Chapter 374: Untitled

"You must have a way, right?" Hannah fluttered her long eyelashes, trying to cast a "charm" spell on him.

Jack, amused by her antics, laughed, "What can I do? Should I take a Barrett sniper rifle and take out Charlie's wife, Muriel Lan, from 2000 yards away before the trial?"

Hannah tilted her head and seriously thought about it for three seconds, then frowned slightly, showing an adorable confused expression. "Isn't that a bit too cruel?"

Smack!

Even though Jack knew she was joking, he couldn't help but give her a playful smack on her peachy bottom, watching it jiggle like jelly, enjoying the satisfying feel.

"I might have a tiny idea, but right now my mind feels a bit... blocked. Hmm, what should we do about that?" His tone grew suggestive.

Hannah rolled her eyes, immediately understanding what this guy was up to.

As night fell, the energetic young couple finally left their hotel room. Fifth Avenue, where the Plaza Hotel was located, was one of the most famous shopping streets in the world.

Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Balenciaga, Chanel, Tiffany—these were about the only brands Jack, the country bumpkin, could recognize.

Hannah picked out a suit for him in an Italian men's shop he'd never heard of, along with a few ties, shoes, and some small accessories like tie clips, costing well over six figures.

According to her, non-custom suits only go up to a certain standard; anything more expensive would look too nouveau riche.

But the suit was only good enough for John's wedding. When it came to Zoe and Maureen's upcoming weddings, Jack would need to get a bespoke suit from a traditional tailor shop back in Los Angeles.

Ideally, they would fly to Milan, where the tailors and shoemakers had the best craftsmanship, but Jack's vacation this year was already booked for Hawaii. His uncle Daniel had been reminding him multiple times, and his grandparents missed their dear grandson.

Two years ago, when Jack was penniless, he wouldn't have allowed Hannah to spend so much on him. But now it didn't matter anymore. 

Although he wasn't as wealthy as Hannah, the gap between them was no longer significant enough to cause concern.

Jack even bought himself a few casual suits and identical shirts, tired of Rossi always mocking him for being the worst-dressed FBI agent on missions.

After leaving the store, they filled out their hotel room number, and the staff arranged for the expensive clothes to be delivered to their room. Then, the two drove to a bar in Queens.

The bar was located near the apartment building where Charlie used to live. Despite the mixed community of red, black, white, and yellow-skinned residents, the area was surprisingly safe.

Not a single streetlamp was broken, and a few children played in the alleys between the buildings. Occasionally, men wearing armbands patrolled the area, their armbands reading "Neighborhood Watch."

Jack checked the property values in the area and found that they were unexpectedly decent. Most of the residents here were upper-level blue-collar workers, earning about the same as a regular NYPD officer.

No wonder Charlie and his wife hadn't moved out of the neighborhood even after winning the lottery.

The small bar was bustling with business that night, and the atmosphere was warm. Many patrons sat around the bar, watching the evening news.

Jack bought a few beers for the crowd, making enough space for him and Hannah to squeeze onto one of the tall stools. The couple found it strange—people often gathered around to watch sports at a bar, but this was the first time they'd seen a group of people watching the evening news.

Soon, they figured out why. It was an evening news commentary show, and the host was discussing Charlie and Muriel's divorce case with two guests.

They were talking about Muriel claiming in court that her deceased father had appeared to her in a dream and told her the winning lottery numbers. They also mentioned how the trial wasn't going well for Charlie, with Muriel's lawyer pushing for him to walk away with nothing.

"I knew it! I always said it wouldn't end well for them. Muriel's been wanting to dump Charlie for ages," a beer-bellied patron slurred loudly, drunk.

The people around him quickly agreed. "Yeah, that woman's a fool. All she cares about is money. Every day, she complained about one thing or another. She'd say Charlie's job wasn't respectable enough because he wore a police uniform, or that his salary was too low. She wouldn't even give him a child."

"Well, now she's getting her wish. My poor partner not only lost his job but is also crashing on my living room couch," grumbled a small, round-faced black police officer in uniform, who was clearly a bit tipsy.

Jack and Hannah exchanged a glance, their eyes lighting up with excitement. They hadn't expected to stumble upon Charlie's partner by chance.

"That's how the world works, Williams. Good people don't get rewarded. You should tell Charlie to come back to the force. We can organize a petition to get him rehired," the bartender said, pouring a beer and sliding it to the black officer.

"This one's on me. You and Charlie are both good people, but it seems your luck's a lot better than his—you've got a kind wife, at least."

Williams rolled his eyes and grumpily took the beer, downing it in one go before leaving a five-dollar tip under the glass.

"I better go home and comfort poor Charlie. I just hope tomorrow's verdict doesn't leave him bankrupt. The fool completely gave up his share of the winnings, hoping Muriel would show some mercy. Sigh!"

"Hey, tell Charlie we're all praying for him. The kids are waiting for him to come back and play baseball," the beer-bellied patron shouted at Williams' departing figure, and the other bar patrons raised their glasses in unison. "God bless Charlie!"

Hannah got up to follow, but Jack gently tugged her back, whispering in her ear, "No rush. There's nothing we can do right now. Let's wait until after the verdict tomorrow."

——

The New York State Supreme Court building, formerly known as the New York County Courthouse, is located at 60 Central Street in Manhattan, in the Civic Center at Foley Square.

This hexagonal building, clad in granite, features a Renaissance style and a massive Corinthian colonnade at the front, resembling an ancient temple.

Thanks to the resourceful journalist Dupri, Jack and Hannah secured two seats for the trial. Jack donned a casual suit, while Hannah dressed in formal attire, and they arrived early outside the courthouse.

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