Chapter 16
Megan sat next to Jensen, her stomach in knots. She looked around the court room and at the faces of the people around her. To them, this was just another trial, but to her, this could be the difference between her happiness or her demise. What if there wasn’t enough evidence to find Tristan guilty? What if his lawyer was better and found a loophole? What if Tristan was able to buy his way out of going to prison? Would he try to get his revenge on her? He knew Megan was the one who set him up. He knew she was the reason he was arrested and that he might be going to prison. People talked quietly amongst themselves until the judge started to speak.
“Please let the jury know they can return to my court room.”
The bailiff opened a side door and allowed for the jury to enter back into the court room. It seemed to take forever for them to get seated. The foreman of the jury stood up and waited for further instruction.
“Have you reached a verdict on which you all agree?” asked the judge.
The foreman held a piece of paper in his hands. On that paper was Tristan’s fate. Megan stared at Tristan, wondering what went through his head in the four months it took to get to this point. He sat there, not moving, not looking, not anything. He didn’t look like the same man she worked for and trusted in the beginning. His facial expression was blank. He had been arrested with no chance of bail and in that four months Megan learned that his company was already in jeopardy. No one wanted to step up and accept the role that Tristan played. Did he know? Was he bitter or was he sorry?
She couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if she didn’t take it upon herself to give Tristan the opportunity to bury himself again. A twinge of guilt kept festering deep within her. She was the reason Tristan Crawford’s life was being turned upside down.
She felt a hand slide into hers and it extinguished her guilt almost immediately. She looked at Jensen and smiled. It wasn’t her fault. Tristan was not a good person and he deserved everything he got. She took a deep breath.
“We have, Your Honor.”
Megan squeezed Jensen’s hand as she waited for the verdict. Even though Tristan was arrested with no bail before his trial, it didn’t stop Megan’s phone from ringing. Every time it was an unknown caller and every time she only heard light breathing before the person hung up. Jensen got the same thing a few times. They didn’t know how Tristan was doing it, they only had thoughts and assumptions.
“What say you?”
“We, the jury…”
Megan held her breath. She didn’t want to worry about looking over her shoulder any more. She wanted the phone calls to stop. She wanted to move on with her life and forget Tristan Crawford even existed. Her eyes were glued to the foreman of the jury.
“…find the defendant, Tristan Crawford, guilty of two counts of attempted kidnapping with intent to rape.”
Megan closed her eyes, feeling tears surface. She hugged Jensen tightly.
“Do you wish to say anything before sentence is imposed, Mr. Crawford?”
Tristan kept his head down and shook it slowly from side to side.
“Very well. I hereby sentence you to fifteen years in prison. Your sentence will be carried out in the HM Prison Wandsworth. Take him away.”
“You did it,” said Jensen. “Thanks to you, Tristan is now where he belongs.”
She was happy, but still wondered if she was safe. She watched as the officers took Tristan by the arms and led him away from his lawyer, who was shaking his head and keeping his eyes on his paperwork in front of him. Tristan watched his lawyer until the officers got him to the center of the court room, where his eyes moved from his lawyer to Megan. The look he gave her was cold and angry and she caught herself leaning in toward Jensen.
“Don’t let him intimidate you. He’s not going to bother us anymore. Come on.” Jensen stood up and took Megan’s hand. “Let’s get out of here.” It took Megan a few moments to realize it was over. When she stood up, Jensen put his arm around her and escorted her out of the court house. Once they got outside and back to his car, he pulled her close to him and kissed her deeply before opening her door. She clung to him and let her body enjoy his kiss. When he let her go and stepped back, his fingers caressed her face. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Much better now. I feel like I can breathe again, like we can breathe again.”
He opened her door and let her into the car.
The ride back to the penthouse somehow felt more free. Jensen caressed her hand as they drove along the streets away from the courthouse. “How about a little celebration?” he asked.
“I’d like that.”
“I’ll invite everyone for a little party at the penthouse tonight. Time to celebrate a new freedom away from the harassment and bullshit.”
“Well, with Tristan anyway.”
Jensen looked at her, cocking his head. “What do you mean?”
“You still have Kristina to deal with.”
“Honestly, this has been the longest it has been since I have heard from her. In fact, I haven’t heard from her, seen her or heard anything about her in quite some time now.”
“Really? How long has it been?”
“Since I handed her the restraining order at the fashion show. I guess she finally realized I was serious about never wanting to see her again.”
“Let’s hope so.”
That evening at the penthouse, Megan stood in the living room and looked around at everyone. She finally had a group of friends she trusted and she could call her family. Stella, Elle, Black, Lorena and her new boyfriend, Rhys from Paris gathered around and watched as Jensen held a bottle of champagne out. When he popped the cork they all cheered and held their glasses out.
“I just want to say,” Megan said, taking a small breath, “thank you to each and every one of you for being there when I needed you most,” she said looking at Jensen. “for helping with the investigation,” she looked at Elle and Black. “for standing behind me when I needed you most,” she said smiling at Lorena. “and for making a huge difference in my life.” She looked at Stella and smiled. “I couldn’t ask for a better circle of friends in my life. Here’s to being truly happy and enjoying what life brings to us next.” She raised her glass and was truly ready to move on with her life.
Everyone but Jensen took a sip. “Wait a minute, wait a minute,” he said, putting his hands up. “I forgot one small detail in order to make this small get together just a little bit better.”
He handed the champagne bottle to Elle and winked at her before turning away. Megan looked at Elle who had a slight grin on her face.
“What’s going on?” Megan asked her. Elle shrugged and didn’t say a word. When Jensen returned, he handed a small box to Megan and looked at Elle who was standing on the other side of her. She glanced at Jensen and then at Elle, who was holding her cell phone up as if waiting to take a picture. When she turned back toward Jensen, he was kneeling down in front of her. She quickly covered her mouth and gasped. “What’s going on?” she asked again, with a shaky voice.
“Open the box, Megan.” His eyes were soft and his voice was like velvet. He smiled at her with a smile that hinted on a nervous twitch along his beautiful lips. She hesitated only for a moment then opened the box. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the blue sapphire surrounded by diamonds set on a white gold ring. She exhaled slowly and looked at him as he took her hand. “I have to confess even with my success that I have been pretty unlucky in love and with life. I have had to work my ass off to make my company successful and I felt like no matter what I did, the results never came without consequences. That is, until I met you. When you came into my life, it was as if things began to make sense again. The morning I opened my door and saw you fall on my front porch was the morning I fell… in love with you.”
Megan blushed at the memory of passing out in front of him from lack of food.
“Megan Jenkins, I love you with all of my heart and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?”
“Yes!” she said without hesitation. “Yes.” She giggled and slammed into him, hugging him tightly. She felt a tear trickle down her cheek when she squeezed her eyes closed and she realized that she has never been so happy as she was that very moment.
Everyone in the room whistled and clapped at the special event and congratulated the couple on their new engagement. Megan watched as Jensen took the large ring from the box and slid it on her finger. It fit perfectly. She marveled at its beauty.
“It has to be the most beautiful ring I have ever seen,” she said. She spun around and held her hand out toward Lorena and the others.
“Oh, I am so happy for you!” She hugged her tightly, tears streaming from her eyes.
Megan stepped back and looked at everyone in the room.
“I have never been happier. I can finally say I have a family I am proud to be a part of. Thank you so much for caring about me.”
She looked at Jensen and for the first time in her entire life, she could see that her life had a purpose, her future ahead looked wonderful.