American Tax Officer

At this moment, Ms. Julie's face was filled with shame and anger, while the lawyer Kerry, standing next to her, protested loudly, "Your Honor, I object to the witness making baseless, unsubstantiated slanders!"

Nicola didn't immediately reject the objection because the opponent's protest was indeed well-founded. This was merely witness testimony, not real substantial evidence. In the end, she could only turn her gaze to David.

David then turned to look at Julie and asked, "Ms. Julie, at this point, it would be best to let it be, don't you think?"

What he meant was, "I already have enough evidence against you in my hands. I don't want to make things too stiff, and if you continue to make a fuss, you might not be able to get off the stage with dignity. It's better to quit while you're ahead!"

Julie wasn't a fool, she clearly understood his hint. Then she turned to Kerry and asked softly, "What should I do?"

"The testimonies of these two witnesses still aren't enough to convict you. He's probably bluffing to get you to confess voluntarily..."

"But what if he really does have something up his sleeve?"

During the course of the last night, Julie had come to understand quite a bit about David. She knew very well that the newly appointed chief of the Western Suburb Branch was not only ruthless but also that not a single person who had been brought to trial by him had escaped. This was what she now feared the most.

"If you confess now, the tax evasion charge would become a definite, impacting your personal image and reputation significantly. But if you persist, there's a chance you can clear your name. It's a multiple-choice question, and I think it's up to you to make the decision!"

To tell the truth, Kerry tended to prefer the latter option.

Because if Julie chose the former, to confess, then this trial would be a defeat for him. But if she chose the latter, and if by some chance they won, then he would really make a name for himself.

Of course, the latter option came with risks, but those risks pertained more to Julie than to Kerry.

Because David was clearly offering an out. As long as Julie was willing to admit tax evasion, he estimated she could get a very favorable outcome.

So, even though he leaned towards the latter option, to avoid being blamed for failure, he had to hand the decision back to Julie.

At that moment, Julie looked torn, while David saw her hesitation and didn't rush her.
Continue your journey with empire

Finally, after a full minute and a half had passed, Julie seemed to make up her mind and said through gritted teeth to Kerry, "I want to hold out a little longer!"

Everyone has a gambler's psychology, and Julie was no exception.

Moreover, the issue dated back 20 years, and she found it hard to believe that David could manage to uncover a comprehensive evidence trail.

Kerry nodded, turned his head towards Nicola on the bench, and spoke up, "Your Honor, my client and I still uphold our previous objection!"

"In that case, Your Honor, I wish to call my next witness to the stand!"

David's expression grew increasingly cold. He had already given the other party a way out, but since they chose to keep resisting, he couldn't be blamed for what came next!

"Granted."

"..."

In this adrenaline-filled scene, more than an hour passed by unnoticed.

In that hour, five more witnesses from the [Shadow Terminator] film crew came forward to accuse Julie.

All the evidence pointed to Julie having a Yin-Yang Contract at the time.

Meaning, while her salary appeared to be 50,000 US Dollars, in reality, she received much more than 500,000.

If convicted under these circumstances, Julie would face not just tax evasion, but also allegations related to finance, falsification of tax information, and aiding and abetting money laundering, among other charges.

As the situation grew increasingly grim, John weakly took a sip of water and asked Julie with a somewhat weary tone, "Ms. Julie, how could so many witnesses from the film crew know about this matter?"

Julie herself wore a bitter expression at that moment.

In those days, with lax supervision and incomplete laws, everyone in the film industry tacitly understood such matters.

Besides, at the time, she was just a newcomer who had nobody to handle such issues on her behalf.

But most importantly, nearly twenty years had gone by. Who could have expected David to dig up this matter?

And more than just uncovering it, he had actually managed to find so many of the original film crew members to testify, which was beyond any ordinary person's comprehension.

"Forget it, it doesn't matter, Ms. Julie. As I said before, the case dates back too far, and for now, it's just one-sided testimonies from the witnesses. The court battle continues, but we need to be prepared for the long haul..."

Although they were now at a disadvantage, it was still just witness testimony, and a complete chain of evidence hadn't formed. As long as they appealed and re-strategized, Kerry still had confidence in turning the situation around.

"Your Honor, I would like to call one last witness to testify!"

"Another witness..."

David's request for another witness once again sparked the attention of everyone seated in the gallery. As for the defendant's side, Julie and Kerry tightened their expressions.

Because David had said it was his last witness.

This could very well be the decisive witness!

"Granted!"

Lost in thought, a man clad in prison garb with shackles appeared before the court, stunning everyone present.