Chapter 141: The Court Case IV

Words : 1076 Updated : Oct 9th, 2025

Chapter 141: The Court Case IV Athena paused, a smile tugging at her lips as she noticed Fiona’s anxious eyes, despite the latter’s best efforts to conceal her nerves. Better, the raw anticipation painted on the faces of everyone in the hall was palpable, their breaths hanging by a thin thread, as they eagerly waited for her side of the story. Athena tsked lightly—prompting a few people from the crowd to curse her for nearly raising their blood pressure—then turned toward the projector board. With the remote in her hand, she clicked the tool, swiping past the presentation title slide and heading straight to the table of contents. A smile crept across her face as she selected the sixth entry, titled "The Hacker." It was fortunate that Nathaniel had anticipated this unfolding. After her son revealed that Ewan had attempted to recruit him through the dark web for some research, they had decided to dig deeper following Ewan’s accusations against her drugs. Their efforts had yielded astonishing results. As she clicked the tab, the projector displayed the headshot image of a man in his early thirties, wearing glasses. The crowd leaned forward, straining to recognize the clean-shaven man, but all to no avail—none have seen him around. So, they turned to Athena for answers, including Ewan. "This is Salaku Gideon, one of the most notorious hackers and cyber researchers in the dark web," Athena began, placing her cane on the table—she would have use for it later. "He is the one behind the research Ewan just submitted to the elders..." She paused, locking eyes with the elders, who were all watching her intently. They flinched slightly when she called out to them. "Please... check your papers. He usually leaves his initials at the end of a report..." The elders quickly complied, flipping through their documents. Elder Timothy leaned forward seconds later, lifting the segment of the article that contained the elusive initials. Exactly as Athena had said, it matched the initials displayed next to the headshot image. "Good. Now, this man, Gideon Salaku, is also one of the cyber engineers working with the Devil’s Scorpion gang." Murmurs rippled through the audience. Ewan furrowed his brow, trying to comprehend how Athena had obtained this information. But Athena pressed on, advancing to the next slide, which showcased Ewan’s chat with Gideon. "As you can see, this is Ewan’s conversation. Nothing much to see here—just a man desperate for answers..." However, Athena lingered momentarily on this slide, allowing the crowd to absorb the hefty sum of money Ewan had paid for worthless information. When she clicked to the next slide, audible gasps filled the hall. Without uttering a word, the implication was clear to everyone present. Athena smiled, allowing herself to continue. "As you can see, this is Gideon’s chat with another individual, who is actually the leader of the Devil’s Scorpion gang, Morgan Steeves. In this chat, Morgan instructs Gideon on how to frame the report, suggesting where to unearth false information to support Ewan’s baseless claims..." Athena meticulously scrolled through the slides, pausing for at least a minute at each one so the audience could digest the conversations displayed. Ewan was rendered speechless, yet he maintained a stoic facade. When he turned to Sandro and Zane, eyebrow raised in curiosity, he was stopped cold by the expression of pity mirrored in their eyes. It was the same look he had witnessed in Kate’s gaze. They knew. Bitter thoughts coursed through him as he glared at his friends. They had known about this and hadn’t informed him beforehand? He suppressed his feelings and focused on Athena, but the murmurs in the crowd grew louder, drowning her out. "So, all of Ewan’s evidence is false? I told you all! Surely, she couldn’t be a murderer! Have you seen the care in her eyes when she tends to her patients?" "I couldn’t believe it either. Can you imagine the amount of money he wasted on worthless information? I couldn’t even earn that in a year!" "Me too! And to think he just squandered it! Maybe I should consider a career in hacking!" "But how did Doctor Athena get this information?" "She must have hired a better hacker." "But what kind of hacker could infiltrate another’s chat on the dark web? That’s nearly impossible!" Athena smiled inwardly as she caught a glimpse of Nathaniel. Her heart swelled with pride immediately; her son had achieved what she couldn’t. Isn’t that every parent’s wish? That their children would reach heights beyond their own? Her thoughts were interrupted when Elder Timothy struck the gavel twice in quick succession. "Quiet, everyone! If this continues, the matter will be settled in the inner chambers. This is your final warning!" Instantly, silence blanketed the hall. Who wouldn’t want to hear the case now, especially with the dramatic turn it had taken? "Go on, Doctor Athena." Athena nodded, her smile returning as she continued. "Now, regarding my research. The Grey disease, as you know, broke out about two years ago. At first, it seemed contained, but suddenly it surged past all restrictions, starting in the western regions before reaching this country. As a doctor and scientist, I felt compelled to act, given the rising number of deaths, especially among children. So, I took a leave of absence from work to study the disease." She presented additional slides, the first showing her official letter requesting leave from her position. The next displayed a receipt for the rental of a home where she had immersed herself in her studies. Another image captured her laughing with a colleague in the laboratory. "And this..." She said, displaying another slide, "is when I received recognition for finally developing a cure for the disease. To this day, no one has uncovered the source of the Grey disease, but there is, at least, a cure. Do your research, people." The photograph showed her shaking hands with two governors from different states, along with the Minister of Health for the country. "It was after this recognition that I began receiving strange calls. Initially, it started with requests to purchase my research, and when I continually rejected these offers, the requests morphed into threats. This is where the gang enters the picture." Athena switched to another slide, revealing a car so damaged that it was beyond recognition. Aiden was standing beside it. "This, my people, was the gang’s first attempt to murder me two years ago."

Chapter 141: The Court Case IV

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