The small, cold room in the detention center was oppressively quiet as Andrei sat on the other side of the table. A faint buzz from the flickering fluorescent lights overhead filled the void as Ivan, his cousin, leaned forward with a grim expression. The air between them was heavy, suffused with the kind of tension only built from a seemingly impossible situation. The lawyer, Mr. Ramirez, sat across from them, tapping his pen rhythmically on the legal pad in front of him.
“This isn’t looking good, Andrei,” Ivan finally said, breaking the silence. His voice was low and restrained, as though he didn’t want to say it out loud. “They’ve submitted additional evidence, and it’s… damning.”
Andrei’s gaze shot up to meet his cousin’s. His calm demeanor was a mask that barely concealed the frustra
