Mr. CEO, You're Just A Substitute
Chapter 112 Moral Coercion

There were no more morning doorbells and bunches of roses waiting for Starry from that day on. Also, she decided to forget the whole flower-giving story.

She never bothered herself by figuring out the true reasons why Filip sent her those flowers.

On January 13th, a heavy snow fell in Araria City.

The case of plagiarism and contract violation involving Iris Young/Skyler Rees was going to be heard at 10 o'clock that day.

Starry woke up at 7 o'clock. After breakfast, makeup and dressing, she drove to the court at 9 o'clock.

When she departed, the morning traffic peak had already ended. Once in the court, she saw Bentley waiting for her.

"Ms. Bradley."

Starry grinned, "Attorney Wood, long time no see."

It had indeed been a long time since their last meeting.

The case was filed in April last year and the first instance was heard 5 months later. After the date of the second trial was set after the first trial, Starry and Bentley never saw each other again. The company that Iris Young/Skyler Rees belonged to refused to accept the verdict of the first instance and filed an appeal.

Actually, the result of the case was unchangeable and their appeal was only a desperate struggle.

Starry was there that day only to go through the motions.

"Indeed, long time no see."

Bentley was in a black suit with a gentle smile.

Outside the court, no one would believe that he would act aggressively while debating.

A familiar male voice interrupted their conversation.

Starry was startled. She had never seen Wyatt again since October.

Although they were friends on Facebook, they were not intimate with each other. Besides, since Starry was not a Moments-browser type, she did not know much about Wyatt's life. "Good morning, Mr. Matthews."

Instead of a suit, Wyatt was in a dark wool coat, which brought out his statuesque profile. He was as charming as the hero in a TV soap.

"It seems to be a decade, right?"

Starry smiled, "You are always so busy, Mr. Matthews."

"I am actually not. I just did not want to bother you, Ms. Bradley."

The trial was about to begin and both Starry and Bentley should be seated.

"Maybe we can have lunch together. Please be seated, Ms. Bradley."

Bentley said. He gestured Starry to a way to her seat.

Starry did not reject Bentley's invitation, "Okay. See you later, Mr. Matthews."

She walked towards the seat for the prosecution. After seated, taking off her scarf, she cast a look at Iris and the representative of her company.

Iris was startled when she saw Starry.

Iris had suffered a lot during the last half a year. She tried to contact Starry twice, yet Starry was so "stonehearted" that she asked her lawyer to warn Iris not to call her again or Iris would be sued for harassment.

However, Iris could not afford the compensation damages of 20 million and her company did not want to help her.

She had consulted many lawyers and all of them told her that the result would not be changed.

The terms of the contract are very clear. Thus, even though it really was Starry who tricked her into violating the contract, she should shoulder the results of violation.

After the first hammer, the hearing of the second trial began.

With a clear logic and his art of eloquence, Bentley made the defense speechless in only a few rounds.

The hearing was over within only 70 minutes.

After the second hammer, everything was settled-the appeal was dismissed and the verdict upheld.

Although the result was within everyone's expectation, Bentley still offered his sincere congratulations.

Starry shook her hand with Bentley, "Congratulations, too, Attorney Wood."

Bentley could get a large sum of money as commission from the this case since the compensatory damages was up to 20 million.

Now that Starry had won the case, she would definitely be as happy as Bentley. "Congratulations, Ms. Bradley. To celebrate your win, how about a lunch on me?" Starry was in a good mood, so she did not turn him down, "That sounds great."

Bentley also accepted the invitation.

The three of them walk out of the court together. Starry said to the other two, "I can drive myself to the restaurant and my car is over there."

Wyatt pulled up the corner of his lips, "Well, then, see you later in the Flamewarden Hall."

Starry nodded, "Okay."

"Excuse me, I need to be on the phone now."

Bentley glanced at Starry and Wyatt and then stepped aside to pick up the call.

It was snowing and the wind slapped on their faces like frozen knives.

Wyatt did not ask Starry to stand in the wind with him waiting for Bentley. Instead, he said, "Maybe you can go there first and we will see you later."

Starry cast a look at Bentley who was standing a few feet away talking on the phone, and, readjusting the umbrella, accepted Wyatt's suggestion, "Then, see you later." "Take care, Ms. Bradley."

"So do you, Mr. Matthews."

Then, looking down on the road, she walked downstairs with the umbrella and soon disappeared in the snow.

Staring behind Starry as she walked away, Wyatt slightly rolled his brown eyes, shades of unreadable smiles flickering in them.

After a while, he collected his eyes and walked towards Bentley, "Are you still on your phone?"

Bentley lowered his hand and put the phone away, "Should I leave you two alone?"

"Maybe you should."

Bentley pushed his glasses up and said, "Didn't you tell Dante that he should not fall in love with Starry? Why do you look at her like that?" "Even heroes fall for beauties."

Wyatt paused and signed, "I also want to be such a hero."

Starry was indeed a beauty-a definite beauty."

Bentley eyed him and said, "My best wishes for you."

Whether Wyatt was a hero was uncertain, yet Starry was absolutely a beauty, which would sometimes even hurt you with her thorns like a rose.

"After all, you will never be sorry for being a failure in love."

Wyatt was a decisive man who held the belief that better a loser than a coward.

Unlocking his car, Bentley raised one eyebrow and shrugged without any more comments.

Once Starry got in her car and put away her umbrella, she found Skyler waiting for her in front of her car.

Although the snow was not heavy, the snowflakes soon covered Skyler's hair.

"Ms. Bradley, can we talk?"

The strong wind nearly covered her voice, yet Starry could still hear her words clearly.

Eyebrows knitted, she opened her umbrella and got out of the car, "Ms. Rees, maybe you don't want a fight here near the court."

Wyatt came over and asked, "Anything wrong here?"

Noticing that he did not have an umbrella, Starry moved her umbrella to shelter him from the falling snow, "She wants a talk."

At Starry's words, Skyler heavily kneeled down and began to kowtow, crying and begging for mercy, "I am so sorry. I know it was all my fault and I am the one to blame! Yet, I can't afford the compensation damages! Indeed, I can't! My family is not rich. Even if I sell every pin, I can't get you 20 million. Ms. Bradley, please let me off! Please, for god's sake!"

Wyatt grunted, "What moral coercion."

"No! I didn't mean moral coercion. I just can't afford it! Ms. Bradley, I can give you everything I have! But I really can't get you 20 million."

Starry rolled her eyes and said coldly, "I don't care whether you can afford it. It's none of my business. If you keep crying here in my way, I won't mind filing a new case for you." Then, she glanced at Wyatt, "What's your plan, Mr. Mathews?"

"You don't mind if I hitch a ride, Ms. Bradley? Bentley won't come because he suddenly has some business to deal with. Maybe we will have a smaller desk for our lunch this time." Then, he smiled, "Of course, if you think that it's boring having lunch with me, we can have a meal with Bentley next time."

Starry sounded indifferent, "Not at all. Let's go, Mr. Mathews."

Realizing that Starry was to leave, Skyler sprung to her feet, got out a knife from somewhere and pointed it at her neck, "Starry Bradley, are you trying to kill me?"