Chapter 66
He looked at her with such anger in his eyes that she felt despondent. Dajal, with his flowery speech, fooled everyone. That was what he was good at doing. Getting under people’s skin and ruining them and always getting away with it. Athyst’s righteous anger amounted to nothing. She was so angry and helpless that she felt like she would lose her mind.
She had made mistakes in life and regretted them. But this wasn’t a mistake. Helping those poor maids was her choice. She felt like she blew it again. Now everyone here seed to think she was crazy and hysterical, completely losing the point she was trying to make, the truth she had tried to reveal. While Dajal stood there smugly, using his eloquent speech to fool people. It was all so unfair!
Athyst took one look into Alexcent’s eyes and knew that he believed Dajal. Typical n, she scoffed internally. There was no choice, no opening where she could even try to make him understand how wrong Dajal was, how wrong this all was.
She would not appear weak and whine. But what other choice did she have? She had to try everything she could, if not for herself, then for the sake of those poor maids. “Alex… You seriously believe that bastard?” she asked in a pitying voice, “Do you think I would leave soone like you and seduce that cockroach? Really?”
“Even if, say,” began Dajal, “the Duchess’ words are true. Let’s just say for argunt’s sake that what she speaks is the truth. Where is the evidence of trying to sexually assault you, ma’am?”
“There are evidences,” she said, “Because this isn’t the first ti you have done sothing vile like this. The victims’ statents can prove—”
“Pray tell , ma’am,” said Dajal, “Where are these ‘victims’? Perhaps you could call them to testify. That way, you would prove yourself and I would have no way to accuse you of framing for false charges.”
Dajal stood there, arrogantly looking at her. She couldn’t believe he had the audacity and things were on his side, despite being a monstrous pile of shit. He smirked. None of these tramps will testify, he thought. And it was true. Athyst thought about the years of abused that they might have suffered at his hands. The fear that they lived with. She couldn’t make them go through with this. It was not her story to tell.
The sa thing had happened ten years ago. Dajal had been accused of cris like these, and none of the maids had testified because of the fear for their lives. Athyst thought about them. These suffering won who had no choice but to swallow their sorrow and go on with their lives. She would not let them suffer the humiliation.
“I can’t do that,” said Athyst, dejectedly, “They have suffered enough at your hands. How much more trauma are you going to cause them? I won’t add to their humiliation.”
“But ma’am,” said Dajal, with even more arrogance, “You have treated like a criminal, a monster, with no proof, no testimony, no witness. This is surely an injustice.”
“The evidence is at Aran Bank,” she said, playing her last card. She was certain that Dajal’s secret fund was at Aran Bank, the money he had embezzled. “If it is investigated, all the money you stole will be there. It will be evidence enough.”
“Ma’am,” said Dajal, shaking his head, “If you can bring the evidence, I will oblige. I have nothing to hide.”
Shit, Athyst cursed. She had ant to catch him astonished or stunned. Aran Bank, under the Special Act, would never reveal their custor’s data. They held their principle of confidentiality in a strict view. Even if Aran Bank did agree to provide the data, Dajal wasn’t stupid enough to open a secret bank account in his own na.
Her last hope was Alexcent. Alex, please… she pleaded with her eyes.
His red eyes that looked back were stony, devoid of any emotion. While Dajal’s eyes seed to be mocking her, challenging her. He knew he had won this.
Athyst couldn’t fight alone. She was pretty sure that the stolen funds were in the bank, but no matter however powerful a duchess she was, she couldn’t force them to give her his data. Aran Bank would never agree. It was out of the question. Even if Dajal got fired, it didn’t matter to him. He had enough money, that he had stolen for many years, to live a life of comfort.
“It is embarrassing to hear any more of this,” said a cold voice, which was like an ice pick stabbing at Athyst’s heart. She lowered her head, defeated and ashad. She had made a promise to those poor won, and she had failed. How could she face them again? Among these n, who didn’t understand a thing and used won as they pleased, even if she had been calm and rational and approached it differently, she doubted the results would have changed.
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