She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 653

Hank shook his head. "I'm not sure, but it works in our favor. Now we have both the witnesses and the physical evidence."

By the end of the trial, fueled by Larry's flawless defense and the crushing pressure of public opinion, the judge struck the gavel. He ruled that Loyce, Hank, and their team had acted in heroic defense of a human life and were officially acquitted of all charges.

Even if the judge had secretly wanted to do the billionaires a favor, doing so with the entire nation watching would have instantly ended his career. Any hint of bias would have been career suicide.

The trial wrapped up perfectly. A newly acquitted Loyce stood up and headed to the restroom. As she splashed cold water on her face, a woman in a sharp business suit walked in.

The woman stood at the adjacent sink, pretending to touch up her makeup, but from the corner of her eye, she was closely examining Loyce.

With so many eyes on her today, Loyce hadn't paid much attention to the woman until she felt that subtle, condescending gaze. It made her slightly uncomfortable.

She grabbed a paper towel, dried her hands, and walked out without a word.

The woman stopped applying her lipstick. Watching Loyce's retreating figure in the mirror, she muttered under her breath, "So this is who Dad compromised for. She's got some skills, sure, but... nothing spectacular."

When Loyce and Hank stepped out of the courthouse, it was pouring rain, yet a massive crowd of people stood outside with umbrellas, cheering wildly for her.

Loyce looked at Hank, and they shared a warm smile.

"Thanks for standing by me."

Hank draped an arm over her shoulders. "I'll always be your shield."

The Bloomberry team, who had been waiting outside, waved frantically and cheered. "Staying up all night to make those outfits was totally worth it!" Jean yelled over the rain. "They were flawless! Giselle, you're a genius for getting Hank's measurements so perfectly! You have a literal tape measure for eyes!"

Giselle forced an awkward smile, keeping to herself that she had mostly measured him by hand.

Another colleague chimed in, "This calls for a massive celebration! We need an epic wrap party!"

Just then, a sleek black Maybach cut through the crowd and pulled right up to Loyce.

The door opened, and a man reached out, snapping open a large black umbrella before stepping out into the rain. His features were devastatingly handsome—broad shoulders tapering down to a narrow waist, his tailored suit barely containing the raw, explosive power of his muscles.

The reporters couldn't help but frantically snap photos of him, too.

The three of them standing together looked like a spread straight out of a magazine.

"I'm here to pick you up," Lucian said, his voice smooth and deep.

He tilted the umbrella over Loyce, bringing with him the faint, clean scent of medicinal mint.

She looked up at him, realization dawning. "You're the one who protected Ayla."

"I knew you'd go rogue again," Forrest scolded lightly. "Thank God Hank was there to take the hits for you, or how were you supposed to fight off all those guards?"

In truth, Loyce had her own operatives stationed all around the perimeter; she just hadn't needed to call them in. She wisely kept that detail to herself and lowered her head obediently. "It won't happen again."

"You have a million 'next times'," Forrest fired back.

Loyce just kept her head down, accepting the scolding.

Morris nudged Forrest. "Give her a break. Having Hank tail her was your idea in the first place."

Forrest sighed. "I know she's capable, but how am I supposed to just stop worrying?"

Gordon pulled Loyce over to sit next to him. "Alright, alright. We all know how she is. Just keep a closer eye on her moving forward. Besides, she did a good deed."

The family settled around their table, while the Bloomberry staff occupied another one nearby.

Hank subtly glanced over at the other table. Seeing Giselle nursing a glass of juice and chatting happily with a male coworker, his expression instinctively darkened.

As if sensing his intense gaze, Giselle shot him a brief look, then completely turned her head as if he didn't exist, her grip tightening on her glass.