Chapter 6: Arraignment
The courthouse air was stifling. Eleanor stood before the judge, her designer suit swapped for a bright orange jumpsuit, though her posture remained rigidly arrogant. Beside her stood Marcus Thorne, a defense attorney notorious for shredzding reputations to win acquittals.
"Not guilty, Your Honor," Thorne declared smoothly.
During the bail hearing, Thorne immediately launched his offensive. He painted Clara as a calculating gold-digger, suggesting the fall was a staged extortion attempt gone tragically wrong. He argued the video angle was misleading. The judge, unmoved by Thorne's theater and citing the severity of the charges, denied bail. Eleanor’s pristine mask slipped, her jaw clenching in fury as the bailiff escorted her back to holding.
