NOTE: The trial takes up 8 chapters! But I guarantee you're going to want to read it! <3

Nathan called us at 8 AM the day we were supposed to meet him in the afternoon. He barked, "I'm on my way. There's some urgent news."

Anxiety plagued us for the next ten minutes, wondering what kind of news he might have. We met him at the door of  the suite and he practically barged in, not even greeting us before he blurted, "AnnaMae Watson was murdered."

I gasped in horror; Annamae was the one who used to bring Harry's medications. She was the one who came forward the night of the fire and admitted that she knew about Harry and about me. She saved us. "That fucking bastard," I said, tears now streaming down my face. Harry's face was pale and his eyes were glassy.

Nathan ushered us into the living area and motioned for us to sit down. "We don't have the proof to pin it on Theodore yet, but believe me, it's coming. But this means the trial will be postponed."

"For how long?" I cried in desperation, starting to hyperventilate.

"A month, at least," Nathan answered. "It's clear to everyone involved that it had to have been Theodore, in some way. Either he gave a direct order to have her killed or one of his loyal associates took matters into their own hands. But this does give the police cause to re-open the case of Mary Lemke's disappearance. Apparently, an anonymous tip came in about the possible location of her body. They think that tip came from AnnaMae, but now we'll never really know."

"Shit," Harry mumbled and I knew it was a lot for him to handle. He had loved Mary like his own mother. Anne rubbed his back while Clive put his arm around me and hugged me.

"So, folks, I'm very sorry about having to postpone, but as the evidence stacks up against him, it's looking more and more likely that Theodore Blake is going to prison for life without the possibility of parole."

While this was ultimately good news, the process was gut-wrenching, finding out about AnnaMae's death and having to wait even longer for the trial to start. We once again moved from the hotel we'd been staying in to a more secure location because it was unknown just how far Theodore's reach extended. Again we were forced into hiding, not allowed to leave the new hotel unless under police escort and prohibited from using social media or any other form of outside communication that could give away our location.

I panicked on a daily basis, wondering if we would ever be able to stop hiding from Theodore and his cohorts. Even if he went to prison for life, how would we know if he hadn't manipulated a whole army of goons to track us down and kill us? The only things that kept me grounded were Harry's constant encouragement and the hope that once the trial was over, Theodore wouldn't have any money left to pay off his loyal subjects.

I convinced my parents to stay in Ohio until the trial even though they wanted to come and offer moral support. As far as I was concerned, every single one of us was in danger, and it gave me comfort to have them 2500 miles away.

We hunkered down and battled cabin fever day to day, eating the same old room service meals and driving each other a little crazy, to be honest. We managed to celebrate Harry's birthday on February 1 similar to the way we had given him his first real Christmas. We showered gifts on him and ate and drank to our hearts' content. If it weren't for the occasional moments of love and family and joy like that, we certainly would have gone insane.

With the trial rescheduled for Monday, February 19, my parents flew in on Wednesday the 14th and celebrated Valentine's Day with us. It was a pleasant reminder of the normalcy that waited outside the hotel walls once the trial was over.

It was that day, also, that Nathan informed us of a shocking turn of events. Chief Waters from the Victoria police department was charged with AnnaMae Watson's murder. A handful of other officers were relieved of duty pending an investigation about their involvement in the murder or any of Theodore's charges while Chief Waters was being held without bail.

While we were relieved that we were getting some answers, I felt sickened by the fact that the people we trusted with public safety and defense could be swayed by money, power, or whatever influence Theodore had over them. I didn't even want to think of how things might have played out if I'd had the chance to call the police while I was still in his house.

On the morning of the 19th, I couldn't eat anything. I was nervous as hell and everyone else was on edge, too. We all just wanted the trial to be over with, but we knew it could go on for several days. Most of all, I was anxious about seeing Theodore again. I loathed the idea of being in the same room as him even though I kept telling myself we would be safe. Any time I thought about seeing him without the bars of a prison cell in front of his face, it made me uneasy.

We arrived at the courthouse and were met by Nathan Greenwood and a few police officers. They instructed us just to look straight ahead and not to answer any questions. I didn't understand the need for the escort until we reached the main steps of the courthouse and found several reporters waiting to shove microphones in our faces, shouting questions at us. We ducked our heads and pushed through the throng of reporters, finally able to squeeze through the front doors of the courthouse.

After going through the lengthy security process, we entered the courtroom behind Nathan.  Clive, Harry and I sat on the bench directly behind him and my parents sat behind us. Anne had been transported by a secure police unit earlier and was already in a separate room, watching the court proceedings on a screen since the prosecution didn't want Theodore to know she was there. I sat between Harry and Clive and clung to both of their hands so fervently that I was surprised I wasn't cutting off their circulation.

When the courtroom doors opened again, the air was stolen from my lungs as I laid eyes on the madman who had made my life a living hell for the past nine months, not to mention what he had done to Harry's and Anne's lives. I scooted closer to Harry, who pried his hand from mine and put his arm around my shoulder. Theodore gave us an intimidating look but noticing our closeness, a derisive smile took over his face.

I hated that man more and more with each passing moment. Tears pricked my eyes and Harry shushed me, kissing me on the temple. I should have been the one comforting him, but he and Clive were both very attentive to me, shielding me from Theodore's mocking look.

When the judge entered the courtroom, the bailiff called announced, "Please rise. This department of the Victoria court is now in session. The honorable justice Adam Stoneridge presiding. Please be seated."

We followed the directions and next the judge spoke. "Welcome everyone. Today we will begin the proceedings for a criminal case brought against Theodore Michael Blake, charging the defendant with attempted murder, forcible confinement, falsifying legal documents, criminal child neglect, failure to educate a minor, illegal possession and distribution of prescription drugs, child endangerment through use of prescription drugs, assault and battery, sexual harassment, coercion and theft. Defense, how does your party plead?"

The defense attorney, Samuel Klinefeld, spoke in response, "Your honor, my client pleads not guilty to all charges."

"Oh my god," I muttered under my breath, quietly enough so the judge wouldn't hear me. Harry and Clive both breathed out sighs of disbelief as well. I half expected Theodore to sneer at us or something but he remained stoic.

Good! I thought. I hoped he was sweating his balls off in that Armani suit.

The judge answered, "Very well. The bailiff will now have the jury sworn in."

The bailiff stood before the jury box and said, "Please stand and raise your right hand." Each of them did. "Do you solemnly swear or affirm that you will truly listen to this case and render a true verdict and a fair sentence as to this defendant?" They all answered, "I do," and they were instructed to sit back down.

"Prosecution, are you prepared to make your opening statement?" Judge Stoneridge asked.

"Yes, sir," Nathan answered and stood before the court. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, this case is about a defendant who could not control his greed nor his sense of entitlement. Theodore Michael Blake, adopted son of the late William Arthur Blake worked alongside the man who took him in, fed and clothed him and eventually named him his heir. However, the late Mr. Blake was shortsighted, not realizing that he would father his own biological son with Anne Styles, whom he later married. William changed the terms of his will to leave his company and his fortune to his biological son, Harry Edward Styles. Some might say that it was, forgive me your honor, a dick move on William Blake's part-" Everyone in attendance chuckled. "-to take back what was originally promised to Theodore. However, the elder Mr. Blake included in his will that Theodore would run the company until Harry was 21, and both Theodore and his brother Benjamin would each receive $5 million when ownership of the company was transferred to Harry.

"I can understand the disappointment Theodore Blake must have felt. Yet, it does not justify his actions. When Harry was orphaned after a car accident in 1998, Theodore saw his opportunity.  Being the next of kin, he was tasked with raising young Harry on his own. However, Theodore hid Harry from the rest of the world with the intention of claiming Harry's inheritance. To the outside world, Theodore falsified Harry's death certificate, fooling even some of his staff into believing Harry had also been killed in the accident along with his parents. In addition, Theodore put together an even more devious plan, making sure Harry would never be deemed capable of taking over the company if it was ever discovered that he was, in fact, still alive. With the help of his brother, Benjamin, they falsified documents saying that Harry was intellectually disabled, and together, they formulated a cocktail of strong prescription drugs to keep Harry confused, disoriented and even suffering from physical side effects such as jerking, spasms, stuttering and lack of coordination. This syndrome is called tardive dsykenisia and it is caused by a specific cocktail of anti-psychotic drugs, all of which were given to Harry from a young age.

"As he grew, Harry was fed and clothed, yes. But he was denied education and socialization, and he was deprived of birthdays and Christmases for the vast majority of his eighteen years with Theodore.

"It wasn't until Theodore hired Juliette McGill to be Harry's nanny that things began to come to the light.

First off, Theodore lured Ms. McGill to the job, lying about Harry's age and saying he was seven. When Juliette met Harry, Theodore lied and said Harry was seventeen, telling Juliette she must have read the contract wrong. In reality, he had his ever-loyal staff members change the wording of the document while still reflecting Ms. McGill's signature at the bottom. All of this is meaningless, however, since Harry Styles was really twenty years old at the onset of Juliette's employment.

"Soon after beginning her work with Harry, Juliette realized that he was indeed a brilliant young man who was far too old and intelligent to be doing the first grade work that was available to him. She began to investigate the medications - by entering their descriptions and numbers into a search engine on the web since Theodore refused to give her information about Harry's alleged conditions or the medications he was taking. Juliette challenged Harry's abilities and soon found him to be a capable and intelligent adult whose maturity and knowledge of the world had been thwarted by Theodore's treatment of him throughout the years.

"As Juliette discovered more about Harry's abilities, she was met with resistance from Theodore, who threatened her and told her to stick to the insultingly low-level curriculum and to continue forcing Harry to take the medications that made him confused, fatigued and uncoordinated.

"As we proceed, you will find out that Juliette and Harry were forcibly confined to the small suite that had been Harry's home for all his life, not allowed to leave the premises. When they tried to escape, Juliette was shot and Harry was captured, only to be beaten and threatened by Theodore and his well-trained staff members.

"The event that led to Juliette and Harry's freedom was the night they started a fire on the premises of the Blake estate. When the fire department was summoned, they were able to make their plight known to the emergency officials and they were rescued.

"However, even that didn't stop Theodore Blake. He hunted them down weeks later and attempted to kill them in a hotel room in Vancouver. The only reason Juliette and Harry are here today is because of a malfunction with Theodore's gun; at that moment they were able to overpower him and call for help."

Judge Stoneridge responded dryly, "I think that might have been the longest opening statement I've ever heard but thank you for your thorough synopsis of the case. Who do you plan to call as your witnesses?"

"Your honor, I will call Harry Styles as my primary witness. In addition, Juliette McGill will give testimony. I have also called upon some of Theodore's former employees, Clive Barrows, who served as a driver for the senior Mr. Blake and Theodore Blake for over twenty years. Also, three of Harry's former nannies, Kim Johnson, Amy Waldron, and Sarah Fountain will be called to testify. I had also planned to call AnnaMae Watson as a witness as she was the one who delivered Harry's medications to his room each week, but as you know, your honor, she was murdered in January by the chief of police, a good friend of Theodore Blake."

"Mr. Greenwood, please stick to the list of living witnesses, and leave the other court cases out of this," the judge corrected him in a warning tone, but the impact was clear - many of the jurors now had it in their mind that Theodore controlled people to get what he wanted and that he was responsible for AnnaMae's death.

"Your honor, I will call one final witness, but as you know, I have chosen not to reveal her identity for the sake of her protection, until it is time for her to testify."

"Very well," the judge answered. "And what punishment is the prosecution seeking?"

"Life in prison without the possibility of parole," Nathan answered. "In addition, Harry Styles is seeking the sum of $1 million as payment for his lack of a formal education, to help pay for college and to seek psychological services. Juliette McGill is seeking the sum of $118,400, the remainder of the payment for the $150,000 contract that Theodore Blake insisted that she adhere to."

"Thank you, Mr. Greenwood," the judge nodded. "Mr. Klinefeld, please deliver your opening statement."

Samuel Klinefeld stood and addressed the judge and the jury. "Ladies and Gentleman, Theodore Blake was just a toddler when his mother Julia married William Blake. William adopted him within the first two years of their marriage; he was the only father Theodore ever knew. Theodore loved his father, and his father's death traumatized him in unimaginable ways. He was still reeling from the fact that his father had changed the terms of his inheritance, and then he lost the man who had taught him everything.

"To Theodore, Harry was the promise that his father lived on. Imagine Theodore's heartbreak upon discovering that his brother was mentally incapacitated. Theodore isn't a doctor; he believed what the doctors told him about his brother who couldn't formulate full sentences or demonstrate the physical skills that a normal six-year-old child would have. And then he treated Harry accordingly. Maybe Theodore was too protective over his little brother, but he was just trying to do what was right by his family."

I was tempted to laugh out loud, but I knew I could be held in contempt if I allowed that to happen. So I just submitted my deepest eyeroll, hoping the jury didn't believe any of that pathetic excuse for a defense. The opening statement was short, I had to give him that much. But what a sack full of shit! Of course, he couldn't address any of the other allegations because there was no way to defend the actions of an absolute maniac.

"Thank you," the judge said. "Now we will begin the next phase of these proceedings. Prosecution, please call your first witness."

Nathan stood and addressed the judge. "Your honor, I'd like to call Harry Styles to the stand."

* * * * *

Okay, so I'm a total LOSER for waiting a YEAR to update this book, especially since I'd already had it completed. Anyway, enjoy the court proceedings.

Do you think Theodore will get what he has coming to him?