𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 55: 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐮𝐭𝐲

𝐌𝐚𝐟𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬°°°

Mateo didn’t waste a second. He grabbed the bag, his movements calm but electric beneath the surface.

“Your Honor,” he announced, voice steady over the hush of the courtroom, “new evidence — certified.”

“Seriously” The judge blinked, momentarily thrown off. “At this stage?”

“Indeed,” Mateo said, already spreading some of the contents of the bag. “This is proof that the prosecution’s evidence was fabricated — and that the witness testimony and evidence were tampered with.”

“What?” Mrs. Polenta barked. “Your Honor, this is absurd! He’s introducing doctored evidence!”

The judge ignored her. “Play the footage.” She nodded towards Mateo.

A few keystrokes later, the courtroom screens flickered — grainy hospital footage rolling to life.

And there she was — Nevena — a compilation of the first time she met Junior to their first parting, caring, protective, nothing like the monster the state painted her to be.

Even when Junior mentioned his ‘abduction,’ the video’s sound was clear — innocent, uncoached.

The boy in question crawled under the defense desk, snuggling up to Nevena and offering her a ginseng mint he'd bought on his way.

Breanna paled before the video even finished.

Nevena’s eyes trembled. Relief didn’t come all at once — it leaked in slowly, cracking through her despair like sunlight.

Somehow, she knew he’d done this. Antonio. Her forever last-minute savior.

Her gaze flicked back to the crowd, searching. It caught on a sharp figure seated near the far corner. Head bowed slightly.

Her heartbeat stuttered—It was unmistakably Antonio.

As the screen glinted black, a low murmur rolled like thunder through the spectators. “She’s innocent… all this time…”

Mrs. Polenta shot up to counter the footage. “Don’t fall for this, Your Honor! It’s clearly staged—Alteration at the peak”

“Counselor Polenta,” Mateo said coolly, “the truth always speaks for itself — it can’t be muted like yours.”

“With your permission, Your Honor, the defense respectfully requests to call new witnesses.”

“Objection!” Mrs. Polenta snapped. “This entire witness stunt is a manipulation— the defence is just trying to completely shift this case’s foundation”

Mateo met Mrs Polenta’s gaze evenly, eyes glinting with quiet war. “If you believe in your case so deeply, why fear a few witnesses?”

The prosecutor sneered. “Because what you're doing is just a charade. Stop speculating it”

Another wave of murmurs swept through the room, flashes of cameras igniting and mirroring their argument.

The judge's gavel cracked once. “Order in the court!”

She leaned forward with a deep exhalation. “Given the latest development, the court hereby grants the defense a fair chance to present its witnesses.”

Mateo’s shoulders relaxed slightly, his grip on the folder easing.

He rose gallantly. “Your Honor, the defense calls to the stand Dr. Merrill, Director of Maverick Hospital.”

A middle-aged man in a gray suit stepped forward and took the oath before settling into the witness seat.

“Dr. Merrill,” Mateo approached the stand, voice even. “how long have you served as Maverick hospital director?”

“Sixteen years,” Dr. Merrill replied.

“Okay” Mateo nodded “Can you please tell the court the condition you found my client in when she first came to Maverick?”

“Unconcious, dehydrated, very weak. She happened to be among the casualties from the Police HQ wreckage.”

“Was anyone else wheeled in with her that day?”

Merrill nodded, “Yes— the officer standing over there"

He pointed directly at Sophia. "She also happened to be unconsci—”

“That’s enough for now,” Mateo cut in smoothly. “Doctor, in the course of Junior Stewart's disappearance did your hospital ever file an official report?”

“Not at all.”

“Why?” Mateo’s tone hardened. “Just to be clear— is it considered a norm for a minor left under your care to go missing and you don't lodge a missing person's complaint ”

“Never,” Dr Merrill replied sharply. “We didn't keep quiet. According to our record, the boy was discharged days back, but his mother never picked him, and when he was finally confirmed missing, we called multiple times since she's a detective but she didn't disburse her self to know the reason for the call”

“Then, Doctor—” Mateo lifted a page — “how is your signature on this police report that enabled my client’s arrest?”

“It isn’t,” Merrill said flatly. “That’s a forgery, cause I never signed a thing in the course of this case.”

Gasps erupted, from every corner.

“Since you didn't sign a thing,” Mateo pressed on. “How come the Police were able to arrest Mrs Bachvarov on the claims of abduction?”

“How would I know?” Dr Merrill knitted his brow. “We were just going ahead with our daily activity in the hospital four days ago, Then the police stormed, taking over our feeds room— erasing our CCTV backups”

“Thank you, Doctor. No further questions.”

The director returned to his seat while Mateo turned back to the judge.

“Your Honour,” He called, holding up the printed call log from the hospital.

“Here’s the call log— series of unanswered calls made by Maverick Hospital to Officer Breanna’s personal number. Different timespans —requesting she come collect her child whom she claimed to have rescued.”

Polenta shifted, her confidence faltering. “Objection—irrelevant—”

“Sustained,” the judge warned. “Stay on track, Counselor.”

I am,” Mateo replied evenly, turning back to the prosecutor's desk . “The defense would like to call up Officer Breanna Stewart.”

“Permission granted”

Breanna hesitated, sharing a sharp glance with Sophia.

She stood stiffly and made her way to the stand.

Mateo waited until she was seated, then he stepped closer, voice deceptively calm. “Officer Stewart, you were the lead arresting officer in Ms. Bachvarov’s case, correct?”

“Yes.”

“And you claim she lured your minor and attempted to leave the country with him?”

Breanna’s expression hardened. “That’s correct.”

Mateo paced slowly. “So do you deny receiving these calls?”

Breanna’s throat bobbed a No. “ I… was just occupied on official duty—”

“Official duty,” Mateo echoed, stepping closer. “You mean fabricating a report and framing a woman for kidnapping a boy who was never missing?”