“What does that mean?” Susan asked.
“It means we address it head-on,” I said. “We don’t hide it. We explain it. We show the jury that Simon’s actions, while technically illegal, were motivated by love and protection for his sister. We make them understand why he did it, even if we can’t make it legal.”
Simon was staring at his hands. “So I could still go to prison?”
“Possibly,” I replied, and I hated the honesty in my voice. “But not for murder. And not if I can help it.” Simon’s eyes met mine, and I saw the question there. “We’ll know more tomorrow,” I said. “After the jury sees the recording.” Simon nodded slowly, his shoulders sagging with exhaustion.
Susan returned to the couch and sat beside Sadie, her hand resting gently on her daughter’s knee. Sadie didn’t pull away, but she didn’t lean into the touch either.
Keys watched from his chair, his expression unreadable.
David stood near the fireplace, his arms crossed, his eyesdistant.
And I stood in the middle of it all, the lawyer, the strategist, the man who’d just watched the truth unfold on a screen and knew that everything was about to change.
The case was won.
But the cost... the emotional, psychological cost was written on every face in this room.
And I didn’t know if any of us would ever be the same.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Simon
The house felt too quiet after everyone left.
Mom and Dad took Sadie home with them, promising to return in the morning. Keys left without a word, his jaw tight with frustration. The door closed behind them, and suddenly it was just Tony and me, standing in the living room with the weight of everything that had happened pressing down on us.
I turned to face him, relief flooding through me. Finally.Finally, we were alone. Finally, I could breathe without worrying about who was watching, without the constant performance of distance.
The case was won. The recording had changed everything. Tomorrow, the jury would see it, and I’d be free.
We’d be free.
“Tony,” I said softly, stepping toward him with a smile I couldn’t quite suppress.
He didn’t move.
I closed the distance between us, reaching for his hand. My fingers brushed his, and I felt the familiar spark of connection that had always been there, even when everything else was falling apart.
But when I looked up at his face, my breath caught.
His expression was cold. Withdrawn. Furious.
“Tony?” I said again, confusion threading through my voice. “What’s wrong?”
He pulled his hand away from mine.
The rejection stung, sharp and immediate. I took a step back, my heart pounding. “W-what is it? Did something happen?”
“Did something happen?” Tony repeated, his voice low and dangerous. “Are you fucking serious right now, Simon?”
I blinked, thrown by the sudden shift. “I don’t understand. The case is won. Sadie’s safe. I’m—”
“You’re what?” Tony cut me off, his eyes blazing. “You’re free? You think that makes this okay?”
“Makes what okay?” I asked, my voice rising. “Tony, what the hell are you talking about?”
