Ava’s POV
The law was like an ancient Alpha.
It bowed to no tears, no pleading, no grief. It listened only to proof and evidence, then passed judgment.
Even Alpha Anderson, one of the sharpest lawyers in the city, could not secure acquittal for Sonia during the first trial.
When the verdict came, she was found guilty of excessive self-defense and sentenced to five years in prison, with one year suspended.
My chest tightened. Five years.
The words dragged me backward into my own past.
Five years ago, when I stood where Sonia stood now, I remembered the judge’s gavel crashing down. The sound had been like a killing blow to my spirit.
“Mom!” Maria’s cry cut through the chamber like a wounded pup’s howl, pulling me from my thoughts.
She tore free and ran toward Sonia, tears streaming
