Chapter 120: The silence
"Good morning, Claire dear." Gabriel said with a smile as he propped himself up. "Would you like breakfast and coffee in bed?" He offered as he planted a soft kiss on Claire's forehead.
"No, not today. I need to get ready." Claire smiled shyly, still holding tightly onto the duvet.
"It's still early." Gabriel mumbled as he checked the time on his phone as he sat up.
"It is but it's also the first public hearing." Claire let out a sigh as she looked at Gabriel's back. Without thought, she run her hand across it feeling the silvery and reddened scars under her fingers. Gabriel tensed up under her touch, particularly conscious of his 'stripes'.
Claire sat up and planted a kiss on his back.
"I promise you that I will fight till the end." Claire said decisively. "I am fighting for you and I will do so until he pays the price for what he has done to you and your family, and everyone else."
"Claire…"
"I promise you that no matter how low I'll fall,l that I'll pick myself up and I'll make sure to bring this to an end." Claire hugged Gabriel from behind, resting her hands on his abdomen. Gabriel placed his left hand on hers and squeezed it. Claire's words stung. It was a reminder of everything that was destroyed and everything that Claire gave him.
"Thank you, Claire." Gabriel said with a shaky voice.
"Thank you, Gabriel." Claire said into his ear, brushing her face against an accident.
"You have nothing to thank me for, dear Claire." Gabriel smiled as he turned his head to his side to catch a glimpse of Claire. Morning sunlight shone onto her delicate face. Her eyes glanced over Gabriel's face, his dimple and shallow wrinkles around his eyes showed with his perfect smile.
"I do. I never thought I'd get myself such a supportive husband." Claire's smile was bright. As serene as this morning was, Gabriel's gut feeling that something wasn't right was still there. It was bugging him. She revealed quite a bit the night before so he didn't understand why the feeling persevered.
"Gabriel!" Alex's exciting voice made them jump as it suddenly sounded a faint knock. "Have you…?" Alex froze in the doorway staring at Claire and Gabriel. He turned beetroot red and quickly turned around, facing away from them. "You're naked…" he mumbled embarrassedly. "That's something I hoped to never see."
"What do you need?" Gabriel asked looking back at Claire who still clenched onto a duvet.
"In retrospect, it is nothing that urgent. I'll be heading out now as I need to go past my office before the hearing. We can talk later." Alex said before quickly disappearing.
"I guess that's a sign that I should get going too." Claire mumbled.
"What do you want to do after this is over?" Gabriel asked her as he still held onto her hand.
"What do you mean?"
"I've told you that I want to travel with you and treat you and show you everything wondrous. Yet, you don't seem to tell me what you plan to do."
"I am yet to work that out, cuore mio." Claire responded. A single note was off in her house giving away the sadness - again.
She snuggled her nose into Gabriel's neck before letting out a long sigh and getting up. Upon Claire's insistence, she travelled in her car, separated from Gabriel, with bodyguards still in tow. Gabriel only agreed once she promised him that she'll check in with him once there.
And she did. She arrived barely minutes before Gabriel, calling him almost instantly to tell him that her ride was smooth and quiet and that she was ready for the fight.
Claire was protected by Harry and a few other bodyguards on the way in who helped her shield herself from the reporters. There were many of those by the court. Since the case became criminal, it also became public. Cameras and microphones hung over Claire's head as reporters shouted towards her.
"Miss Thompson, what is your link to the case?"
"Miss Thompson, what is your connection to the Moore family?"
"Miss Thompson, Mr Gabriel Moore defended you recently and revealed his relationship with you. Will you comment on that matter?"
The questions were thrown over her one after another and she did everything to ignore them and run inside. Alex already waited for her just past the entrance.
"God, are you okay?" Alex asked worriedly.
"As good as I'm going to be." Claire mumbled as she looked behind her shoulder hearing the new uproar behind her back.
"Mr Moore, what is your stance on this trial?!"
Gabriel was escorted by his own security and Mark up the stairs.
Claire entered the courtroom with Alex, hearing Gabriel and Mark come in not long after. She felt Gabriel's presence straight away as she sat down. He, once again, took a seat on a bench behind her.
The hearing was slightly different that day. The atmosphere changed significantly. The reporters sat in the back row and cameras were set up. Even Michael Moore seemed more anxious. He glared at Claire when he first got up, pure hatred written on his face. There was no escape. He must've known that.
The defence tactic also changed. It wasn't as much of an attack on Claire specifically but rather an attempt to question the validity of the evidence. A few experts were questioned on each piece of evidence and four out of five of them agreed on the authenticity of the files.
Alex's presence next to Claire was also more relaxing. Adam was good but Claire was much more comfortable with Alex who was her peer. She was surprised by the level of professionalism he has shown considering his usual character but she never doubted his skills.
As she was questioned she managed to catch a glimpse of Gabriel. He sat on a bench behind her seat. He had an almost perfect poker face on. To Claire, his presence was comforting.
He made it clear whose side he was on. A subtle hint that he sat behind her rather than his father. Even if she didn't win a trial, Claire still won. Michael Moore knew that. He knew where Gabriel was. He knew that her backing was strong. He was getting scared. You could see it. You could see him nervously tapping with a pen and fidgeting and unbuttoning his shirt's collar.
This brought Claire a slight satisfaction.
Gabriel saw his father's burning gaze as he was leaving the courtroom. He felt guilty as if he betrayed his family, but that quickly vanished as he felt relieved from knowing that at last, he was standing on the right side. For years, he was defenceless, now, he was making the very person pay for his sins. Since he learnt that his father placed a bounty on Claire's head, he decided to play a much harsher game.
She didn't know that he ensured that the judge wasn't bribed by his father and the same for the experts. She didn't know that he stopped bribery and corruption.
Or maybe she did. She was smart. He knew that she was. But he couldn't tell how much she knew.
He left the courtroom before her, waiting at the far end of the square to see her coming out, even if they were to drive back separately. It was per Claire's insistence to steer off the reporters and paparazzi.
His phone was flooded with notifications. News, social media posts, tweets. The trial was viewed by many. By thousands if not millions. Opinions of the viewers flooded the internet. Magazines were running polls and surveys asking the readers who they thought was right and who will win.
Gabriel put the phone away in his pocket as Mark passed him an umbrella. The rain started falling heavily making everything hazy and the lights dimmer. Mark gave Gabriel a nod before walking away having a meeting to attend to.
Gabriel smiled as he saw a slim figure escape the crowd of vultures.
She looked at him as she was crossing the road. A shy smile crept on her face but her face changed quickly. Her eyes flashed with sadness as if she were to beg him for forgiveness. She looked to the side as bright lights shone onto her. Gabriel's feet moved before he even comprehended the situation. The piercing squeak of breaks. A loud thud. A mere smear of colours in the reflection of the rain. The silence.
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