It’s the President of the United States.
I shit you not. It’s Austin fucking Bain. The most badass President that this country has ever seen. If you don’t believe me, check out his story after mine.
This President Bain is something else. Probably the one that had been negotiating the trade deal my dad kept going on and on about. The one he concluded when he came to see me find out the truth about Daphne/Alicia and then get dragged away in fucking cuffs.
“You see, she was sent by Samantha over there to go find something about the Prince,” the President says, walking in. Secret Service agents fan across the courtroom and he walks up the aisle. “Only she couldn't find anything over four months. She even gave up trying, and fell in love with him, because at heart, Prince Derrick Blaine is a good fucking man.”
Now normally, there would be gasps of shock and surprise because the President of the United States just cursed, but if you’re surprised, then you really haven’t read about how the President ended up marrying the love of his life - who was actually his fake fiancee. You will, if you want. It’s added as a bonus book after this. You really should.
Instead, there’s no gasping. Just sheer pandemonium at the accusation.
Judge Byrd bangs his gavel bringing the courtroom to order.
“Mr. President,” the judge says, “It seems you’ve caused quite the stir in my court. I don’t like that. You may be the President of the United States, but this is still my Court.”
The President shrugs. “I’ve been dealing with the Prince’s father for about six months now, and I gotta be honest,” he says as he pushes past the gate and approaches the bench. “At first, I used the Prince’s antics to get a better bargaining leverage against his father by embarrassing him, but over the last four months the tables have turned.”
I’m fucking silent. It’s not every day you get the leader of the free world advocating for you.
“I also feel a bit responsible because Samantha used to be my Chief of Staff before I fired her,” he says looking at the judge. “Everywhere she’s gone, she’s been the villain. I let her come to New York and I felt bad so I wrote her a reference that she used to become District Attorney. I guess she had some issues she needed to work out and she felt that by taking advantage of people like the Prince she’d find a little peace - or at least get some sort of revenge. But the good news is she’s been stopped before. Don’t let her win this time.”
The President turns to me and gives me a sidelong look before turning back to Judge Byrd. “No charges were filed because Samantha wanted to find something to ruin his reputations in the gossip pages of the tabloids.” He holds up a copy of yesterday’s News of the Times. It’s got my picture on the front page with a headline, “The Fall of Prince Sin.”
“When she got nothing and realized that people were falling in love with the Prince, she had no other option but to act,” President Bain concludes. “She’s just one of those people that doesn’t like hot bad boys getting away with stuff.”
“Your Honor!” Samantha stands up and shrieks with a shrill yell. “This is too fantastical to believe. This is the same man who pretended to have a fake fiancee, I’ll have you remember.”
President Bain smiles. “If it’s too hard to believe, Your Honor, then why is it all over the Abigail Adams column today?”
The President hands the paper to the Judge who reads it. He chuckles quietly at something and then, as if realizing he’s still in the courtroom looks over at me.
“Prince Blaine,” Judge Byrd calls out and I stand up. “I’m going with my gut here and President Blaine just made me feel a whole helluva lot better. All charges dismissed!”
Judge Byrd bangs his gavel and the courtroom breaks out in spontaneous applause.
Samantha rushes to the bench and begins yelling at Judge Byrd.
“You can’t do this!” she yells. “You can’t let a man like that go!”
The Judge looks down from his bench towards Samantha for a moment.
“You stupid foolish old man!” she continues to yell at him.
That does it. The judge’s face darkens and he bangs his gavel.
“Bailiff,” he summons, “I find Counsel in contempt of court. Put her in holding for the next 24 hours.”
The bailiff drags Samantha away and I turn towards Larry. “That’s it?” I ask, a bit puzzled at the turn of events.
“Hey, Your Highness, don’t thank me,” Larry says, gesturing towards President Blaine, “Thank the President of the United States.”
Then as if realizing what he’s telling me, Larry quips, “I never thought I’d be saying that in my life, by the way.”
He packs up the remaining papers and walks away as President Blaine comes up to me and shakes my hand.
“Prince Blaine,” he says. “I’ve followed your career for a while now.”
“Thanks, mate,” I say, not sure how to respond.