"This is injustice! Get us out of here!" Nico shouted in rage, banging the metal bars in the process. He had been locked up together with his men since the Xavier incident.
"Shut the fuck up!" A man being held in another cell shouted in annoyance.
"You shut the fuck up!"
Bang! Bang! An officer hit his baton against one of the metal bars, walking towards Nico's cell. "Both of you shut it! This is not a bar!"
Nico grew more enraged from being talked down. He was used to being the top dog. He flung his arms, trying to reach for the officer's collar. The latter sidestepped him. "Now that's just going to get you more charges, behave."
"I said get us out of here", Nico spoke through gritted teeth. "It's been two freaking days!"
"You should've thought twice before assaulting such a reputable public figure."
"This is abuse of our rights. I want my lawyer! I have a right to a lawyer", he growled and looked over at his men. "Why am I the only one doing this? Do you like it here? Help me out here!"
"Grin! Someone for you here!" Another officer shouted.
Officer Grin left Nico's side and went to meet the said person. Not a moment later he was back. Nico watched the man take out some keys and opened the doors for them.
"You should've done that sooner", Nico scoffed.
Officer Grin only chuckled. "Come with me."
He led the group, some limping, some bruised up black and blue, some still swollen from the beatings. Nico didn't look any better and only made it worse when he wore a smug smile as he followed the officer.
A man in a business suit standing with another officer had his eyes trained on Nico and his group. Officer Grin walked over to the man. "This is them. Boys, meet Chris Gnash, Frost Corporation's legal representative."
"Whom do I speak with?" Chris looked among the badly beat up men.
"Me", Nico puffed up his chest in pride trying to match up to the big man.
"Do you want to ask for your lawyer or are you comfortable speaking with me?" Chris asked.
"Think you're all that?" Nico scoffed and pulled a chair and sat down facing the man. He looked over at Officer Grin, "Get him a seat. I didn't think the almighty Xavier Frost would actually hide behind you. Unbelievable."
Officer Grin shook his head at Nico's arrogance but still got a chair for Chris. The latter barely showed an expression towards Nico's jab. He thanked the officer for the chair and sat down facing Nico. Officer Grin went around to his desk to mediate the discussion.
"So", Nico started before anyone else could speak. "What mumble jumble do you have for me? Come to settle? I'm not exactly a cheap person."
"Mr. Frost recognized your love, no, appreciation for money. He definitely knew a fat compensation would be fitting", Chris said.
"Of course. So how much are we talking about here?"
"S200, 000 to cover medical fees as well as compensation." Chris took out an A4 envelop and tore through it to bring out the forms.
Nico whistled, eyes wide from shock and his men burst into whispers. This is what they get for being assaulted by such a person of a high status. It was easy money. Too easy. The pain is worth it. He got his girl, they get the money.
"He wants to keep this underwraps", Chris added as he passed the document to Nico.
"Of course, of course", Nico nodded enthusiastically and in understanding. He looked over at Officer Grin, "Pen! Good thing my good hand is still working", he chuckled, barely suppressing his excitement as he twisted his wrist around.
Chris only looked at him while Officer Grin passed him the pen. Nico didn't bother to read through the document and went to the very bottom where he saw Xavier had already signed and decided to sign next to it.
"Don't you want to read that first?" A subordinate asked from behind him.
"Shut up! What do you know?" He snapped and happily put a dot at the end of his signature. He looked up at Chris and broke into a happy grin as he passed over the document.
"Thank you", Chris put the document away. "So, we were thinking of payment in two instalments. Would that be alright with you?"
"Of course, of course." He nodded away but still not understanding why such a rich man would pay in two instalments.
"These are the bank details", Chris passed him a paper with the necessary information.
"Good, good, good."
"Alright, then. So when will you make the first payment?"
"Huh?" He liked at Chris dumbfounded but the latter only gave him a blank stare. "Why am I..... Am I... AM I THE ONE MAKING PAYMENTS?"
"The document states that you will be compensating Mr. Frost for assault charges, medical expenses and emotional damages for the traumatic event. You just signed it."
Nico stood so quickly like his seat had just caught fire. He looked at Chris wide eyed as though the man had suddenly grown two heads. "But- But- But- $200,000 is a lot of money! He did this to all of us, look at how miserable we look. That monster did this to us. And I'm not the one who stabbed him!" He turned to his men. "Who did it? Speak now! I'm not about to pay for your crimes!"
"How could one man go against ten? The fact that he's in the hospital says a lot about your situation. And you're compensating him as agroup, it's fair", Officer Grin shrugged. He wanted the matter to be done and over with because he was tired of Nico.
"BUT THAT'S DAYLIGHT ROBBERY!"
Chris broke out in an unamused chuckle. He relaxed in his seat and unbuttoned his suit jacket. "Daylight robbery? If it's daylight robbery you claim it is then I'm open to talking about that. Let me just remind you that I'm not only representing Mr. Frost, but Miss Lorraine May is under my care as well."
Nico froze. This man had definitely done his homework. Now he was being forced to pay at least three times more than what he extorted from Lorraine.
"Boss, I told you to read it..." Someone said quietly.
"SHUT UP!" Nico pulled his hair while breathing heavily from rage. They played him. He had just been beaten at his own game.
"Please just come to some sort of agreement or you might be sharing a cell with the likes of him", Officer Grin nodded at a TV mounted on the wall.
One of Nico's subordinates looked up at the screen only to see Peter and Gwen's pictures placed side by side and the headlines reading: 'A SATISFYING VERDICT! JUSTICE FOR THE VICTIMS!'
At the courthouse, people were cheering for the verdict while others still expressed their anger against the two. At the moment, Peter was being escorted back to prison, his now new home. The man could not stop the tears that fell down his face.
He didn't care about the circumstances, but what pained him was the fact that he had lost the one thing that was dear to him: his family. He would not be able to see his boys grow up or grow old with Shauna like he had promised her to.
Another thing that left him feeling perplexed was the fact that from the beginning of the trial to the end, his wife had not shown her face not once. Should he be mad or relieved?
Bang! Bang! "Get out!" An officer shouted.
Peter and other prisoners being escorted stepped out of the van to realize they had finally arrived. He felt his heart lodge in his throat. He desperately wished he could run away in that moment.
"Move it!" A prisoner behind him pushed him forward.
Like the previous times, the older prisoners howled at their new inmates, banging the metal bars and screaming profanities at them. Peter had still not gotten used to this intimidating environment.
Reaching his cell, the prison guard buzzed him in before leaving for her duty. He didn't make eye contact with his inmates and simply curled up in a corner. The undeniable truth heavily weighed on his mind: he was doomed for life.
"Hey man", someone shook Peter. He knelt before him with a concerned expression on his face. "You alright?"
Peter only let out a sigh, not knowing how to answer that simple question. The guy was clean shaven and had short curly brown hair. "You trial just ended today?"
"How do you know?"
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