CHAPTER 67: PRS 67

With Gebi’s help, Romano’s case finally reached court, despite some drama.

"Thank you, Gebi. Without your help, this case might never have reached court," Isabella said sincerely, shaking the middle-aged man’s hand.

Gebi smiled faintly. "This isn’t just for you, Isabella. This is for justice. Romano has been playing around with the law for too long. It’s time for him to pay for his sins."

To serve as a learning experience and to prevent any fraud during the trial, the trial involving the deputy head of state was opened to the public so everyone could witness it live.

"With the trial open to the public, all eyes will be on this," said one of the prosecutors. "Romano won’t be able to cheat anymore."

As the evidence was presented and witnesses were presented in court, everyone was stunned, unable to believe that a man known for his kindness could do something so cruel and despicable.

"Impossible! Mr. Romano has always been helping charities!" shouted one of Romano’s supporters from the audience.

"That’s just a mask! He’s a monster with an angelic face!" retorted someone from another row angrily.

It wasn’t just Romano who was in trouble; in this trial, Romano’s wife was also implicated in the money laundering and embezzlement case, causing another uproar in the capital because of the considerable amount of money embezzled by Romano’s wife.

"Is your mother involved too? Oh my God, they really are a devil couple!" whispered a reporter to a colleague.

With that money, the country could support all its citizens for eight years without fear of starvation.

"Eight years! Imagine how many children could be educated, how many hospitals could be built with that much money!" the judge growled as he read the financial report.

Unfortunately, during the ongoing investigation, the police were unable to find any trace of wrongdoing on the part of Romano’s two sons, so they remained free, watching their parents sit in the dock, allowing them to live in luxury.

But would Isabella let two wild beasts with the same bad traits as their father get away with it? Of course not.

"They think they can get away with it?" Isabella muttered, staring at B and T, who sat haughtily in the audience. "I promise I’ll make you two join your parents."

Isabella’s mind was already full of cunning plans for B and T. A plan that would make the cruel and greedy brothers regret it forever.

Despite the heated debate and several minor incidents perpetrated by Romano’s supporters, thanks to the agility of the police officers and the assistance of the Dark Evil core force, who silently monitored the proceedings, the mishaps orchestrated by Romano evaporated without a fight.

"Target moving toward the judge! Intercept!" whispered one of the Dark Evil members over the communicator.

"It’s been handled. The suspect is in custody," his colleague quickly replied.

"Damn! They’re all incompetent!" Romano thought angrily, staring at the men who had been ordered to disrupt the proceedings, their hands cuffed behind their backs.

This minor incident led to a surge in charges against Romano, leaving the heads of the five lawyers overseeing the proceedings feeling like they were about to explode.

"This is insane! How can we defend a client who keeps making mistakes!" protested one of Romano’s lawyers in frustration.

"Calm yourself. We still have another strategy," said the senior lawyer, though his tone was uncertain.

R, the public defender suing Romano, smiled with satisfaction as he watched the suspect take action that would ultimately harm him.

"Romano dug his own grave. This is getting easier," Raul whispered to his assistant.

Looking at the five skilled lawyers defending Romano, R initially doubted he would win the trial.

But after this minor incident, all doubts vanished, and the path to victory in court was wide open.

Romano didn’t know where he went wrong. After S, the man who had been helping him clean up all his crimes, lost to Isabella in the cyber war, bad luck seemed to follow him, making no matter how well-designed his plans were, they always failed and backfired on him.

"Why isn’t everything going according to plan? I’ve prepared everything perfectly!" Romano grumbled, pounding the table in frustration.

While in Country S it is currently hot watching the Romano trial, it is a different story in Indonesia where the air temperature has dropped drastically due to the powerful storm that hit this island nation.

The powerful storm that struck last night has completely paralyzed transportation. Power and telecommunications networks have also been knocked out due to downed power poles and satellite transmitters, prompting the country to issue a state of alert.

"This is the worst storm in the last ten years," the newscaster reported solemnly. "Residents are asked to stay indoors and stock up on food."

According to the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), this powerful storm will continue to batter the area for the next seven days.

This has caused panic among everyone, as they are required to stay indoors to avoid danger.

Alesio Xander, who had been locked inside his mansion all night, grumbled again in his office.

"Damn it! Why now? I can’t contact Isabella at all!" Alesio complained, pacing back and forth anxiously.

This made Alekso shake his head at the man’s complaints.

"Sir, you’ve been checking your phone for the past hour. The network still hasn’t recovered," Alekso said patiently.

He knew his boss was desperate to contact his lover, but unfortunately, all communication devices were down, so they could only wait until conditions improved to exchange news and ease their longing.

"Sir, your lunch is ready," Alekso said, placing Alesio’s lunch on the table.

Seeing Alesio only glance at the food, Alekso, sensing his boss’s weight loss, finally issued a threat. "If Miss Isabella comes home and finds you’ve gotten thinner, she won’t be happy."

Upon hearing Isabella’s name, Alesio, aware of his drastic weight loss, reluctantly left his desk and ate the food Alekso had bought for him.

"You’re right," Alesio muttered as he sat down and began to eat his food lazily. "Isabella will be furious if she finds out I haven’t been taking care of my health."

"Be careful if you talk nonsense to Siva about me. If Isabella finds out, you’re finished!" Alesio threatened, pointing a spoon at Alekso.

Alekso, accustomed to hearing Alesio’s threats, didn’t let up on his determination to make his boss eat more so he wouldn’t collapse and be hospitalized.

"I won’t say anything, sir. But at least finish your food," Alekso replied with a faint smile.

While Isabella was away, Alekso, seeing his boss often feeling down, was forced to communicate frequently with Siva to seek information about her.

From this intense communication, the seeds of love grew between the two, and they began to commit to a relationship.

Alesio didn’t mind Alekso’s relationship with Siva because it allowed his assistant to easily dig up information about his girlfriend, who sometimes disappeared without a word, only claiming to be on a mission.

"At least there’s one good thing that came out of this situation," Alesio muttered, smiling as he watched Alekso type a message to Siva.

Isabella, who had just returned to the mansion after watching Romano’s trial, felt uneasy upon hearing the news of the devastating storm that had struck Country I.

"Alesio... is he okay? Is the mansion strong enough to withstand this storm?" Isabella muttered, looking anxiously out the window.

Communication and transportation networks in Country I were completely paralyzed, leaving Isabella unable to receive any news about the current situation there.

Andra, who had also heard the news, immediately visited the main mansion to talk to his nephew about acting impulsively, considering that Isabella had many businesses in the country and loved ones there.

"Isabella, I know what you’re thinking," Andra said as he entered the room. "And the answer is no. You can’t go there now."

Isabella took a deep breath. "Uncle, I just want to know if Alesio is okay. I’m really worried."

"Do you want to return to Country I? Given the current situation, it seems that will be difficult to achieve. Even if we force ourselves, we’ll only be trapped in a nearby country. According to reports, this powerful storm even managed to wipe out several small islands on the border, forcing several countries that wanted to help to postpone their plans for a while while waiting for the right time to enter Country I," Andra tried to explain to his niece, preventing her from acting arbitrarily.

Isabella also knew that she couldn’t force herself to return to Country I because planes couldn’t enter their territory.

"If I can’t fly, can I use the teleportation provided by the Phoenix System?" Isabella wondered, recalling the system’s features.

Since the Phoenix System was being upgraded, it was impossible for her to ask this question. She herself had only used the teleportation card once, and even then, it was within a short radius, only within the city.

Seeing her niece daydreaming, Andra grew increasingly worried, and Isabella’s sense of sight caught it.

"Isabella? Are you listening, Uncle?" Andra asked, waving his hand in front of his niece’s face.

"Ah, sorry, Uncle. I was thinking about something," Isabella replied, shaking her head.

"You don’t need to worry, Uncle. I won’t act as I please. Right now, we must focus on Romano’s problem. If he’s causing trouble in court today, it’s possible he could be planning to escape justice, so we must strictly monitor the trial and protect the judge and witnesses."

What Isabella said had been taken into consideration by Andra, who had assigned Dark Evil members to guard important figures involved in Romano’s trial.

"You’re right. I’ve assigned our best men to guard them," Andra said with relief.

"At least it reassures me that you’re still thinking clearly."

"Okay, if you’re feeling better, Uncle will be going now," Andra said, ruffling Isabella’s hair before leaving.

"Thank you, Uncle, for coming to see me. I promise to be careful," Isabella said with a faint smile.

At times like these, Isabella missed the Phoenix System, with whom she could exchange thoughts about things commonplace to others.

"Phoenix System, when are you finished upgrading? I need your help now," Isabella whispered.

"Uncle was right, I need to focus on Romano first before thinking about anything else," she muttered to herself as she closed her eyes for a moment.

Feeling her body sticky with sweat, Isabella immediately went into the bathroom to clean herself and clear her mind.

"This cold water will definitely help me think more clearly. Romano, get ready. I’m not done with you yet," Isabella muttered with a sharp glare before turning on the shower.