CHAPTER 143: CHAPTER 142: TRAP

The first day of the trial ended, and the court announced another hearing to be held in three days. The journalists in the audience were the first to release trial updates.

This case is practically of national interest.

...

Those keywords successfully pushed this case into the spotlight.

There are even voices online suggesting legislation to prevent hotels (including guesthouses, inns) from privately providing accommodations to minors -- an issue that has been repeatedly banned but persists.

Netizens are eagerly discussing online, while parents who have experienced their minor children renting rooms or contemplating suicide due to young love, emotionally accuse the guesthouses of irresponsibility.

However, public opinion is just that; the law is based on rationale and evidence.

But the power of social opinion also led the judge and jurors to consider factors beyond legal reasoning when deliberating on the verdict of this case.

Just as everyone believed the case was about to resolve smoothly, an unexpected event occurred.

One of the witnesses, Paige Pemberton, the receptionist who checked in the deceased that night, suddenly overturned her previous testimony, claiming that she actually realized the deceased used someone else’s ID to check in, but dared not make a decision on her own and consulted with the real owner of the guesthouse, Sienna Thornton, the defendant’s agent in this case.

The audience was abuzz, whispering among themselves.

Simon Forrester squinted his eyes, staring at Paige Pemberton on the witness stand.

Sienna Thornton remained expressionless, quietly watching Paige Pemberton.

The plaintiff’s lawyer immediately applied to present temporary evidence.

The judge approved.

The evidence was the surveillance footage from the guesthouse’s front desk.

The footage showed that, on the night in question, two deceased individuals approached the front desk, handed over their IDs, and Paige Pemberton repeatedly compared the documents without immediately checking them in, engaging in a brief conversation with the individuals whose content was unclear.

A few minutes later, Paige Pemberton used the desk phone to make a call, having a brief conversation with the person on the other end.

The surveillance clearly captured the digits she pressed on the phone, which were Sienna Thornton’s mobile number.

After hanging up, she checked the two deceased individuals into the room.

The plaintiff’s lawyer then presented call records provided by the operator, proving that the desktop phone at the front desk did indeed make a valid call to Sienna Thornton’s phone, lasting over twenty seconds.

Everyone turned to Sienna Thornton, waiting to see how she would defend herself.

Sienna Thornton sat there, expressionless, staring at Paige Pemberton on the witness stand.

The latter dared not meet her eyes, her gaze wandering elsewhere.

The cross-examination began.

Sienna Thornton suddenly smiled and asked, "Pence, how do you prove that the call you made to me was indeed an inquiry about whether the deceased involved in this case could check in?"

Paige Pemberton turned pale and stammered, "That’s what I said."

Sienna Thornton raised an eyebrow, still smiling, but with eyes sharp as knives: "You said your first testimony was false at my behest. So tell me, before overturning your testimony, did you understand that you might be investigated for perjury, potentially facing charges for obstructing justice and even serving time?"

Paige Pemberton was frightened but feigned calmness: "I understand."

Sienna Thornton: "What benefits did I offer you, so significant that you were willing to do such a risky thing?"

Paige Pemberton paused, cautiously glanced at the jury, and softly said, "You said that if I didn’t say it, our guesthouse would be in trouble, and I would lose my job."

Sienna Thornton smiled and asked back, "So you’re not afraid of losing your job now?"

Paige Pemberton choked, unable to speak for a moment, until the judge reminded her, she stammered, "I... I will find another job..."

Sienna Thornton then casually asked, "You’re young, with good looks, and you studied hotel management, finding another front desk job shouldn’t be difficult, right?"

Paige Pemberton’s expression relaxed a bit: "Yes, still okay."

At this point, Sienna Thornton’s smile suddenly faded slightly, squinting at her, "So, for someone who doesn’t have trouble finding a job, you risked giving false testimony due to too deep an affection for a job you’ve held for less than two months? Is it because you have too deep an affection for a business you’ve been with for less than two months?"

Paige Pemberton was speechless.

Sienna Thornton’s cross-examination ended, her expression instantly reverted to a cold sharpness.

Simon Forrester looked at her and suddenly understood why she earned the nickname "Soft Knife".

On the bench, the judge and jurors watched Paige Pemberton walk off the witness stand, shaking their heads repeatedly.

Due to insufficient evidence, the court immediately dismissed Paige Pemberton’s new testimony.

But the plaintiff continued with a second and third witness, both bank employees, who confirmed that Sienna Thornton had mortgaged her personal property and the guesthouse, which required monthly repayments in the hundreds of thousands to the bank;

The fourth witness, another front desk employee at the guesthouse, testified in court that the guesthouse’s occupancy rate was not good, and both owners of the guesthouse had privately mentioned concerns about what to do with their poor business and loans.

Sienna Thornton waived questioning these witnesses because their testimony was true.

The court announced a verdict would be delivered in three days.

The trial ended.

Sienna Thornton put away her smile, looking somewhat defeated, gripping the edge of the defendant’s table tightly.

Simon Forrester and Thomas Reed quickly came down from the audience.

Simon Forrester asked nothing, simply suggesting, "Let’s leave here first."

Rochelle Linwood helped tidy up the documents, while Thomas Reed and Simon Forrester escorted Sienna Thornton out.

Reporters waiting at the entrance saw her appear and swarmed over, taking continuous shots and trying to interview her.

The course of the case changed entirely.

Public opinion was already not on Sienna Thornton’s side, and now it further believed that she was blinded by profit, knowingly providing rooms to minors.

...

The car quickly drove away from the courthouse.

The three people inside the car were filled with a heavy sense of foreboding.

Simon Forrester held Sienna Thornton’s hand, while making calls to have someone investigate Paige Pemberton, and looking at the silent Sienna Thornton.

Sienna Thornton gazed out the window, saying nothing.

This made Simon Forrester even more worried. Finishing the call, he tentatively asked, "Are you okay?"

From his angle, he could only see Sienna Thornton’s profile, not her expression, only noticing her long eyelashes fluttering up and down.

The atmosphere remained calm.

After a little while, she quietly asked, "Why didn’t you ask why I agreed to let Paige check in minors?"

Simon Forrester gripped her hand tightly: "I know you wouldn’t do such a thing."

Sienna Thornton squeezed his hand back, not saying a word, but turning to glance at him, her eyes filled with gratitude.

Simon Forrester: "Will her testimony affect the case?"

"It shouldn’t," Sienna Thornton said, "Her new testimony has already been dismissed, and the subsequent witnesses’ testimonies don’t hold much weight."

Simon Forrester nodded, recalling her glaring performance in court, joked, "You’re quite adept at digging traps for witnesses."