Victory’s Price
The courthouse steps were absolute chaos. Cameras flashed like strobe lights at a concert, reporters shouted questions over one another, and complete strangers clapped and cheered as if they'd just witnessed the dramatic finale of their favorite TV series. Ava barely registered any of it. In her mind, the judge's gavel still echoed relentlessly: Case dismissed with prejudice. Sanctions awarded against the plaintiff. It was finally, irrevocably over.
She should have felt light, unburdened, as if a massive weight had been lifted from her chest. Instead, she felt hollow, like a shell echoing with the remnants of battle.
Lucian's hand rested firmly at the small of her back, a steady anchor as he guided her through the thronging swarm of bodies. His voice cut through the nois
