LOGIN11:45 A.M. — High CourtThe courtroom remained tense.But the prosecution wasn't finished.The prosecutor rose slowly from his seat.“Your Honour, the prosecution would like to call Damian Cross.”The courtroom immediately became quiet.Aria's breath caught.Her eyes moved instinctively toward Damian.He was seated several rows away.For most of the morning, he had remained silent.Aria had told herself that she didn't expect anything from him.But the moment his name was called, her heart began to pound.The prosecutor looked toward him.“Mr. Cross, please take the witness stand.”Damian remained still.For several seconds, nobody moved.Grandma Eleanor glanced toward him.Damian slowly stood.Aria's fingers tightened together.Damian looked at the judge.“Your Honour.”The judge lifted his eyes.“Yes, Mr. Cross?”Damian's expression remained controlled.But there was exhaustion behind his eyes.“I won't be testifying.”A murmur moved through the courtroom.Aria's heart sank.The pro
11:05 A.M. — High CourtThe courtroom remained tense after Vivienne stepped down from the witness stand.Aria sat quietly beside her lawyer.Her hands rested in her lap.They were still shaking.But she kept them there.She had already admitted the truth about what happened on the bridge.There was nothing left to take back.Nothing left to deny.The judge looked toward the prosecution.“Call your next witness.”The prosecutor rose.“The prosecution calls Detective Daniel Harris.”The courtroom doors opened.A man in a dark suit entered.He walked toward the witness stand with a thick file in his hands.Aria watched him.She recognized him.He had been one of the investigators involved in Sophia Lin's case.Her stomach tightened.This was the part she had been dreading.Not because she intended to deny it.But because hearing Sophia's name would force her to face something she had spent too long trying not to think about.Sophia was dead.And Aria had been the one who started it all.
9:40 A.M. — High CourtThe courtroom remained silent.Aria sat behind the defendant's table with her hands resting tightly together.Her lawyer had already warned her.Vivienne's testimony would be difficult to hear.But Aria didn't need a warning.She knew what Vivienne was going to say.She remembered every second of that night.The rain.The bridge.Vivienne crying in her arms.And the moment everything changed.The judge looked toward the prosecution.“Call your next witness.”The prosecutor stood.“The prosecution calls Vivienne Carter.”A murmur moved through the courtroom.Aria slowly lifted her head.Vivienne stood.Elizabeth immediately reached for her hand.Vivienne looked down at her mother.“I'll be fine.”Elizabeth nodded, although worry remained in her eyes.Vivienne walked toward the witness stand.Her heels clicked against the courtroom floor.Each step sounded louder than the last.Aria watched her.For the first time since arriving at the courthouse, Vivienne looked
7:10 A.M. — Police Headquarters, Detention RoomA new week had begun.Aria woke before the officer came for her.She had barely slept.For most of the night, she had stared at the ceiling, listening to the silence around her and waiting for morning to arrive.Now it was here.The day she would finally stand before a judge.Aria sat slowly on the edge of the narrow bed.Her hands rested on her lap.They were shaking.She looked down at them.For so long, those hands had been used to hold secrets.To sign documents.To make plans.To hurt people.And today, there would be nowhere left to hide.A knock sounded against the door.Aria lifted her head.The female officer stepped inside.“Your lawyer is here.”Aria nodded.“Okay.”She stood.Her legs felt weak, but she forced herself to walk.She was done running.Even if every step forward terrified her.7:30 A.M. — Police Headquarters, Consultation RoomAria's lawyer was waiting when she entered.Several documents were spread across the ta
2:15 P.M. — Police Headquarters, Detention RoomAria sat quietly on the edge of the bed.The hours had moved slowly.She had spent most of the morning thinking about her mother.About everything she had lost.About everything Richard had taken from Clara.And about the court hearing she would soon have to face herself.A knock sounded at the door.Aria looked up.The female officer entered.“Aria, you have a visitor.”Aria frowned.“Who?”“Ethan Cole.”Her expression changed immediately.“Ethan?”The officer nodded.“He's waiting for you.”Aria stood and followed her.2:20 P.M. — Police Headquarters, Visiting RoomEthan was already seated when Aria entered.He stood immediately.Aria sat across from him.For a few seconds, Ethan simply looked at her.She looked nervous.“What happened?” Aria finally asked.Ethan pulled out a chair.“Sit.”“I am sitting.”He smiled faintly.“I have news.”Aria's heart began beating faster.“About my mother?”Ethan nodded.“Yes.”Aria's fingers tightene
9:00 A.M. — High CourtThe courtroom was packed.Reporters filled the back rows, their cameras ready.The case had attracted public attention for weeks, but today was different.Today, Richard Carter would finally hear his fate.Aria wasn't there.She remained in police custody, waiting for her own court proceedings.But the people connected to Clara were present.Ethan Cole sat at the prosecution table, his files arranged neatly in front of him.Across the courtroom sat Richard.For the first time in years, he looked like a man who had finally run out of places to hide.His lawyer leaned toward him.“Mr. Carter, remain calm.”Richard said nothing.His eyes remained fixed on the judge.Ethan stood when the judge entered.“Everyone rise.”The courtroom fell silent.The judge took his seat.“Be seated.”Everyone sat.The judge looked down at the documents before him.“Mr. Richard Carter, this court has reviewed the evidence presented in the case concerning the death of Clara Lawrence, t
Upstairs in Damian’s room, Selene stood before the mirror, her reflection glowing in the soft evening light.Her lips curled into a slow, devilish smile — the kind that didn’t reach her eyes.She adjusted the strap of her red satin dress, tilting her head just enough to admire her handiwork. Every
Saturday arrived like a scene straight out of a glossy magazine.The Carter estate shimmered under the late afternoon sun, draped in gold ribbons, floating candles, and fresh white roses. Guests filled the grand garden—fashion icons, business elites, relatives, and a swarm of paparazzi waiting for
Across the restaurant, Damian and Selene were seated by the fountain, laughing over breakfast. Damian, for once, looked relaxed no ice in his expression, no sharp tone, just warmth and ease. The sight almost made Aria laugh out loud.“How cute,” she muttered under her breath.As she approached, Se
The weekend getaway was over.So was the peace that came with it.Back at the Cross mansion, the air carried its usual quiet tension, a kind of stillness that made even the walls seem to listen. Grandma Eleanor sat elegantly on the sofa, draped in her cream shawl, flipping through a magazine as if







