All Chapters of FALLING FOR THE FORBIDDEN STAR : Chapter 151 - Chapter 160

Chapter 151 The silence that followed Mia’s outburst was heavy, so much so that it felt like the walls themselves were holding their breath. The lawyer, a composed woman in a fitted navy-blue pantsuit, adjusted her glasses and gently placed a manila folder on the coffee table. “I understand this is a lot to take in,” she began, her voice steady but sympathetic, “but the mental instability plea is legally valid if supported with evidence, psych evaluations, testimonies from psychiatrists, past records…” Mia’s heart pounded in her chest. “Evidence?” she asked, almost incredulous. “You mean all she has to do is convince someone she’s insane, and she’ll get away with kidnapping, manipulation, everything she did to us? To me? To my daughter?” “No,” the lawyer clarified, folding her hands. “She won’t walk free. She’ll be committed to a psychiatric institution, possibly for years. But it’s not the justice we were aiming for. Not in the way you deserve.” Andreas ran a hand through his ha

Chapter 153The solitary cell was a coffin.Narrow, damp, and lit by a single flickering bulb that cast shadows like restless ghosts on the concrete walls. The air reeked faintly of mildew, metal, and loneliness. In this narrow box of stone and steel, Tania had been left to rot for days and she couldn’t have been more pleased.In solitude, she dissolved her breath into pointless shouting or meaningless threats. Not when she was alone. Alone, she was still. Silent. Her eyes tracked the cracks in the ceiling; her mind sharpened, calculating. She ate when food came. She rested when she could. She was conserving her energy.But the moment she heard the shuffle of boots outside the door, the metallic jingle of keys, or the low murmur of wardens making rounds, her performance began.Her fingers would lift, tracing shapes into the air or scratching invisible symbols onto the wall as if in the grip of some strange compulsion. Her lips would move rapidly, muttering strings of incoherent words,

Chapter 155 The courtroom was thick with tension, the kind that clung to the skin like humidity on a stormy day. Every breath felt suspended in anticipation, the silence fractured only by the distant rustle of paper or the creak of a wooden bench. Cameras were forbidden, but that didn’t stop the court sketch artist from capturing every flicker of expression on the faces of the key players. This was not just a murder trial, it was the latest chapter in a public scandal that had gripped the nation. Judge Halstrom, with his silver hair and granite expression, surveyed the room from the bench. His voice cut through the stillness like a blade. "Ms. Costa, you have heard the charges brought against you, including the murder of Lucas Smith, kidnapping of a minor, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy to commit assault. How do you plead?" A hush fell. Tania Costa stood in the defendant’s box, clad in a charcoal pantsuit that only half-disguised the malice that seemed to radiate from her.

Chapter 157 The courtroom buzzed with a quiet tension as the hour elapsed and the doors creaked open once again. The pretrial evidentiary hearing was about to resume. The wooden benches groaned under the weight of spectators returning to their seats, and the air felt tighter, charged with anticipation. Mia sat between Andreas and Susan, her hands resting gently on her lap, fingers tangled together in a silent prayer. She hadn’t said a word since the recess. Her mind was a whirlwind of images, of Sofia’s pale face, of Lucas’s lifeless eyes, of Tania’s wicked smile. Then the bailiff called out sharply, “All rise!” Everyone stood as the judge re-entered, robes billowing, his face stern yet unreadable. The gavel came down. “Court is now in session.” Mr. Haves rose confidently. “Your Honor, we’d like to resume with the presentation of the new evidence.” With little hesitation, the judge nodded. “Proceed.” A short video clip was played first, filling the room with the grainy footage

Chapter 159The sky above the penitentiary hung low and gray, casting a dismal pall over the women’s yard. The rusted fences creaked faintly in the wind, and even the birds that usually nested along the razor-wire seemed to have taken flight from the strange silence that had fallen over Cell Block C.It had been days since the inmates last heard the sharp-tongued laughter or the commanding voice of Tania Costa. Her absence from the usual chaos was unsettling. A presence so commanding, so unapologetically defiant, had become a hollow shell, and the vacuum it left behind was filled with cautious whispers and sidelong glances.Tania sat alone in the far corner of the prison yard, arms wrapped around her knees, staring out at nothing. Her once manicured nails were now chipped and raw from gnawing. Her deep brown eyes, once piercing and unreadable, were vacant, shadowed by sleeplessness.She hadn’t spoken a word in two days.A small knot of inmates congregated near the weight bench, their