Chapter 20

 

June 2012

 

Owen gazed idly around the courtroom as he and the Langfords waited for their turn to approach the judge. The cushioned, auditorium-style chairs were comfortable enough, but after nearly two hours of waiting, he’d begun to resent the armrest that separated him from his fiancée. Sean and Mary were seated on his opposite side, and Julia and Eric were next to Lena.

“Doing okay?” he whispered into Lena’s ear.

“I’m fine. Just like I was fine ten minutes ago. You need to relax,” she teased gently.

“Sorry. It’s just that I know sitting for so long can’t feel too good for you right now.”

It didn’t, but there was no way Lena would’ve missed the proceedings that afternoon. In the three months since Nate’s death, she’d been putting as much effort as possible into her recovery, both physical and mental. She’d been working hard in her physical therapy sessions and following her doctor’s instructions to the letter, not that Owen would’ve allowed her to do otherwise.

She’d begun to work through her grief and guilt with Dr. Maitland as well, but as the layers were peeled back, she’d realized that they had only begun to scratch the surface of her issues. Some days were more difficult than others, and some felt simply impossible… But not today.

Lena knew that the next time they sat in a room like this, the circumstances would be far less pleasant. In just two months’ time, Phelps would stand trial for her father’s murder, and she anticipated that day with no small amount of trepidation. She forced herself to remain present in the moment rather than allow the inevitable heartache of that day to poison this one.

Today was a good day.

Lena squeezed Owen’s hand and gave him an affectionate smile, patiently reassuring him yet again that she felt fine. He relaxed back into his seat and allowed his eyes to wander the room once more.

There was a family sitting not far from them who also appeared to be waiting for their turn to speak to the judge. Amongst them was a small boy with pale blond hair and large blue eyes, and Owen studied him curiously for a few minutes. The boy’s expression was a mixture of nervous excitement and typical childish impatience, and Owen couldn’t help but notice the way he stood out from the rest of his family. If physical appearances were any indication, the boy was about to be adopted as well, and their family dynamic was fascinating to watch.

The boy looked to be about six, and the dark-haired girl who sat next to him looked a few years older. She seemed to have already set about perfecting her role as the protective big sister. If she didn’t have her arm around his shoulders, she was at least holding his hand and smiling at him. The adoptive parents shared their daughter’s brown hair, and it was clear that both were overjoyed to be there. The father sat with his arms spread wide across the backs of the chairs next to him where sat his wife and his soon-to-be son. The two adults were taking turns beaming at the children and at each other, and as he watched the four of them leave the courtroom together a short while later, Owen was touched by the obvious love they all shared.

In another time, perhaps, he might’ve watched such a scene with envious eyes, ruing the fact that his own childhood adoption had gone so horribly wrong. He might have been bitter about the abuse he’d endured or angry that no one had seen the real Vera Monroe until after she’d already done so much damage. He might’ve been depressed about the injustice of it all or even blamed himself for not being as worthy of a loving family as that little blond boy...

But he wasn’t that damaged child anymore. And he most certainly was not that man.

When at last the name ‘Langford’ was called out, Owen approached the bench with his parents flanking him, and to his surprise, the actual discussion and signing of paperwork took almost no time at all. They had managed to bypass most of the red tape, thanks in part to Sean’s connections and to the fact that Owen was being adopted as an adult. The judge smiled down at him and handed over the signed copy of his new birth certificate, listing Sean and Mary as his parents. Owen’s eyes stung with barely-suppressed emotion as he read the words, and he hugged his parents as easily as if he’d never spent a single minute fearing their touch.

Lena embraced him as well, leaning up onto her toes to kiss him soundly before following everyone out into the hallway. There was a small area that many families used for a photo opportunity, and Mary insisted on taking a few pictures. Lena agreed and immediately volunteered to be the photographer. Owen stood in the middle, proudly displaying his new birth certificate while everyone else gathered around him.

Once again, he couldn’t help but compare the present to the past, particularly the post-adoption photo session with the Monroes. Although she’d known about his aversion to touch, Vera had held him so firmly that he hadn’t dared try to wiggle away from her, and when he’d started to whimper, she’d tightened her hold even more. The difference between that day and this one could not have been more profound.

Now he stood with his true family, their arms around each other and more than one hand resting on his back. Owen had always wondered if perhaps he might have conquered his fear sooner if the Langfords had adopted him back then as they’d wanted to do. If he were anyone else, he might resent them for not doing so. He might even be angry with Eric for being so badly behaved at the time that his parents hadn’t felt they could handle another child…

But he wasn’t that person. Regardless of everything he’d endured and survived, Owen wouldn’t have changed the course of his life even if he had the power to do so. His path had been difficult in the extreme, intensely painful and horrifically dark. Yet it had led him to her, to the beautiful woman snapping photographs and beaming at him with so much love and pride that it glowed around her like an aura.

Lena’s movements were a bit slow and cautious due to her still-healing injuries, but any pain she might have been feeling in that moment was no match for her brilliant smile. Owen was in awe of her strength. She’d become an orphan a mere three months ago, but here she was, overcome with happiness for him on the day of his adoption. There was no trace of envy or heartache in her expression, not a hint of bitterness or chagrin. She makes everything worth it, Owen thought with certainty as he watched her.

His broken road had led to her, and he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

 

 

August 2012

 

Lena sighed as she gazed at her reflection, wondering what a stranger would see if they were looking at her in that moment. The lines of her designer dress were conservative and flattering. Her long, red hair was tamed into a sleek French twist. Her makeup was flawless. To an outsider, she would no doubt appear calm and composed.

But an outsider might miss the fatigue in her eyes that never seemed to fade entirely, thanks to months of sleepless nights. They wouldn’t see the mixture of grief and anxiety weighing upon her shoulders. They wouldn’t realize her hairstyle was arranged very carefully to conceal shorter sections of hair that had grown back after being shaved for surgery. They wouldn’t detect the anger and heartbreak that still sometimes lingered around her like a dense fog, despite her months of therapy.

“Hey,” Owen said softly, distracting her from her musings. He stepped behind her and snaked his arms around her waist, pressing his lips to her crown. “You okay?”

“I will be when this is over.” I hope.

“It ends today, baby.”

“Does it? If the verdict isn’t guilty on all charges…”

“Then I’ll find a way to take care of him myself,” he replied darkly, squeezing her just a little tighter. She gave him a weary half-smile in the mirror.

“Funny.”

Who was joking? Owen thought, but he said nothing and brushed his lips gently against her temple.

“Ready to go?”

Lena nodded and allowed him to guide her from the master suite with a hand at the small of her back. They had managed to find a luxury condominium just a few weeks after her discharge from the hospital. It was near GC, and the security was better than any of the other places they’d considered. Between the network of high-definition cameras, the biometric scanner used to operate their private elevator, and the bodyguards who were stationed both within the apartment and on the ground floor, there was little chance of anyone entering without their permission.

Security at GC had been increased as well. They had put the entire security staff through rigorous background checks and interviews to determine who, if any of them, might have been complicit in Phelps’ crimes. Four employees had been dismissed for negligence, and two had resigned at the first mention of the inquisition. Among them had been the guard stationed in the executive lobby during the security briefing the day Phelps had cornered Owen with a gun. Those who had been responsible for the periodic scans that should have detected the listening devices Phelps had planted had been dismissed as well. Although the audio recordings had been useful to the prosecution, no one wanted to take the risk of a similar breach in the future. While Nate had tried to be reasonably diligent when it came to security, he’d been nowhere near as obsessive as a ‘post-Phelps’ Owen Langford.

Lena stepped into the elevator with Owen, Logan, and Wyatt, ignoring the solicitous glances they were throwing in her direction. When she’d decided to make Owen’s position as CEO permanent, they’d come to the agreement that Logan would remain in place as his bodyguard. From a security perspective, his close relationship with Lena might have eventually presented a problem. Logan and Owen’s friendship had grown even stronger in the past few months, but it was nothing that would cloud Logan’s judgment in a dangerous situation.

As they made their way to the courthouse, Lena gazed distractedly through the tinted window of the SUV. She didn’t want to contemplate the possibility of a not guilty verdict, but it was mildly comforting to know that even if such a thing were to happen, Phelps would still be required to stand trial for his other crimes.

She had filed the embezzlement charges immediately following his arrest, and the feds had wasted no time in freezing his accounts. A few personal phone calls to the presidents of the Indonesian banks from the new owner of GC had closed those avenues of income as well. As such, there would have been no way for Phelps to post bail even if the judge had offered it, and he’d ended up with a public defender who had not been up to the task of defending a guilty man against these types of charges.

Illegal procurement of explosives, use of a weapon of mass destruction, assault with a deadly weapon… Murder in the first degree, Lena mused darkly. Not to mention the ‘conspiracy’ and ‘attempted’ charges.

There hadn’t been sufficient evidence to implicate him in the parking lot shooting, but if Phelps was convicted of everything else, he would be spending the rest of his miserable life in prison. The death penalty was a possibility as well, but no one wanted to speculate on the likelihood of that scenario. As far as Lena was concerned, death was just too merciful for a man like Jeffrey Phelps. A chill ran the length of Lena’s spine, and she forced herself to think of something else for the remainder of their journey.

Owen’s phone buzzed quietly in his pocket, and he greeted the caller by name when he answered. Charlotte Davis had replaced Phelps as head of the Finance Department, and she reported directly to Lena, who had assumed the position of COO. Charlotte was incredibly sharp and competent, despite being only thirty years old. Most importantly, she didn’t cower beneath Owen’s newly-patented CEO glare, and Lena liked that about her. He needed someone to challenge him occasionally, and Lena wasn’t always there to do it. She guessed that Charlotte had called Owen out of courtesy, knowing what lay in store for them today, and she listened to his side of the conversation with mild detachment.

The last five months had been incredibly busy for everyone, and their lives were unlikely to slow down any time soon. Owen and Lena had gradually taken on the full responsibilities of their new professional roles, and Lena would soon be juggling a few college courses as well. She was determined to obtain her degree, regardless of how long it might take to do so. She had changed her major to English Literature and kept business as a minor, with the intention of opening her own publishing house after she graduated. Nate’s vision of passing GC to her had come true, but since his death, Lena had come to the conclusion that honoring his dream did not have to mean sacrificing her own.

Ownership of GC was still hers and would be shared with Owen once they were married, but there was no question that Owen was already shouldering most of the responsibility. He had encouraged her to change the direction of her education, finally convincing her that if Nate had been aware of her dreams, he would have wanted her to pursue them.

In addition to school and work, Lena had continued twice-monthly therapy sessions with Dr. Maitland. Her progress was slow but significant. She had finally begun to accept the reality that she was not at fault for either of her parents’ deaths, either directly or indirectly. Her grief still weighed heavily upon her, especially on days like today. She knew it would never go away entirely, and one of her therapy goals was to learn how to accept her feelings of loss without converting them to feelings of guilt.

On her good days, Lena could smile without pain and laugh without guilt, but on her bad days, it was all she could do to pull herself out of bed. Maitland always assured her that her grief process was perfectly normal and healthy, but a lifetime of self-imposed perfectionism had turned her guilt into something cyclic. It felt as though she were working too hard or not enough, crying too much or too little.

Lena had also come to realize that keeping her true feelings locked away had been a detriment to her relationship with her father, and she was determined not to repeat that mistake. She wanted to be happy. She was learning to accept the things she couldn’t change or control, both in her life and within herself. The pressure of her new responsibilities made it difficult to let go of her self-criticizing tendencies, but she was determined to ‘do the work,’ as Owen had once said. Therapy had been effective for him, and Lena hoped it would be just as effective for her.

Owen watched her from the other side of the car, tightening his hold on her hand, and when she turned to look at him, she couldn’t help but return his smile. Any progress she might have made on the path to happiness would have been impossible were it not for his presence in her life. In spite of everything, he’d managed to finish his classes and graduate on schedule, and he’d been her anchor in every conceivable way. Through the trial, at work, at home, even in therapy… When she needed him, he was there, without fail or complaint. He held her when she cried, chased away her nightmares, and made her laugh at times when laughter should have been impossible.

Of course, Owen had been dealing with some emotional fallout of his own. He’d spent days in a heightened state of anxiety and terror that Lena might die, and it had taken a toll on him. His nightmares were as persistent as hers, and they had learned to lean on each other, offering and taking comfort in equal measure. They soothed one another in much the same way they had as children, when the mere presence of the other had been enough to comfort their souls.

“Thank you,” Lena said quietly.

“For what?”

“Being you,” she replied simply. “I don’t think I could’ve survived these last few months without you.”

“You’re stronger than you think,” Owen smiled, bring her hand to his lips. “Someday, you’ll see it too. But I’m not going anywhere, baby.”

Her chest ached a little at his words, and a part of her wanted to remind him of just how fragile and uncertain life truly was. She kept the thought to herself, however, determined not to give in to her emotions before they even reached the courthouse.

When they arrived, they saw that the sidewalk in front of the main entrance was once again cluttered with reporters and camera crews. Several appeared to be broadcasting live to the various networks they represented. The press had been covering the trial in great detail, and public opinion of Jeffrey Phelps was at an all-time low even without a verdict.

Logan steered the SUV around the building to the rear entrance, which had been cordoned off to prevent anyone from blocking it. The press had been warned not to harass anyone entering or leaving the building, but that didn’t stop them from taking pictures. Lena had made her peace with the level of media presence in their lives, but she hoped that after today, they would shift their attentions elsewhere. Being so prominently in the public eye was exhausting. Neither she nor Owen could go anywhere without having at least one a camera phone pointed in their direction. There were fewer reporters hovering around the rear entrance, but she still felt the need to don a pair of dark sunglasses to protect her eyes from the flashing cameras.

Lena slipped her hand into the crook of Owen’s arm as they entered the building, and when they reached the hallway outside of their designated courtroom, they spotted a group of familiar faces waiting for them. Valerie stood amidst the Langford family, and everyone greeted them with compassionate smiles. Mary wasted no time in wrapping her arms around Lena’s shoulders, and Lena felt herself relax a little in the older woman’s embrace.

With the finalization of Owen’s adoption, the Langfords had become her family as well, just as Mary had promised. Lena had craved a mother’s affection for so long that she’d found herself responding easily to Mary’s maternal nature. By now, she’d probably spent just as much time talking to Mary as she’d spent talking to her therapist. Lately, of course, many of their discussions tended to revolve around the wedding.

There hadn’t been time to truly plan anything yet, but they’d at least made a few decisions. It would be held the following summer, and if Mary had her way, it would be in the Langfords’ backyard. Having no family left and few friends, Lena was all for eloping, but she didn’t want to rob Owen of the chance to celebrate at least one milestone in his life the right way. He’d had so little normalcy in his life, and she knew the wedding was important to him, even if he seemed willing to go along with whatever she wanted. Owen had told her the story of how Mary had found out about his abuse. He’d started a new chapter of his life that day in her backyard, and it seemed fitting that he start the next one there as well.

The courtroom was packed when they entered, and they moved quickly to the row of seats that was reserved for them behind the federal prosecutor’s chair. Owen and Lena sat next to one another, still holding hands, and as they glanced around the courtroom, they spotted many faces they recognized. Some were high-level and long-term employees of GC who had come to see justice done, while others had been directly involved in the case and the ensuing trial.

Phelps’ own daughter had testified against him, claiming to have been party only to the embezzlement scheme and ignorant of everything else. Lena might not have believed it had she not watched Madalyn take the stand. The guilt and disgust in her expression had been sincere, and she had refused to even look at her father. The prosecution had promised her a lighter sentence in exchange for her testimony, which had implicated Wes Porter as well. Both would be charged with multiple counts of fraud, but their cooperation would grant them a little leniency.

Cook had testified as well, and his family had been able to leave witness protection after Phelps’ arrest. He was still employed with GC, and Lena was currently in the process of determining how she might be able to help his daughter. Lena, Owen, Logan, and Sean had all taken their turns on the witness stand, and Valerie had been called as one of several expert witnesses to explain the forensic evidence in the investigation. Since the forensic presentations had included graphic photos of Nate’s remains, Lena had avoided court that day. She had, however, forced herself to sit through the testimony of one Thomas Quinn.

Quinn had constructed the bomb that had taken Nate’s life. Since the first time Lena had heard his name, she’d wondered what he would look like, what he would sound like. It was natural, perhaps, to envision a sinister-looking man with a permanent scowl on his face and a voice that chilled her blood, but to her surprise, he’d seemed almost… normal.

He was in his late thirties and had appeared to be fairly clean and lucid, though she had noted his slightly tattered clothing and the weariness that lined his features. Quinn had been a man down on his luck in many ways. His wife had left him after he’d lost his job as a chemical engineer, and he had been plagued by collection agencies after being seriously injured in a car accident. Desperation had driven him to construct and sell explosives, and by the time the FBI had caught up with him, he hadn’t had much fight left in him. Quinn had promised to testify against each of the people who had purchased explosives from him in exchange for something slightly less than a life sentence.

Lena’s emotions had been a confusing mixture of anger, heartbreak, and pity that day, but now as she sat next to Owen and waited to hear the verdict, she couldn’t pinpoint a single emotion that was stronger than any other. She was somehow both anxious and calm, both angry and relieved, both hopeful and cynical… It seemed her mind had gone numb in self-defense against the strange concoction of feelings. Despite the buzzing whispers of the crowd and the curious eyes that watched her, she could sense very little apart from the feeling of Owen’s hand enveloping hers.

She watched as his fingers fiddled lightly with her engagement ring, making the diamond sparkle brilliantly beneath the fluorescent lights. Lena looked up to find him gazing at her, and the love and support that shone from his beautiful green eyes nearly overwhelmed her. Whenever she felt adrift and alone, Owen was the anchor she clung to, riding out the storm until the skies were clear again.

“Still with me?” he whispered, smiling gently.

“Always.”

“This should be over pretty quickly. Want to catch a movie after?”

“What?” Lena smiled a little too, confused at the direction of his thoughts. Owen shrugged playfully.

“We need something normal. How’s date night sound?”

“Hmmm,” she pretended to consider it, her previous tension already beginning to ease. “Sounds perfect, though I think I’d prefer something less crowded. Maybe takeout?”

“Italian?”

“And a smaller screen,” she nodded.

“Naked Netflix Time, then?” Owen grinned.

“You read my mind.”

“What will we be pretending to watch this time?”

“Does it really matter?”

He shook his head and leaned forward to place the lightest of kisses on her cheek. Their light-hearted flirting had managed to make the air a little more breathable for both of them, and they stayed in their bubble until a rise in the noise level distracted them.

Phelps was led into the room, looking just as long-suffering and downtrodden as he had every day since the trial had begun. It was a facade that Sean had explained was most likely suggested by his attorney. Although the case hadn’t exactly been a slam dunk for the prosecution, it seemed that even Phelps’ lawyer knew a losing hand when he saw one. Phelps had refused to make a confession, and he had endeavored to make himself look harmless and pitiful. He was still playing the victim, and Lena could only pray that the jury hadn’t bought his act.

She glared at him as he moved to stand in front of his chair, hoping against hope that this would be the last time she would ever have to look at his face. The bailiff called the court to its feet as the judge entered, and the usual introductions were made. Once everyone was seated again, the judge took a peek at the verdict and made his opening remarks, but Lena found her attention waning as he droned on.

What would Dad have thought of this?

The judge was recapitulating the trial and hailing Nathaniel Gardner as one of Seattle’s most prominent citizens, but in reality, very few of those present in the courtroom had truly known him. Lena wasn’t even sure she had known him. Her eyes gravitated to Phelps, who seemed determined not to look at her.

No one would ever know for certain whether Owen’s estimation of Nate’s feelings for Phelps had been accurate, but Lena felt that if it were true, there was a small measure of mercy in the fact that he’d never learned of Phelps’ betrayal. Nate would have been devastated and appalled that someone he’d thought so highly of had double-crossed him at every turn. He would have been horrified by Phelps’ audacity and no doubt livid that his actions had led to such disastrous consequences. But worse than all of that would have been his humiliation and remorse. He’d trusted the wrong person and paid the price for his mistake.

Lena’s attention was reclaimed by the tightening of Owen’s grip on her hand, and her eyes snapped back to the foreman, who was preparing to read the verdict. Her spine straightened a little, and her quickening pulse seemed to rush in her ears. Her breath caught in her chest as the list of charges was read and a verdict was pronounced after each one.

Guilty… Guilty… Guilty… Guilty…

On and on it went, and Lena’s heart seemed to beat faster each time the word was repeated. Her skin was tingling, and she began to feel a little lightheaded as the acute relief washed over her. The buzzing of the crowd sounded happier this time, and she felt several hands touching her arms and shoulders. The sentencing would happen at a later date, but Lena knew Phelps would spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Pure, unadulterated elation surged through her, and before she knew it, everyone seemed to be on their feet, hugging and celebrating noisily. Owen gathered her in his arms and pressed her tightly to his chest, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Phelps being handcuffed and prodded toward the side exit.

He disappeared through the doorway and out of their lives forever.