On the final day, the courtroom pulsed with anticipation. Everyone had something to gain, a headline, a soundbite, a measure of vindication. But all she wanted was the truth on record, carved into the system that had enabled so much harm.
She sat beside Damien, calm, still, no trace of nerves. Her suit was dark, unembellished. Hair pulled back. No need for distraction. She had become familiar with this weight, and today she wore it well.
Veronica sat across the room, pale beneath the courtroom lights. Gone was the invincible sheen that had defined her. Her lawyer whispered something, but she didn’t respond. She stared straight ahead, hands clenched in her lap.
The judge entered, heavy robe swaying, a presence too grounded to be distracted by the circus around her.
"All rise," the baili
