The morning light crept softly into Alliah’s room, tracing thin golden lines across the curtains. She had barely slept, her mind crowded with thoughts that refused to let her rest. Today was not just another day—it was the second court hearing, another step in her long journey toward freedom.
For years, she had carried the weight of her past like a stone lodged deep in her chest. Today, she would need to face it again, not as the young woman who once bore it silently, but as the woman she had become—older, braver, and no longer alone.
Jamiro was already awake. He sat quietly at the edge of her bed, a cup of warm tea in his hand, waiting for the right moment to hand it to her. He studied her face as she pretended to still be asleep, and for a moment, his heart ached. She was beautiful eve
