novelcrest Chapter 290: Second Meeting
Chapter 290: Second Meeting
A few days after the Hale family left Damian’s mansion, another meeting was arranged. Unlike the Hales, who arrived carrying desperation behind carefully maintained smiles, these visitors arrived carrying concern. That difference immediately caught Damian’s attention.
The delegation consisted of State Senator Richard Coleman, a man who had survived nearly three decades in Illinois politics, Congressman Arthur Reed, Governor Bennett’s Chief of Staff Margaret Sloan, and Liberal Party fundraiser Elisa Graves.
Every single one of them possessed influence powerful enough to shape elections, destroy careers, and redirect hundreds of millions of dollars with a handful of phone calls.
Yet despite that influence, none of them walked into the mansion with the arrogance Damian expected.
Instead they looked worried.
The meeting took place inside the glass conference room overlooking Lake Michigan. Massive windows stretched from floor to ceiling while afternoon sunlight reflected across polished black floors and marble walls. The lake beyond remained calm, its waters glittering beneath the sun.
Coffee was served, pleasantries were exchanged. For nearly ten minutes nobody mentioned Victor Hale. That alone told Damian these people were professionals or they were just afraid of his connection to the faceless.
They discussed Chicago, crime statistics, urban development, e conomic projections and so many more.
Damian participated when necessary, occasionally asking questions and occasionally remaining silent while listening. Despite their political backgrounds, none of them were fools. They knew their numbers, understood their sectors, and had spent decades shaping policy. Had Damian met them before gaining these powers, he might even have found the discussion enjoyable.
Eventually Senator Coleman leaned back in his chair and folded his hands together.
"Judge Hill, we’re not here to discuss guilt."
Damian slowly lowered the cigar from his lips and regarded the old politician through a curtain of smoke.
"No?"
"No."
The senator’s voice remained steady.
"Victor Hale is guilty."
The room fell silent and even Damian raised a brow.
"The evidence is overwhelming. He was drunk. He drove. A man died. There is no serious argument otherwise." Congressman Reed sighed heavily.
Damian nodded slowly.
"So what exactly are we discussing?"
Margaret Sloan answered immediately.
"The consequences."
Now they were getting somewhere. She opened a leather folder and slid it across the table.
Damian picked it up and began flipping through the contents.
Construction contracts, campaign donation reports, housing development agreements, infrastructure budgets and many more.
The deeper he read, the larger the numbers became. Hundreds of millions of dollars, thousands of jobs and even dozens of ongoing projects.
Eventually Damian looked up.
"What am I looking at?"
"The Hale network."
Margaret tapped several pages.
"The public sees a law firm. The reality is much larger." She tapped another page.
"Victor Hale sits on six charitable boards. He oversees three scholarship foundations.He manages legal affairs for fourteen major investors."
She flipped the page.
"He coordinates relationships between donors and state programs. This conviction won’t just hurt Victor..."
She paused briefly before delivering her point.
"It will hurt everything attached to him."
Damian quietly closed the folder.
"I fail to see why that’s my concern."
Several members of the delegation exchanged looks, not because the response was rude. But because it was precisely what they feared he would say.
"Because stability matters." Congressman Reed leaned forward.
A faint smirk appeared on Damian’s face.
"Stability for who?"
Nobody answered immediately because everyone knew the answer. Eventually Senator Coleman broke the silence.
"Everyone."
Damian laughed. Not a mocking laugh but a genuine one.
The first of the meeting.
"That answer sounded better in your head." Damian chuckled and to his credit, the senator didn’t react.
Politicians survived by swallowing insults.
Instead he calmly replied.
"A conviction destroys confidence. confidence affects investment and investment affects jobs. And let me add that jobs affect families."
The old man’s gaze never left Damian’s.
"Sometimes justice has a cost." Damian took a slow drag from his cigar.
Smoke drifted lazily upward, then he quietly asked.
"And the dead firefighter?"
Nobody spoke.
The room suddenly felt heavier but Damain didn’t care. Several people shifted uncomfortably until Senator Coleman spoke.
"Life isn’t always fair."
Damian nodded. "I agree."
Several shoulders visibly relaxed. Then Damian continued.
"Which is exactly why courts exist."
The atmosphere immediately tightened again. Congressman Reed rubbed his forehead.
"Nobody is asking you to declare him innocent."
Damian raised a brow.
"No?"
"No."
The congressman sighed.
"There are alternatives.Reduced charges, deferred sentencing, house arrest, rehabilitation or even community service, we don’t mind."
Damian stared at him for several seconds. Then he asked the simplest question possible.
"If Ethan Morales had killed Victor Hale while drunk driving, would you be here asking for community service?"
Buzz!
Nobody answered because they all knew the answer was a resounding no. Damian gently placed his cigar into a crystal ashtray.
"What you’re asking for isn’t justice, It’s privilege."
The room became painfully quiet.
For the first time since arriving, Margaret Sloan abandoned diplomacy.
"You are making enemies."
Damian’s smile widened.
"There it is."
Several expressions hardened. The masks were finally coming off.
Margaret crossed her arms.
"You’ve been a judge for three months. You have no idea how many people you’re about to anger."
To her surprise, Damian seemed amused rather than concerned.
"How many?"
The question genuinely caught her off guard. She expected caution, not excitement.
Damian leaned forward slightly.
"Give me a number."
The silence that followed became awkward because it was clear he wasn’t joking. He genuinely wanted to know.
Senator Coleman studied him carefully. For the first time since arriving, genuine concern appeared in his eyes.
Not concern for Victor but for Damian. Normal men feared powerful enemies, but Judge Damian Hill appeared entertained by the prospect.
Eventually the senator rose from his seat.
"I think this meeting is over."
Damian nodded.
"I think so too."
The delegation began making their way toward the exit. Margaret looked irritated, Reed looked exhausted and Coleman looked thoughtful.
Only Elisa Graves remained behind, probably because she was one of the core members of the Ministry of Love.
She has benefited greatly from both sides. She stood quietly near the doorway before turning around. Unlike the others, she had spoken very little throughout the meeting.
Her sharp eyes lingered on Damian.
"Can I ask one question?"
Damian gestured casually.
She studied him for several seconds.
"When you became a judge, did you want power or justice?"
The room fell silentt, even the others stopped walking. Damian thought about the question, then he smiled
A smile that somehow made everyone uncomfortable.
"At first?" He paused.
"Power. But now?" He glanced toward the city beyond the glass walls. "Now I want both."
Nobody knew how to answer that.
The delegation eventually departed in silence. As their vehicles disappeared through the gates of the meeting venue, every single one of them reached the same conclusion.
Victor Hale was not the problem.
Judge Damian Hill was.
Because Victor Hale could be controlled, Judge Damian Hill could not.