The courtroom was packed, the air thick with tension and the faint smell of old paper and wood polish. Sunlight filtered through the tall, arched windows, casting long shadows across the marble floor, but it did nothing to warm the chill that had settled over the room. Kayla sat at the defense table, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, her eyes fixed on the judge’s bench. She’d spent weeks preparing for this day, but nothing could have prepared her for the weight of all the eyes on her—reporters, shareholders, strangers, all watching her, waiting to see if she’d break, waiting to see if she’d be labeled a fraud and a criminal.Beside her, Ms. Hale leaned in, whispering last-minute advice, but Kayla could barely focus. Her mind was racing, replaying every moment that had led her here—from the day she’d been hired at the company, to the day she’d taken down Kang Jin, to the day Jordan’s secret marriage had turned her life upside down. She knew that the prosecution was going to come at
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