harder than that. It was a cold, sharp anger. I looked at the person who had put Tom on a concrete floor and saw she had the same blood as me.

She looked at me like she was waiting for a reaction. I gave her nothing as I walked straight to the witness

box.

The prosecutor, Ms. Osei, had prepared me. Answer only what is asked. Take your time. Talk to the jury, not Jade. She warned me that Jade’s lawyer would try to attack my character and our family history. She told me not to take the bait.

I took the oath and looked at the jurors. Ms. Osei walked through everything step-by-step. The history between Jade and me. The harassment before her arrest, the weeks she spent in jail waiting for trial. The investigators had tracked everything-the visits, the secret papers, the shell companies, and the criminals she hired. The timeline was perfect and damning.

“Mrs. Black,” Ms. Osei said, “can you describe how the kidnapping affected your family?”

I exhaled trying to steady my voice.

“My son is five years old,” I told the jury. “He spent two nights alone in a locked room on a concrete floor that he talked to the wall to stay calm. When we found him, he was trying not to cry. He was five, and he was trying to be brave for us.”

The room went dead silent.

“He still has nightmares,” I said. “Some days he is too scared to leave the house. He is working very hard to get better. He did nothing to deserve this. He was just born into a family with an enemy, and that enemy chose to hurt him.”

I stopped talking, and the room stayed completely quiet.

1.3

Chapter 197-Jade’s Thal

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Hooked at the jury. They had seen all the evidence, but now they had heard about Tom. Their faces told me they fmally understood what they were actually deciding.

Ms. Osei let the silence hold for another second.

“Thank you, Mrs. Black,” she said quietly. “No further questions.”

I took a slow breath and looked down at my hands.

Jade’s lawyer was thorough, but he wasn’t mean. He asked about our childhood, our father’s favoritism, and our years of fighting. He asked if I had made business moves to hurt Jade financially. He asked if my legal choices had pushed her into a corner.

I answered every question honestly. The truth worked better than any strategy.

Yes, I had taken over Hart Industries. I did it legally because our father tried to destroy my company. Jade wasn’t even part of that deal.

Yes, I had pressed harassment charges. The evidence was clear and documented.

Yes, I believed Jade was treated differently than me growing up.

The lawyer paused then continued. “You believe your sister was treated unequally?”

“I believe she was given everything and still wanted more,” I said. “Those are two different things.”

The lawyer made a note, then looked up.

“Mrs. Black, would you describe yourself as a forgiving person?”

I thought about it honestly. “I am a person who chooses carefully what to carry.”

“That is not quite an answer.”

“No,” I agreed. “It isn’t.”

He looked at me, changing his approach. “You have forgiven people in your past who wronged you deeply.”

“Yes.”

“But not your sister.”

“I haven’t been asked to forgive my sister,” I said. “I’ve been asked to testify about what she did to my son. Those are two different things.”

He spoke carefully. “Is it possible that if you and your sister had handled your relationship differently, none of this would have happened?”

I looked at him steadily. “My son was locked in a room, and treated harshly right now that is the most important thing”

He paused, then moved on.

People in the courtroom whispered. The judge looked up.

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Chapter 197 Jada’s Trial

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