Chapter 4

Marcus jumped up again. “Objection! This is nothing but baseless speculation!”

But the seed of doubt had finally been planted. The live-stream comments were still mostly against me, but a few voices were starting to waver uncertainly.

“Time could be wrong, but the recording still sounds real!”

“She’s just playing dirty lawyer tricks to confuse everyone!”

Still, the overwhelming hate remained vicious and loud.

“Rich bitch trying to weasel her way out of it!”

“Her son is still a disgusting predator no matter what!”

My phone buzzed again on the table — another brutal drop in the stock price. I ignored it completely.

Marcus realized he was rapidly losing momentum. He walked purposefully to the evidence table and picked up a clear plastic bag, holding it high so every camera and every juror could see it clearly.

“Your Honor, I submit this decisive piece of evidence.”

Inside the bag was a clump of golden fur, shining under the lights.

“We found this on the victim’s clothing,” he announced, his voice booming with triumph. “Golden hair. And semen. The DNA matches your son perfectly!”

The courtroom erupted into complete chaos.

Marcus turned to the jury, his face glowing with victory. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final nail in the coffin!”

The gallery cheered wildly.

“DNA doesn’t lie!”

“She has nothing left to say now!”

“Five million isn’t enough — that monster should go straight to prison!”

I looked at the bag of golden fur and felt the tiniest, coldest smile twitch at the corner of my mouth.

Elena screamed, pointing at me with pure hatred. “Look at her! The evidence is right there in front of everyone and she’s smiling! This woman has no soul at all!”

She pulled out her own phone and started live-streaming frantically. “Everyone look at this cold-blooded monster! We have DNA proving her son destroyed my daughter, and she’s just sitting there laughing like it’s funny!”

The online comments flooded in even faster, a digital tsunami of rage.

“Pure evil!”

“How can someone like that even be a mother?”

“Boycott Sinclair Tech — destroy her company!”

Sophia let out a dramatic, pained groan. “Mom… I… I can’t take any more…”

Her body swayed dramatically, then she collapsed sideways in a perfectly timed faint.

“Sophia!” Elena shrieked, rushing to her daughter’s side in panic.

Marcus immediately called for medics. “She’s been retraumatized! All because of the defendant’s heartless, cold-blooded attitude!”

Chaos swallowed the room. Camera flashes popped relentlessly. Online viewers were completely glued to the unfolding drama, unable to look away.

I sat motionless through it all, watching with calm, detached precision.

The medics checked her quickly and efficiently. “She just passed out from extreme emotional stress. She needs rest and quiet.”

The judge looked at me with stern disapproval. “Ms. Sinclair, in light of this overwhelming evidence, do you have anything at all to say for yourself?”

I rose slowly and deliberately, adjusting my suit jacket with steady hands.

“I have only one question, Your Honor.”

“What is it?” he asked impatiently.

I locked eyes with Marcus across the room. “These hairs and the semen… they belong to the attacker, correct?”

“Of course!” Marcus said smugly, confidence returning.

I turned to Sophia, who had “miraculously recovered” and was nodding weakly from her seat. “Yes… that’s exactly what happened when he attacked me…”

“Perfect.” I faced the judge, my voice clear, ringing, and full of quiet power. “Then we are all in complete agreement. This evidence comes directly from the person who assaulted Sophia. It is the key to the entire case.”

“Correct,” the judge confirmed, nodding once.

Elena stood up again, her face twisted with fury and desperation. “She’s just stalling for time! Judge, rule now! Don’t listen to any more of her nonsense and lies!”

The room quickly took up the chant, voices rising in angry unison. “Rule now!” “Make her pay!” “Justice for Sophia!”

The hatred had reached its absolute peak. Every single person in that courtroom believed my son was a violent, entitled rich scumbag who thought he could get away with anything simply because of my money and status.

I checked my watch calmly, then looked back at the judge with steady eyes.

“Your Honor, since this is supposed to be decisive evidence, I believe this case can be wrapped up very soon.”

“What exactly do you mean by that?” he asked, frowning.

I allowed myself a small, dangerous smile that didn’t reach my eyes.

“I’d like to call a witness.”

Marcus frowned deeply, suddenly uneasy. “What witness? This case is clearly over.”

“I call the defendant to the stand,” I announced, my voice slicing through the thick tension like a knife.

The judge stared at me in open disbelief. “You’re calling your own son?”

“Yes.” I turned smoothly toward the heavy double doors at the back of the courtroom. “Please bring Baron in.”

The entire room fell into absolute, breathless silence.

Every eye in the courtroom was now fixed on those doors.

They were all waiting — hearts pounding with righteous anger — for the violent, dangerous, spoiled rich brat monster to finally walk through and face justice.

The doors swung open slowly.

And the collective gasp that followed was pure, delicious, unforgettable shock.