The courtroom was unbearably tense, filled with the low hum of whispered speculation. Every creak of the floorboards sounded like thunder to my ears. I sat rigid at the defense table, hands gripping the edge of the polished wood so tightly that my knuckles had turned pale. The past year had carved itself into his bones—the sleepless nights, the endless echoes of guards’ boots on concrete, the crushing weight of unjust confinement. Every memory clawed at me with the intensity of a storm I could never outrun.
“All rise!” the bailiff’s voice rang out, sharp and unyielding. My chest tightened as the judge entered, robes swishing softly over the marble floor. His eyes, sharp and unblinking, scanned the room like a hawk. My heart stuttered in his chest. Marjorie was sitting a row behind, her h
