"And how did it begin?"
I glanced at Emilio, who nodded. We'd prepared for this. "He approached me about a story. Some weeks later, he came to my home and asked me to delete footage for another story. Implied there would be consequences if I didn't cooperate."
"So he coerced you."
"At first, yes."
"At first." She pounced on that. "But it continued, didn't it? He continued to control you, to manipulate you into writing favorable articles about his organization."
"No. The relationship evolved." I kept my voice steady. "What started as coercion became something else."
"Something else." Her tone was skeptical. "Mr. Russo, isn't it true that you published multiple articles favorable to the Vitale organization during your relationship with Mr. Romano?"
"I published factually accurate articles based on solid sourcing."
"Articles that coincidentally benefited your boyfriend's criminal organization."
"The articles were accurate. That's what matters in journalism."
Across the room, Reeves sat watching with satisfaction. He'd been suspended from the FBI but was here as a consultant to the prosecution. Seeing me squirm clearly gave him pleasure.
"Let's talk about Stockholm syndrome," the prosecutor continued. "Are you familiar with the term?"
"I am."
"It refers to hostages developing emotional bonds with their captors. Does that sound familiar?"
"I wasn't a hostage."
"You were coerced. By your own admission, Mr. Romano threatened you. Used leverage against you. How is that different from a hostage situation?"
Emilio stood. "Objection. This is a deposition, not a psychological evaluation."
"I'm establishing the defendant's state of mind."
"You're leading the witness toward a diagnosis you're not qualified to make."
They argued for several minutes while I sat there, hands clenched under the table. This was what the trial would be like—my relationship dissected, my choices questioned, my love for Luca painted as mental illness.
When they finally let me go three hours later, I was exhausted and shaking.
"You did well," Emilio said as we left. "Stayed calm, told the truth. That's all we can do."
"They're going to use Stockholm syndrome against me at trial."
"Probably. But we'll counter it. You maintained journalistic standards. You did independent work. You made conscious choices." He stopped at the courthouse exit. "Valentino, listen tome. The truth is on our side. We just have to make sure the jury sees it."
I nodded, not entirely convinced.
That evening, I made the mistake of looking at social media.
The deposition had leaked—not the full transcript, but enough. Journalists were already writing think pieces.
"Valentino Russo's Stockholm Syndrome Defense"
"When Journalists Become Complicit: The Russo Case"
"Can Love Born from Coercion Ever Be Real?"
