The courtroom was once again filled to capacity council members seated stiffly along the high benches, public observers whispering behind raised hands, and the press craning for the perfect shot. This time, however, the tension felt different. Less like a spectacle. More like reckoning.
Serena stood tall in her tailored black suit, no jewelry. This wasn’t about emotions. Not today. It was about facts. About justice. And she had come prepared.
Cruz entered with that same mask of pleasant humility, shaking hands with the bailiff, offering a polite nod to the elders. His demeanor was crisp, clean his smile warm enough to melt doubt in the average onlooker.
But Serena could see the glint in his eye. The calculation behind the charm.
“We are here to continue the trial brought forward by Att
