Reclaim The Game (COMPLETED)

Chapter 18

#RTG18 Chapter 18

"Do you understand, Atty. Laurel?" Atty. Divina asked.

"Yes, Sir," I replied before I quickly turned my heel and walked out of his office. I marched away from his office at mabilis akong lumabas ng building. I felt like I was suffocating. Alam ko naman na high profile 'tong kaso... Ginagawa ko naman lahat... I just didn't know that it'd be this hard! Gusto kong sigawan iyong client namin dahil ang tanga-tanga niya! Paano ako mananalo kung nagkalat iyong fingerprint niya sa crime scene?! Lawyer ako, hindi magician!

I went to the coffee shop and got myself a whole blueberry cheesecake. Alam ko na sinabi ng OB na hindi dapat ako masyadong kumain ng sweets and to maintain a healthy diet, but I was so annoyed! Paano ko ipa-paliwanag kung bakit nandun iyong prints niya?!

"Isang clubhouse din," I told the barista.

Pagbalik ko sa office, dumiretso ako sa room ni Atty. Yuchengco. I dropped the container of the sandwich in front of him. Napa-tingin siya sa akin habang naka-kunot ang noo.

"Do you need anything?" he asked, confused.

"This is your fault," I said bago ko kinuha iyong fork and started to dig in. Sobrang confused ng mukha niya sa ginagawa ko. I didn't care. 'Di ko na siya boss. Same na kami ng rank ni Jax dito sa firm. Kapag nanalo pa ako rito sa Ylana, I was sure that I'd be promoted once again. "Why did you have dinner with Judge Duenas?"

"I didn't have dinner with Judge Duenas," he said, still looking at me as I ate the cheesecake. "I was with my family. Kilala niya si Mama. They just chatted for a bit. Ewan ko kung bakit may picture."

I groaned.

"Gusto mo ba?" tanong ko dahil tingin siya nang tingin sa cheesecake ko. Umiling siya. "Malinis naman 'to. Gusto mo ba?" tanong ko ulit dahil feeling ko may chance na maubos ko 'to dahil sa sobrang frustration ko kay Atty. Divina. Malapit na kasi iyong arraignment—na thanks to Jax's work from before ay na-delay nang na-delay.

Jax shrugged. I gave him the spare fork. We silently dug in the cheesecake.

"The arraignment is near. Ano'ng defense mo dapat sa fingerprints sa scene?" I asked since hinawakan niya naman iyong kaso before.

"Bayad ba 'tong cheesecake?" tanong niya.

"Kaso mo naman 'yon talaga; nadamay lang ako."

He laughed a little. "Okay," sabi niya. "You know how Fred was allegedly still the suitor?" he asked and I nodded. "The pictures from exhibit H, you can use them to build a story that they're already a couple... Then sell the angle that the fingerprints were from their trysts—that those weren't from the night of the crime," sabi niya habang panay ang kuha ng cheesecake. 'Di niya pinapansin iyong sandwich na pinaghirapan kong iorder for him.

"That's it?" I asked.

"Yeah... pretty much," he replied.

"How about iyong sa ibang room?"

"They're not our client," he said.

Palaging civil matters iyong hawak ko... Si Jax iyong madalas dito sa criminal...

"Is that it?" I asked him.

He looked at me and smiled a little. "I keep on reminding myself that everyone deserves a day in court," he said. "And that I'm not God to pass on judgment. I'm just here to defend... and hopefully, the judge will do his job."

My lips parted at his explanation.

"It sounds so... simple."

"It is simple... Innocent until proven guilty," he said. "You just have to exploit that doubt."