Chapter 273

Serena's POV

"Listen to this voice message he sent me." Burton pulled out his phone, holding it like a trump card. I noticed his hands trembling slightly, likely from a mix of nervousness and anticipation.

Dylan took the phone and played the message. As the audio filled the courtroom, I furrowed my brow - while the content matched Burton's testimony exactly, something about the voice seemed off.

Dylan quickly highlighted this discrepancy: "I believe everyone has noticed an obvious issue with this voice message. The voice speaking to Mr. Burton has been altered by AI technology and sounds nothing like my client."

Burton immediately jumped up, his face flushed. "Of course it's been altered! Someone as careful as Harrington wouldn't leave such obvious evidence!"

As I listened, I couldn't help but think: this actually exposed a massive flaw in their case. Sometimes clever people can outsmart themselves, and whoever was behind this clearly thought using voice alteration would be above suspicion.

While I was pondering this, Dylan calmly announced, "I've had technical experts restore the original voice from this recording."

I held my breath as he played the audio again. When the restored voice emerged, my heart skipped a beat - it was an exact match to Grayson's voice from the earlier recording!

I glanced around the courtroom as murmurs of shock rippled through the gallery. The bailiffs had to signal for quiet to maintain order. The implications were staggering - this piece of evidence had just completely changed the direction of the case.

The judge leaned forward, his expression grave. "Counselor, are you prepared to authenticate this voice analysis?"

"Yes, Your Honor," Dylan responded, producing a thick folder. "I have here a detailed forensic audio analysis report prepared by Dr. Smith of the Central Forensics Laboratory. The report includes both spectrographic analysis and AI detection markers that conclusively prove the original voice belongs to Mr. Chen."

I watched as Benjamin Kennedy's typically composed demeanor showed the first crack of concern. He quickly rose to his feet. "Your Honor, we request time to have our own experts examine this evidence."

."

"Nobody is more surprised than me," Burton interjected, his voice shaking. "I received that message through an encrypted app. The sender's identity showed as Mr. Harrington's private number

Dylan seized on this detail. "Mr. Burton, did you ever have direct communication with Mr. Harrington before receiving this message?"

"No... all previous communications were through his assistant or legal team."

"So you had no way to verify if the number actually belonged to Mr. Harrington?"

Burton's face paled as the implications of his testimony began to sink in. I could see the precise moment when he realized he might have been manipulated into becoming a pawn in someone else's game.

The judge's gavel cracked through the tense atmosphere. "We'll take a thirty-minute recess. When we resume, I expect both counsels to be prepared to address the authenticity of all evidence presented thus far."

When court resumed, I noticed that Prosecutor Benjamin Kennedy raised no objections to the audio evidence, allowing me to breathe a small sigh of relief.

The courtroom was eerily silent, with everyone holding their breath, afraid to miss even the smallest detail. The afternoon sun filtered through the tall windows, casting long shadows across the polished floor. I forced myself to remain still, though every fiber of my being wanted to jump up and scream out the truth.

Dylan stood with quiet confidence, his voice steady and clear as it carried through the hushed chamber. "Based on the evidence presented, we can reasonably reconstruct the truth," he began, adjusting his tie. "Grayson, behind my client's back and exploiting their reputation, engaged in illegal activities. The person threatening Grayson was none other than Garrett Thorne, the eldest son of the Thorne family."

I watched as Prosecutor Benjamin Kennedy immediately rose to his feet, his expression stern. "Your Honor, while the defense has provided substantial evidence that appears logically sound for case analysis, numerous questions remain unanswered." He paused, scanning the courtroom before continuing. "This does not conclusively prove Lucas Harrington's innocence. Everything could still be an elaborate performance orchestrated by Harrington himself. Furthermore, the defense has yet to provide concrete evidence linking these crimes to the Thorne family. These are merely speculations."

Dylan remained unruffled by the challenge. His calm demeanor reminded me of Lucas, and the thought sent a fresh wave of worry through me. "Your Honor," Dylan responded, "I'm about to present several pieces of evidence that, while not directly related to the case, serve as crucial circumstantial evidence for our logical inference."

After receiving the judge's permission, I watched intently as Dylan played two video clips that made my blood run cold.

The first video showed Rachel Thorne speaking to Nina in what appeared to be a private office. The crystal clarity of the footage made Rachel's cold expression even more chilling as she said, "Tonight's target is this person. Study his preferences and make sure to accommodate them." When Nina showed reluctance, Rachel's voice turned threatening: "Nina, don't forget who gave you your current success. You're in no position to negotiate terms with me."

The second video was even more shocking. It showed Garrett and Rachel Thorne in what they thought was a private conversation, discussing how to use these videos as leverage. I felt sick to my stomach as I heard Garrett's words: "Respectable people aren't useful for blackmail. We need people with peculiar tastes who maintain a facade of propriety. Those are the ones who fear public exposure the most."

The courtroom erupted in hushed whispers when the videos ended. I could hear the shock and disgust in the murmurs around me. An elderly woman behind me whispered to her companion, "How could they do such terrible things?" while a young law student furiously scribbled notes, his face pale with disbelief.

I glanced at Lucas, sitting stoically at the defense table. His broad shoulders were tense, but his expression remained impassive. I wished I could reach out and tell him everything would be okay, but the truth was, I wasn't sure myself. The stakes were impossibly high.

Dylan's voice cut through the murmurs: "While these videos may seem tangential to the current case, they demonstrate a crucial pattern. The Thorne family has consistently used people's dark secrets as leverage, turning blackmail into an art form. This isn't an isolated incident - it's their modus operandi."

I noticed that this time, Prosecutor Benjamin Kennedy remained seated, his expression thoughtful. The shift in his demeanor gave me a glimmer of hope. When Dylan announced he had one final piece of evidence to present, I felt my heart skip a beat. "And now," he declared, his voice ringing with conviction, "I will present the final, decisive evidence that will clear my client's name!"