"Yes," Mr. Baren sighed heavily. "A crime lord from where you live. She's actually rather well known."

"But why?" Dream's dad asked. "Is there any reason why she would sue us?"

"No, unless your company really did everything they claimed. Which, I am certain your company hasn't, because she does have several charges of false accusations," Mr. Baren answered.

"It's all right," Marc shrugged. "We have evidence on our side. As long as we just tell the truth, I'm sure everything will turn out okay."

"I hope so," Dream whispered under her breath.

The atmosphere that night seemed gloomier than usual.

---

Dream woke up in a huge room. The walls were painted a beautiful pastel green color, and light came seeping in through the windows. Dream sighed, wanting to stay in bed longer, but she looked at the white clock on the wall. It was seven in the morning, and Dream had slept for only two or three hours that night. And there was going to be a court case in an hour. The one that would decide the fate of the company her dad worked at.

She groaned, pushing back the soft green comforter and getting up, her feet sinking into the lush white carpet. I could live here forever, she thought.

After getting ready and changing into a short light-blue dress with a flared skirt, which Dream quickly realized was the only article of clothing she owned that was appropriate for a court case, Dream went down the marble stairs to see her father, Marc, and Mr. Baren deep in discussion near the front door.

"Oh! Dream! You're awake," her father said, noticing her presence. "We're just about ready to leave."

"I'm hungry," Dream complained.

"We'll stop and get some pancakes along the way," Marc suggested. "But we really can't be late. This is very important."

Dream nodded.

It was going to be a long day.

---

Dream nervously drummed her fingers on the table. She was sitting near the back of the room, but she could still clearly see and hear what was going on.

"Do not worry, I've got this," Mr. Baren was saying to Marc and her dad.

"I trust you, Alexander," Marc responded.

Dream's dad nodded, agreeing. "Why hasn't the other party arrived yet?"

"I don't know," Mr. Baren said. "But if all goes well, your accuser will be sentenced to prison by the end of this trial."

"I wouldn't go as far as to put them in prison," Marc argued. "But I certainly hope they do not bother us again. I wonder what we did to them?"

Mr. Baren sighed grimly. "She has cameras. Many of them, all over the place. If you know or support anyone who she doesn't like, she may harm you."

The door to the room burst open. Dream gripped the hem of her dress as she looked to see who had just walked in. There was a middle-aged blonde-haired woman who walked with a type of rigidity that Dream did not know was possible. She was wearing a black suit and she carried a briefcase. Alongside her was an exceptionally tall man, maybe seven feet tall. He was also dressed in a black suit. On his face were many scars, but Dream frowned as she noticed several bruises on his face. They weren't fresh--it appeared that they were maybe a few days to a week old. But it stained his face blue and purple nevertheless.

And then, there was one more person. A woman.

Dream nearly fell off her chair as she slowly began to realize which three people had just walked in. 

---

A/N

Here's Chapter 24! I know this chapter is shorter than usual, but I do hope you guys enjoyed it 😃

I'm going to ask some questions now, and I'm curious to know what you guys think!!

1. Who's your favorite character now? (I know I asked this before several chapters back, but it's possible to change opinions after all that's happened so far)

2. What do you guys think is going to happen at the court case? How do you think things are going to go down?

3. Which three people walked in at the end of the chapter? Can you guess?

Please consider leaving a vote if you liked the chapter! And don't forget to comment your thoughts, and share this book with your friends if you think they'll like it!! 

The next update is going to be on Monday, so stay tuned for that! Love you all!! Peace <3

💙, Stella Rose