ryethenovel Chapter 294: Crippling Blow
Chapter 294: Crippling Blow
The following morning began quietly.
Snow continued falling beyond the mansion’s towering glass walls, covering the cliffs overlooking Lake Michigan in a fresh blanket of white. The blizzard had become the dominant story throughout the entire state. Roads were closed. Flights were grounded. Government buildings operated with skeleton crews.
Meanwhile, Damian sat comfortably in his home office reviewing case files related to Victor Hale. Just because the case had been postponed until the New Year did not mean he should neglect his preparations.
The cigar between his fingers burned steadily as purple smoke drifted lazily through the room. Loth stood nearby organizing documents while Rin slept atop a bookshelf with all seven tails hanging over the edge.
Everything appeared calm until it wasn’t.
Bam!
A thick folder landed on Damian’s desk.
Loth’s expression carried unusual concern.
"A judicial ethics complaint was filed this morning."
Damian glanced at the folder before letting out a chuckle.
"So soon?"
"The timing is suspicious," Loth replied.
"Everything about this case is suspicious," Damian shrugged indifferently.
Opening the folder, Damian immediately found the accusations.
Conflict of interest.
Bias.
Personal history with Victor Hale.
Questions regarding his resignation from Blacksheep.
Questions regarding his relationship with former colleagues.
Questions regarding his rapid appointment to the bench.
Questions regarding his financial growth.
The complaint itself stretched nearly sixty pages long, yet Damian skimmed through it in less than three seconds before tossing it aside.
"Amateurs," he muttered in annoyance.
Loth blinked. "You aren’t worried?"
Under normal circumstances this would have been a problem, but it was clear Damian intended to maintain his mortal identity. It was only natural these attacks from the government concerned her.
"Not particularly." Damian tapped ash into a crystal tray. "If they had evidence, they would have used evidence."
His finances had been handled carefully from the very beginning. As a lawyer, he would never make the same mistakes as careless politicians. He knew they would find nothing if they dug into his affairs. The best they could accomplish with all of this was buying time, but unknown to them, time was something Damian possessed in abundance.
"This was written to create noise."
The phone rang before he could continue. The caller ID displayed another familiar name.
Assistant State Attorney Michael Carver.
Damian answered immediately.
"Tell me the next problem."
Several seconds of silence followed before Michael sighed heavily.
"You predicted this, didn’t you?"
"What happened?" Damian ignored the question and asked one of his own.
"They filed a motion to recuse you."
Buzz!
That made Loth pause and even Rin opened one eye from the bookshelf. They were not natives of this world, but they understood enough about the legal system to grasp the implications.
"The defense claims your previous employment at Blacksheep prevents impartial judgment," Michael continued.
Damian nodded calmly, as though he were listening to an ordinary weather report. Everything that had happened so far was expected.
"They’re requesting reassignment," Michael added.
"Will it work?" Damian asked while casually flipping a page in the document he was reading.
"No," Michael answered immediately. "But it buys time."
There it was.
Time.
Every delay increased the chances of witnesses disappearing and evidence weakening. Worse still, public attention would gradually drift away from the case.
The Hale family had truly gone all out to deal with one little judge.
Damian ended the call shortly afterward before sitting quietly and watching the snow while listening to the wind. The mansion remained silent until another call arrived.
This time it came from Twenty.
Damian frowned immediately because he had not expected anything from that side. Nevertheless, he answered.
"What now?" Damian asked in a level tone.
"My people found something."
Twenty sounded furious.
Damian sat forward slightly.
Now that was interesting.
"What?"
"The Morales family."
Damian’s eyes narrowed instantly.
That was the victim’s family.
"What about them?"
"They received an offer."
Buzz!
Damian’s smile vanished and he abruptly rose to his feet.
"How much?"
There was a pause, as though Twenty could sense the change on the other end of the line. Regardless, he answered.
"Twenty million."
Buzz!
The room became still.
Even Rin stopped pretending to sleep.
"A trust fund for the daughter. A new house. Lifetime medical care. Private schooling." Twenty continued.
Damian slowly sat back down, his gaze turning colder by the second, while Twenty laughed bitterly.
For them to make such an offer meant Sophia had regained consciousness and that information had been deliberately kept from him.
"They aren’t even hiding it anymore," Twenty sighed.
"No," Damian agreed. "They aren’t."
He already understood what was happening. The Hale family had concluded they could not save Victor through facts, so they were attempting to purchase peace instead.
The moment the family accepted that money, public sympathy would disappear. It would not matter whether the case continued afterward or not.
It was a clever strategy.
Exactly the kind of strategy Damian expected.
The call ended shortly afterward, and for several minutes nobody spoke.
Then another development arrived.
This time through the television.
The news anchor appeared visibly excited.
"Breaking news."
The screen shifted and Damian immediately recognized the image.
His own face.
The anchor continued.
"Questions are now being raised regarding Judge Damian Hill’s impartiality in the Victor Hale case."
Several photographs appeared.
Photos of Damian attending Blacksheep events.
Damian shaking hands with Victor years ago.
There was even a short recording from the Summer Associates Party where he introduced his wife to Victor.
The anchor continued.
"Legal experts have begun debating whether Judge Hill should remain assigned to the case."
Damian laughed.
A cold and vicious laugh.
The kind that made Loth nervous because she had learned something important.
Whenever Damian laughed during situations like this, somebody usually died afterward.
"They’re coordinating," Rin said as he jumped down from the bookshelf.
"Obviously," Damian shrugged indifferently.
"No. They’re coordinating extremely well," Rin warned.
He feared Damian’s public image would be destroyed before he could even fight back. Worse still, having his face plastered across every news station was the last thing they needed right now. They were supposed to be maintaining a low profile.
Damian, however, could not stop smiling.
The ethics complaint.
The recusal motion.
Witness withdrawals.
Media attacks.
Settlement offers.
All within twenty-four hours.
He never thought he would live to see the day when powerful figures across the United States gathered their resources against him.
These motherfuckers had finally decided Damian Hill needed to be stopped.
Damian rose from his seat and walked toward the massive window overlooking the frozen lake. Snow continued falling endlessly while Chicago looked peaceful beneath the storm.
Honestly, he really did not want to shed human blood during such a beautiful season.
Unfortunately, they seemed determined to force his hand.
Damian took a slow drag from his cigar and purple flames danced briefly across the burning tip.
"I think it’s time we start fighting back."
Loth nodded firmly.
Rin smiled viciously.
Both of them understood something the people opposing Damian did not.
The worst thing they could have done was convince him he was facing worthy opponents.
Now he was interested.
And whenever Damian became interested in something, he had a habit of seeing it through to the very end.