Sure enough, Lila's fears were right.

Nate showed up a few days later with flowers and another 'present'.

Abigail.

Lila didn't know what to do. She hadn't spoken with Abigail for over a month now, and her old coworker had a worried look on her face as she fiddled with her purse strap. "Lila? Are you there? It's Abby..."

Both San and Wooyoung were behind her with angry looks on their faces.

Leave it to Nate to find a way to shield himself. Abigail probably didn't know anything about what had happened to her either...

Which made Lila feel a little guilty about not letting her in, but she had never been super close with the girl anyway. And she had no intention of letting Nate anywhere near her.

"Lila? I see San's car out front... Please let us in. We just want to make sure you're ok."

San walked forward and pulled Lila into a hug. Then he motioned for her to wait in the kitchen with Wooyoung.

.

.

.

.

San felt his anger boiling over. Her coworkers were so damn persistent, and he could see that it was killing Lila to not speak to Abigail.

The girl didn't seem that bad.

So after Lila and Wooyoung were in the kitchen with Yeosang, San took a deep breath and opened the door. "She's not here." He snapped, his eyes instantly flying to Nate.

The taller's face was set with a worried look, but San could see a spark of something else in his eyes.

"I know she lives here San. Where else would she be? I know she quit her job suddenly. Please, we just want to talk to her." Abigail said, taking a half step forward.

San crossed his arms, barring their way. "Do you know HOW and WHY she quit her job?"

Nate lowered the flowers just a little.

"No. That's why we wanted to come by." Abigail looked up at Nate.

"I suggest you find yourself a new friend Abby. You have no idea who is standing next to you right now." San growled.

Nate lowered the flowers a little more and clenched his jaw. The gears were grinding in his head, San knew he was trying to find a way out of this.

"What are you talking about?" Abigail asked, giving San a confused but harsh look.

"Would you like to tell her, or should I?" San felt his upper lip twitch as he locked his eyes on the other man.

Nate was silent.

"I want you off my property. Now. Or I'll call the police."

"What the hell is going on?" Abigail said, now looking at the stand off between the two of them.

"Come back alone next time and I'll tell you." San refused to take his eyes off Nate. "He is not allowed in my house. Leave, now, you bastard. I mean it."

Nate scoffed and put the flowers on the ground before turning and leaving.

Abigail gave San a confused look before following after Nate.

San watched them drive away and waited until he couldn't hear their card anymore before he picked up the flowers. There was a note attached simply saying 'I love you' on it.

He immediately tore it up and walked to his trash can and shoved them into he can.

Lila watched him nervously while Yeosang stepped over and grabbed his hand. "It's ok. He's gone now." He leaned forward and kissed San's forehead.

"And he better not come back." San grumbled.

.

.

.

.

About a week later, Lila was given a court date. She hardly ate leading up to it with how nervous she was. The thought of having to come face to face with both her mother and Nate again terrified her.

But she was thankful that her new family was there to support her.

The day before the trial, Hongjoong stopped by to make sure Lila didn't need anything from him.

"No, I'm ok Hongjoong. Thank you though. You being here is honestly even more than I could ever ask for." She said, handing him a cup of coffee before sitting on the couch. "Are you sure you're ok to be staying this long? I don't want you to get in trouble for taking too much time off work."

"I never take time off, so they are fine with it. Plus, I actually put in a transfer to work at the same hospital as Yunho, so you might be seeing a lot more of me." He winked at her as he settled in.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with a tall, drop dead gorgeous cook, does it?" Lila smirked at him and lifted her eyebrows a couple of times.

Hongjoong lifted one of his in return. "Maybe." He chuckled. "Is he usually that flustered around others?"

Lila snorted. "No. I can't tell you how many times he would flirt with either me or San in front of Wooyoung and Yeosang. He's always been really confident. Until you came along."

The doctor looked down and smiled before taking another sip of his coffee. "Cute."

"Yes it is." Lila poked him with her foot. "You should ask him out. I'm pretty sure he's so flirty with others because he needs to get laid. I already know he bats for both teams, and judging by the way he's been acting, I'm sure he'd say yes."

Hongjoong proceeded to poke her back with his foot and they had a little war on the couch while laughing happily.

The front door opened and San walked in with a bag of groceries. "Oh! Hi Hongjoong, I didn't know you were here. Where's Youngie?" He asked, looking around.

"He's out back talking to Roger" Lila stood up to help her friend get everything put away. He had insisted on her staying in the house, 'just in case', so she figured she could at least help there.

"Is everything ok?"

Lila hummed. "I think it might be another possible audition. Wooyoung seemed excited about it so we will see." She could feel San's eyes on her as she put things away in their pantry. "He's a big boy, Sannie, he can decide if he wants to audition or not. I'm not going to hold him back." She added softly. "I could never ask him to do that. I don't want him to give up on his dream because of me."

"And what about you? What are you going to do once the trial is over?" San asked, leaning against the counter.

Hongjoong joined them, a concerned look on his face.

"I don't know. I haven't really thought about it. Only because we don't know what's going to happen. If Nate wins..." Lila sighed and looked down. "If Nate wins I may be running for the rest of my life. You didn't see the look in his eyes... He's never going to stop. So I don't feel like I can plan for my future, because right now he's holding it captive..."

"Only if you let him." Hongjoong said, walking over to take her hand. "You need to stay strong and put on a good face. The more confident and sure you are of your answers, the better the trial will go."

"Joongie is right." San said, pushing his lips out a little in a pout. "I don't like hearing you give up like this." He cupped her chin and lifted her head up. "You've got all of us behind you, stay positive." San tapped her nose with his finger, drawing out a smile.

"Thanks, San." Lila hugged him with her free arm.

Wooyoung came back in a few minutes later with a contemplating look on his face.

"What did he say baby?" Lila walked over to him and grabbed his hand.

"I... I have an offer to audition for a larger scale movie. A drama. I guess the casting agent saw the last two movies and he really liked me so he wants me to audition. It's a personal invitation." Wooyoung seemed stunned.

"That's amazing!" Lila wrapped her arms around his waist to pull him into a hug. "When is the audition?"

"In two weeks. Roger is supposed to send me a script to memorize." He hugged her back, but it was hesitant.

"Wooyoung. Do it. Please. This is an amazing opportunity for you!" she said, knowing that he was hesitating because of her.

She felt his arms tighten around her and he pressed his lips and nose to the top of her head. "But what about you?"

"Nothing! I will be fine. I've actually been thinking about not going back to work and living off what dad left me for awhile. And... Working on a book."

"Really?" San basically screeched from behind her. "Lila do it! I know you've always wanted to! And without that awful place to distract you, you'd have plenty of time to research and write!"

"And." Lila said, stepping back to look at San too, "I know this may be fast, but after everything we've been through, I was thinking that we could look at getting a place together? Or I could move in with you?" She glanced shyly up at Wooyoung.

His eyes lit up at the idea and he picked her up to spin her around in a circle. "I think that sounds fabulous!" They both laughed as they turned and turned. "As soon as the trial is over we will start looking! I could use a change of pace!"

Lila felt her heart beat faster at the thought. Even though she still had some doubts about how the trial could end, knowing that Wooyoung was happy about this plan eased her fears a little.

—

The group of nine stood outside the courthouse waiting for Rebecca and Roger to show up. Lila's hands shook with fear, even though Wooyoung was rubbing her shoulders as she leaned into San's chest. Hongjoong held out a cup with water in it and a straw for Lila to sip out of.

It didn't take long, thankfully.

Roger pulled her into a hug as soon as he got there, then clapped Wooyoung on the shoulder. "Are we ready?"

"As ready as we can be." Wooyoung nodded.

Rebecca locked eyes with Lila. "Take a deep breath. We are going to go through this one step at a time, ok?" Lila nodded. "You've got all of us here to support you."

Everyone gave words of encouragement, filling Lila with a little bit of courage.

They all walked in together, with Rebecca and Lila going to the appointed table while her friends sat behind her.

Roger had done a good job keeping the press out of this, although the fact that they still didn't know about Lila helped. He and Yeosang were both in hoodies, and would remain in them until they were called to the stands.

Cameras weren't allowed in the room, so there would be no proof that they were there. Word may spread, but all it would turn into was rumors until pictures or statements were released.

Lila could instantly feel it when Nate walked into the room. Her skin tingled and her hands shook even more.

"Don't look at him." Rebecca whispered to her.

And she didn't, even though she could feel his eyes on her.

Everyone stood when the judge came in and sat when told.

Rebecca and Nate's lawyer both went over the details and Lila started to phase things out a little. It was too hard to hear that Nate was saying everything was done in Lila's best interest and that he had her hospital records.

It made her heart race and her anxiety spike.

"I call Lila James to the stand." Nate's lawyer said.

This was it. This was what they had been waiting for. Lila knew he had to stay strong, but her legs shook as she walked to the stand and took the oath before sitting.

"Ms. James. You claim that Nathaniel kidnapped you and locked you away in his house, correct?"

"Yes." Lila already started feeling fuzzy. She searched the room until she found her rock. Wooyoung removed his large sunglasses and nodded to her.

"How can this be when you left Wyoming with him willingly? I show two plane tickets, purchased by Nathaniel, one in his name and one in yours."

Lila swallowed the lump in her throat and dipped into her tale, telling the jury and everyone in the room what happened with her father, and Nate showing up unannounced.

Rebecca would ask her questions as well, positioning them so that Lila could give as much details about what happened as possible.

She found herself having to force herself to make eye contact with the jury as much as possible. Some of them seemed shocked by what she had to say, especially when Rebecca presented police photos of the basement as well as the marks on Lila's body after it had happened.

When she was finally released, Lila wished she could leave and never come back. But things weren't even close to being over.

Her friends were called to the stand one by one.

Nate's lawyer tried to twist events around, like saying that Yunho wanted Nate thrown out of the hospital when all he wanted to do was support Lila, same with Hongjoong. They even tried to drag Wooyoung through the mud when he was brought to the stand.

A few people recognized him and the judge had to call for silence before they could continue, but they brought up the fact that Lila had deceived Nate by not telling him about their relationship and even tried to accuse Wooyoung of blackmailing her to stay with him. Especially when they brought up the pregnancy scandal.

Rebecca did her best to try and clear that up, and she had come prepared with police statements for the drug test Rachel had taken and the statement she had given them.

It was hard for Lila to hear what Wooyoung had gone through while she was gone, but he stayed confident the entire time and had some of the jury nodding along.

Then Lila's mother was called to the stand.

"Mrs. James, is it true that your husband attacked you? And even though he ended up in the hospital, it was purely out of self defense." Nate's lawyer asked.

Tears formed in Angela's eyes and she dabbed at them with a tissue. "Yes. He was angry and a horrible drunk and one night he came after me and... And wouldn't stop trying t-to take advantage of me."

"And a couple of years later, you found your daughter in the bathtub after she tried to commit suicide?"

"Well, I didn't find her. Our dear San did. He was always checking up on her, the dear boy." Angela sniffed again and sent San a grateful look. "He was always protecting my baby."

Lila's stomach flipped at her words. She felt like she could puke any second now. And she could hear shuffling behind her. San must have been flipping out a little.

When it was Rebecca's turn, she got straight to the point. "Mrs. James. If what you says is true about your husband trying to abuse you, why did you stay married to him after he went to the hospital?"

Angela seemed taken aback by the question, but she held her head up a little. "I am a woman of tradition. I don't believe in divorce. Plus, I always hoped that he would get better and return to the man I loved."

"He was submitted with a traumatic brain injury. There's no healing from that. Are you sure it's nothing to do with the inheritance that he left for Lila in his will?"

"I... I have no idea what you're talking about." Angela placed a hand over her heart. "I would ne-"

"Mrs. James, why did it take you almost a week to visit your daughter in the hospital after she was admitted?" Rebecca plowed over her lies. "It wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that you tried to kill her yourself, would it?"

Several people in the room gasped.

"How dare you!" Angela gasped as well, her jaw dropping open.

"I have several eyewitness reports from old classmates of Lila stating that she would show up to school with bruises on her face and arms. After her father was in the hospital. And before the incident with the bathroom, Lila had never tried to commit suicide. I also dug through the old report and photos, and noticed that your dining room set was missing one chair." She walked over to the jury to show them the pictures.

The lawyer proceeded to get into Lila's story of what happened that evening. She did state that they had no proof other than San's witness report, but she hoped the jury would consider the photos she did have.

Angela left the stand looking nervous.

When San was called to the stand, he answered everything confidently. He spoke of his past with Lila, growing up and seeing the change in her after her dad was hospitalized and how Lila was convinced for a few years that her dad had just left her. And the attempt on her life happened after her mother discovered Lila was visiting her dad in the hospital.

After his testimony, they were dismissed for a thirty minute recess for lunch. They went to a small sandwich place next door. Even though Lila just picked at Wooyoung's chips, she was happy to feel him next to her for this short time. It was soothing.

The jury was so hard to read... She had no idea what side they were leaning toward and it was stressing her out to no end.

When the trial resumed, Hongjoong returned to the stand to give his statement against Angela. He spoke a bout his relationship with Lila's father, as well as the conversation he witnessed when Angela came to visit him on his deathbed.

When Nate was called to the stand, Lila felt like she could have a panic attack. She barely registered anything he said, other than everything he did was to take care of her. She had attempted to kill herself three times in her presence.

Lila couldn't deny that... although the third time when she ran out into traffic wasn't intentional. She was just trying to get away from him and panicked.

He claimed everything he did, he did for love.

He denied trying to kill her with a pillow, and there were no pictures to state otherwise. The fact that Wooyoung attacked him helped his case a little bit too...

Once everything wrapped up, the jury contemplated for almost two agonizingly long hours. No one spoke the entire time as they waited out in the lobby, but Lila could feel Nate watching her. It made her doubt things... If he was that confident then maybe he won...