He Was Wronged

Aria's POV:

I drove to the Martin’s home and hurried in, right now I needed to see Ava, well, mostly her sister… Samantha, she was just sixteen but had great research skills, and right now I needed all the news on Liam Styles.

I couldn’t find anyone in the sitting room, so I went to Ava’s bedroom, knocked on the door and found her at her little design table, probably drawing new designs.

“Hey.”

She turned to me. “You are back.” Ava stood up and walked to me with a little sad look; she probably thought I was still sulking.

“Where is Sam?” I asked and jumped on the bed. Ava walked to the bedroom opposite hers and knocked. The door pulled open, and Sam stood there with an earpiece around her head.

Her eyes lit up when she saw me. “Big sister, when did you come?” She hurried past Ava and sat next to me while clinging to my arm.

“I need a favour from you.”

“Hello to you too.” Ava snorted, but Sam rolled her eyes and smiled at me.

“What do you need?”

Now both their gazes were fixed on me. I had come here with just one goal…to find everything about Liam Styles and, most importantly, if he is married and if I was just some side affair, but right now realisation hit me: won’t it feel weird that I was asking for information about a man while I was still married?

“Bis sis,” Sam called, pulling me out of my trance.

I cleared my throat and muttered, “I want to know everything about Liam.”

“Did you say something?” Sam questioned, ‘She probably didn’t hear me clearly; it was pretty embarrassing.’

I stood up, walked to the window and turned my back on them. “This man, Liam Styles…”

“Liam Styles?” Sam blurted and jumped on the bed all excited. “Did you also hear about him? He is the popular topic in our girls’ Discord group,” she screamed loudly. How did Liam’s name make it to a Discord group made up of crazy fans who spend their time searching about male idols?

“Hold on.” Ava walked to me. “Did he do something to you? And who is this Liam Styles?”

Hopefully there was someone else who had no idea who he was, but I was right; Sam was always informed.

“Are you both that outdated or what? Don’t you know Liam Styles?” Sam scolded; she looked annoyed before jumping down from the bed and approaching us while her curls bounced over her shoulder.

“He is a lawyer.”

“And?” Ava scoffed, and that’s right… There were more than a thousand lawyers in the country, so what was it about him?

“He is a lawyer for criminals, he only defends criminals.” Sam added, and I raised a brow. Don’t all lawyers do that?

“You both don’t get it, he has kept a lot of criminals out of prison, and that has caused him a lot of tension,” she kept trying to explain, but I wasn’t following up.

Sam sighed heavily and stood between Ava and me. “Once upon a time…”

“Okay, spare us the boring beginnings, please.” Ava frowned, and Sam smacked her lips.

“I am not narrating the story to you.”

“But you are doing it in my bedroom.”

“Then I will bring big sis to my bedroom,” Sam answered, and I massaged my temples. I usually enjoy their little sibling rant, but right now I was more focused on hearing about someone else.

“Ava, please,” I pleaded, and she rolled her eyes, letting Sam go on with her narrations.

“There was this man; he sold drugs to only adults, sold weapons and also counterfeit money. So he was a careful criminal who was against murder; he often helped the police catch murderers,” she started, and my interest got immediately piqued. Who was this criminal?

“He was friends with the cops; they let him do what he wants, and he helps them capture criminals, but one day these cops turned against him. They arrested him and brought him to court.”

That was totally unfair; how could they betray a man who was on their side?

Sam continued, “On the day of his court case, no lawyer showed up to defend him, not even one. On that day, his wife and son sat there and watched as he was convicted to life imprisonment without even getting a chance to plead innocent.” 

I clutched my heart. Did such a thing happen in America? How could they have wronged a man that much? Even criminals deserve a lawyer; they have the right to plead innocent and fight for it.

“I knew reading so many books would one day have an impact on you; good job on coming up with such a creative story.” Ava scoffed. Sam quickly retracted her phone and did a search before shoving it to us.

It was an old video on the internet which was posted on the 18th of July 2008; a man stood before the courthouse with cuffed hands and was surrounded by a lot of journalists.

“Mr Styles, what do you have to say about the verdict of today?” A journalist asked, and he chuckled. He had deep blue eyes, just like Liam’s, and I just came to the realisation that he was Liam’s dad, the criminal who was let down by all the lawyers in America.

“To all the people of America, there is no such thing as being part good or part bad. If you want to be bad, then do it correctly,” he said with a smirk on his lips. The camera moved to the woman at the side who held a kid who was in tears. I didn’t need anyone to tell me who it was.

It was him.

Liam.

“Did such a thing really happen?” Ava snatched the phone and kept reading some articles.

“Yeah, so Liam Styles is the lawyer for all criminals… He believes they all deserve a chance to plead innocent,” Sam concluded, and I sighed heavily.

He was wronged; his father was wronged.

“Why are you asking about him?” Ava finally asked the question I have been avoiding ever since I stepped in here.

“Umm…I am starving, so I will head out for a meal.” I picked up my car keys and hurried out of the house; Ava and Sam followed me and slipped into my car.

“We want to eat out as well.” Sam had an excited look. I didn’t mean it when I said I was heading out to eat; I planned on going back home to sleep and finally gathering the courage to read all those comments about me online.

“Let’s head to the new restaurant on Avenue Street; I heard they have a hot…uhm, I mean, good chef,” Sam suggested as Ava glared at her. I walked in and drove out as we kept talking about random things till I parked the car in the parking lot of Dream Restaurant. It was a new restaurant which had already gained a lot of attention because of its chef.

I stared at the face mask next to me and wondered if I should hide my face so I won’t be recognised.

No, I won’t hide forever like I committed a crime; Caleb should be the one hiding.

“Come on.” We all walked down the car and stepped into the restaurant, with few gazes being directed our way.

I knew it; they were talking about me. But I had to maintain a calm smile.

A server approached us, and we were trying to get a table when Sam pulled the hem of my dress. “What?” I turned to her with a frown; she nudged at the left, and I turned to find a familiar figure.

He occupied the table with the minister of health, Mr Walters.

It was Liam Styles. Why did I have to bump into him?