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Chapter 142: Losing control

It\'s been nothing but headaches - my men have investigated every shady connection around my son, Caleb, with no results to show for it.

Even the drug trafficker involved with my son confirmed he hadn\'t ordered any hit on Caleb over unpaid narcotics.

"Commissioner." A police officer entered my office clutching documents.

"Any progress with my son\'s case? Has Arthur agreed to settle out of court?" I demanded.

"Unfortunately, Arthur remains uncooperative," the officer shook his head. "We tried negotiating with him - and even the thugs we sent to teach that uppity filmmaker a lesson ended up beaten senseless."

"Arthur\'s martial arts skills were unexpected," I said, irritation creeping into my voice. "I suppose while he\'s weak in magic, he makes up for it in combat ability."

"Indeed," the officer agreed, then added, "Though we can\'t stop Arthur, we\'ve successfully intimidated most potential witnesses against Caleb, sir."

"That\'s something at least," I nodded.

"But one witness won\'t back down, sir," the police officer said, looking uneasy.

"Who?"

The officer hesitated before answering, "The succubus named Alissa - the woman your son Caleb was obsessed with."

"That damned woman," I growled through clenched teeth.

"The Horn Kingdom Court hearing is approaching. We must silence that woman!" I slammed my fist on the desk.

"..." The police officer fell quiet, then said, "I apologize, sir, but... she\'s missing. We can\'t locate her."

"Useless!" I shouted. "Then find her!"

"Yes, sir!" The officer saluted and hurried out.

Damn it...

Arthur must be the one hiding her from us!

***

(3rd Person POV)

In Arthur\'s penthouse, Alissa paced nervously. She\'d been living here for quite some time now.

With the Horn Kingdom Court hearing only days away, she couldn\'t shake her concerns despite Arthur\'s assurances of safety.

Though determined to testify against Caleb\'s crimes, she knew all too well the power of his connections.

The Diamond family wielded considerable influence in Horn Kingdom - especially Caleb\'s father, Commissioner Raff, who posed the greatest threat.

Around noon, footsteps echoed from the penthouse entrance. Alissa\'s heart raced - her paranoia instantly assuming police had found her location.

She ducked into hiding, then breathed a sigh of relief when Arthur\'s voice reached her ears.

Her eyes widened at the sight of Clint and Benny beside him.

"Clint! Benny!" Alissa exclaimed. She hadn\'t seen them in weeks, not since visiting them in the hospital.

"Alissa!" Relief and joy flooded Clint\'s face.

Benny hung back awkwardly as Clint and Alissa embraced.

Arthur shook his head at the display, though he couldn\'t help but smile. It was good to see Alissa happy again after days of watching her live in fear.

"I thought you might be getting lonely here, so I brought these two along," Arthur explained.

"Thank you so much!" Alissa\'s gratitude was genuine.

"I should be thanking you," Arthur replied, "for standing firm against Caleb and agreeing to testify."

Alissa smiled warmly as Clint squeezed her hand. "I\'m just glad you\'re safe," he said softly.

She nodded, fighting back tears.

"She\'s been quite paranoid lately - hiding at the slightest noise. The police harassment has taken its toll," Arthur told Clint and Benny. "Take good care of her."

"I\'ll protect her with my life, boss," Clint promised, his smile determined.

***

October 17, 1272 marked the beginning of Horn Kingdom\'s most anticipated and controversial court case.

The courthouse steps teemed with reporters and divided crowds - supporters split between Caleb and the duo of Clint and Benny.

It had become the kingdom\'s biggest scandal to date.

"Caleb is innocent! Caleb is innocent!" chanted a group of his supporters gathered nearby.

Most were paid actors - hired by Commissioner Diamond to inflate the numbers and overshadow the genuine fans supporting Clint and Benny.

"Do you believe Caleb capable of such violence?" a reporter asked Clint and Benny\'s supporters, who stood defiantly near Caleb\'s group.

"Absolutely!" declared a demon dressed as Blondie from \'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly\' - clearly a Clint fan. "I know someone who\'s seen Caleb at drug dens! He\'s notorious for harassing women too!"

"That\'s right!" added a dwarf wearing Benny\'s signature style. "Everyone knows about Caleb\'s reputation with women!"

"But isn\'t that natural for someone part incubus?" the reporter pressed.

"Doesn\'t matter," the dwarf shot back. "Caleb\'s going to prison where he belongs!"

"Maybe he\'ll finally get an audience there - unlike his empty concerts!" another fan quipped.

Laughter rippled through the crowd, even drawing chuckles from reporters. Nearby, Caleb\'s few genuine supporters seethed with anger.

The tension between groups was palpable.

A sleek car pulled up to the courthouse steps. Caleb emerged with his legal team, immediately swarmed by reporters.

"I-I\'m innocent... I don\'t understand why Clint and Benny are doing this to me..." Caleb stammered, playing the victim.

After fielding questions and waving to his supporters, he disappeared into the courthouse.

Moments later, another car arrived. Clint and Benny stepped out with their lawyers, faced the barrage of questions, then made their way inside.

***

Inside the courtroom, tension hung thick in the air. Raff sat close to his son Caleb\'s side, radiating quiet confidence.

He glanced at Alissa across the aisle. One witness didn\'t concern him.

After all, without substantial evidence, he expected the case would be dismissed.

The court proceedings began with opening statements.

While Caleb\'s attorney proclaimed his client\'s innocence, Clint and Benny\'s legal team presented compelling medical evidence of their injuries. Hospital records, photographs, and expert testimony painted a clear picture of the assault. But the turning point came when Alissa took the witness stand.

Caleb glared at her, betrayal and anger evident in his expression. \'Why, Alissa...\' His fists clenched beneath the table.

As Alissa testified, reporters scribbled frantically, shocked by her graphic description of events. She detailed Caleb\'s persistent harassment, her voice steady and clear.

Caleb\'s lawyer tried to find holes in her testimony, but Alissa had prepared well, referring to her written statement to ensure precision.

Just as the judge and jury seemed unconvinced by her testimony alone, Alissa revealed her trump card.

She disclosed her months-long relationship with Caleb, producing evidence that left no room for denial.

This blindsided even Raff.

Alissa presented gifts from Caleb, including personal items of deep significance to him.

While Raff knew such evidence could still be contested, his son\'s composure cracked.

Caleb leaped to his feet, pointing accusingly at Alissa. "Why! Why would you do this to me?!"

Before anyone could intervene, he continued his outburst: "Why would you betray me and side with those bastards?!"

Arthur watched from his seat, having anticipated this very reaction. He\'d helped Alissa craft her testimony to provoke exactly this response.

She knew Caleb\'s tendency to lose control when cornered.

The strategy had worked perfectly. Alissa caught Arthur\'s eye, and they exchanged subtle nods of understanding.

"I don\'t want you, Caleb! You\'re a deranged demon! The one I love is Clint Foster!" Alissa\'s declaration rang through the courtroom.

"Wh-what did you say?!" Caleb lunged forward, barely restrained by his lawyers. "You worthless witch! You\'d choose a lowly actor over me?!"

"Control yourself, Caleb!" Raff\'s command fell on deaf ears.

Raff glanced desperately at the judge, who remained seated, secretly engrossed in the unfolding drama.

"You\'re obsessed! Is that why you beat them so brutally?!" Alissa challenged.

"That\'s right!" Caleb snarled, forgetting himself entirely. "No one can have you but me! I\'ll kill anyone who tries!"

His confession echoed through the court\'s recording system - a devastating slip.

Reporters\' pens flew across their notepads, capturing every damning word.

Arthur concealed a satisfied smile. His gambit had worked perfectly - without provoking Caleb through Alissa, securing a conviction would have been nearly impossible.

The case had shifted dramatically in his actors\' favor.

Even if Caleb\'s lawyers managed to argue their way out of an immediate guilty verdict, the foundation was laid. One more push would be all it took for Caleb to completely incriminate himself.