Chapter 294
294:
She had never given her consent. And afterward, he had tossed ten thousand at her and told her to disappear.
The girl came from a poor family with no money or influence.
She had reported Harlan to the police, but he had connections. Not only had he walked free, but he had also turned the tables and threatened her. If she didn’t stay quiet, her entire family would pay the price.
The girl had even been detained for two weeks.
The whole thing was buried and forgotten until Thiago found the girl. Her family had agreed to testify at once.
Harlan finally understood why so many victims were in the courtroom. His eyes snapped to Thiago, and he barked, “You brought them here, didn’t you? You’re part of the Moreno family, too. Do you enjoy watching your own family fall apart?”
Roberto turned to Thiago as well and glared at him. “You ungrateful brat. I’m your father. He’s your brother. And this is how you treat your family, bringing us down?”
All eyes in the courtroom shifted toward Thiago, including the judge’s. Thiago stayed calm and seated as he said to Roberto, “Oh, now you remember you’re my father? You had the love and support of my mother as you built your career. And how did you repay her? You betrayed her with her own sister. When she discovered the affair, not only did you deny your actions, but you also hit her. Even after she left you, you continued to target her. Do you truly think you deserve to be my father?”
Roberto’s complexion turned ashen as he cast nervous glances around the room. It was clear from the disgusted looks he received that he was now viewed as despicable.
The crowd, made up mostly of victims, had no trouble believing Thiago’s account.
“Such a jerk!”
“Scumbag!”
Echoes of anger rose from the audience.
Roberto paid no attention to the people from less privileged backgrounds. Their insults didn’t faze him in the slightest. He turned his focus back to Thiago and retorted sharply, “Your mother brought her downfall upon herself. Why did she hold onto the Moreno Group’s shares so desperately? If she hadn’t been so greedy, would I have done what I did? And you, you brat, I am your father; how dare you treat me like this? I will kill you when I am out of here!”
I@†e$t ¢н@₽†əя$ ¡η ğ∆łиøvεℓś.cøm
His menacing words led the judge to strike the gavel, exclaiming, “Mind your words!”
The security personnel also intervened, saying to Roberto, “Shut up.”
Roberto threw a scornful look at the judge and acted as if the guards weren’t even there. He kept his attention locked on Thiago, his voice rising with fury. “Listen to me. Plenty have come at me, thinking they could bring me down, and every last one of them failed. You really believe you can pull it off with your schemes and the people you’ve gathered?”
His tone was defiant.
Thiago had known Roberto long enough to expect such a reaction from him. He said, “We’ll find out soon enough whether I can bring you down or not. You’re placing all your hopes on the Vargas family, but maybe no one has told you yet—
The Deputy Mayor has already been removed from office. Word is, someone high up, a man named Ewing Sandoval, was taken down in connection with this, too. Are you still so sure you’ll walk out of here a free man now?”
Caught off guard, Roberto stared at Thiago, his voice incredulous. “You know about Mr. Sandoval?”
After a moment’s reflection, he vehemently denied the possibility. “Impossible! You’re just trying to intimidate me, you little brat. It seems you weren’t disciplined enough when you were a child. I should have beaten you more.”
.
.
.