Chapter 16 - The Courtroom Assembly
Three months later, the county courthouse steps were crowded with cameras, legal analysts, and domestic violence advocates carrying blue ribbons.
The trial of The State vs. Julian Hartmann had become the most closely watched legal battle of the decade.
Clara walked up the marble steps wearing a sharp navy suit of her own design, her head held high, her posture straight and unbroken.
Sophie carried three-month-old Leo in a secure infant sling against her chest, surrounded by Viktor and three uniformed officers.
Inside the mahogany-paneled courtroom, Julian sat at the defense table, his tailored suit hanging slightly loose on his frame after ninety days in county jail.
When Clara entered the aisle, Julian turned his head, attempting to lock eyes with her using the old, intimidating stare that had once paralyzed her.
Clara didn't look down, she didn't speed up her step, and her breath didn't catch in her throat.
She looked him directly in the eye with a calm, indifferent expression that told him he was no longer a monster—he was just an ordinary defendant.
Julian’s jaw twitched, his gaze dropping to the table as Clara took her seat at the prosecutor’s bench.
"He looks small," Sophie whispered into Clara’s ear, settling Leo’s blanket.
"He always was," Clara replied quietly. "He just made the house dark so his shadow would look big."
Judge Eleanor Vance entered the courtroom, her black robes rustling as she took her seat at the high bench.
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"This court is now in session," the bailiff called out, his voice echoing across the silent room.
"Let the record show that the trial of Julian Hartmann will proceed without delay."
