Chapter 4

In the following weeks, the scandal surrounding the law firm dominated the headlines, which the media took great pleasure in.

I had been one of the most respected litigators in the city just before, but in the blink of an eye, I was branded a fraud, a traitor, and a lawyer willing to sacrifice victims' rights for money.

I stopped checking my social media and turned a deaf ear to the cruel insults and accusations. I devoted myself entirely to the countless witness statements stacked before me instead.

It finally stopped snowing on the day of the fraud trial. There were countless reporters and onlookers gathered outside the courthouse. They had waited months for this case to go to trial, so now everyone wanted to be there for the moment it began.

Dante looked completely at ease on the other side of the crowd. He wore a well-tailored suit, his expression relaxed and confident. Bruno Sartori, his lawyer, was standing right beside him. He was a shrewd litigator and my longtime rival.

Bruno calmly adjusted his cufflinks before offering me a courteous nod.

Dante, on the other hand, didn't bother with these formalities. "I'll give you one last chance to drop the case, Elena. If you're willing to yield, I'll pay the breach of contract fee for you. I also have ways to make the criminal investigation vanish."

I nearly laughed out loud, thinking that some people were simply incapable of changing. "What if I refuse?"

Dante's smile became cold and merciless. "Your reputation will be beyond saving by the end of today. You might even end up locked in the exact same cell as the people you sought to put on trial, Elena."

I shook my head and said softly, "You ought to know that I'll never surrender nor fear you in this lifetime, Dante."

Dante hadn't even had the chance to offer a response when another voice shattered the tense atmosphere.

Sofia was standing a short distance away, holding their daughter, Bianca, in her arms. She looked incredibly nervous, unlike Dante. She had every right to be, though, because by the time the sun set, everything they had built could be reduced to nothing.

Bianca suddenly struggled in Sofia's embrace and hurled the cup of milk in her hand directly at me, splashing it all over my head and face until it dripped down my hair. She then pointed directly at me and yelled, "You're evil! You'd better leave Mamma and Papa alone!"

In that instant, several cameras whipped around toward us.

I looked down at the wet stain spreading across my clothes, then back at Bianca, whose resemblance to Sofia was uncanny, extending even to her irrational petulance.

I crouched down slightly so that our lines of sight were level and asked, "Isn't it right for someone to step in if someone harms innocent people?"

Bianca instantly furrowed her brow.

I shifted my gaze to Sofia before Bianca could say anything. "What about the people who destroy other families? What about the ones who rob a daughter of her mother?"

Sofia's face instantly turned deathly pale. "Shut up, Elena!"

I kept going, asking, "What about the people who kill someone else's unborn child?"

"That's enough!" Sofia shrieked, looking as though she were on the verge of a total breakdown.

"What child?" Dante snapped his head around and glared intently at Sofia. He was met with absolute silence, so he grabbed my wrist and asked, "What child are you talking about, Elena?"

I yanked my arm free from his grip as years of pent-up rage surged inside me. I then snarled, "Why don't you ask your legendary Donna, who somehow rolled 20 20s in a row?"

I turned and walked away after saying that. I then headed to the courthouse restroom to try and get the milk stains out of my clothes since the hearing was about to begin.

I noticed that the woman reflected in the mirror had aged, though she had grown stronger, too. I took a deep breath and reached to pull the door open, only to find that the door wouldn't budge. I furrowed my brow and gave it a hard tug, realizing that it was actually locked.

I could hear the sounds of keys jingling outside the door, followed immediately by a trembling voice. "I'm sorry, Ms. Marino. Don Romano promised me a huge sum of money if I just kept you locked in there until you missed the start of the hearing. It won't be that long since you'll only need to be absent for 30 minutes."

It was then that the sounds of footsteps faded away down the hallway, and before long, there wasn't a single sound outside the door.

In that instant, the bailiff's voice, echoing as they began calling the case, rang out in the distance.

I looked around the restroom and noticed that not only were there no exits, but I also knew that no one would be coming to my rescue. I eventually spotted the small window positioned above the sink. It was highly elevated and locked, but it was my only way out.

I snatched up a wooden mop handle left by the janitor and swung it hard.

…

In the courtroom, the atmosphere had shifted from anticipation to ridicule as the bailiff called the court again for the third time. In the plaintiff's seats, not a single person had appeared from beginning to end.

"Elena is such a coward! She actually fled before the hearing even began!"

"I said it all along that the Don of the Romano Famiglia paid her off—this so-called trial is nothing but a scam!"

In the defendant's seat, Dante calmly adjusted his tie, a faint smile crossing his face.

Bruno rose with composure, addressing the bench respectfully. "Your Honor, as neither the plaintiff nor her lead counsel has appeared today, we move for an immediate dismissal of the action."

Fabio Manara, the judge, glanced up at the clock, a hint of regret showing on his face. He then reached for his gavel and said, "In light of the fact that the plaintiff's lead counsel hasn't appeared, the court stands prepared to—"

"Hold on!"

It was then that a voice rang out from the back of the courtroom, prompting everyone to turn around to look.

I stood in the doorway, catching my breath with one hand propped against the frame. I had bloody cuts all over my face and body, and shards of shattered glass were tangled in my hair. I slowly walked over, and with each step forward, fresh blood dripped from my fingertips onto the floor.

In that instant, everyone in the courtroom fell silent; the only sound was the continuous reverberation of camera shutters from various points. Under the scrutiny of the gathered crowd, I walked slowly up to Judge Manara before coming to a halt. "I'm Elena Marino, the counsel representing the plaintiff, Your Honor."

Dante, who was on the other side of the courtroom, jumped to his feet, a look of complete disbelief written all over his face.