Chapter 1: The First Crack
The prosecutor’s voice sliced through the silence like a blade.
“Ms. Clara Bennett, isn’t it true that you were the last person seen with the victim?”
Clara lifted her chin, though her pulse thundered in her ears. “No,” she said, steady but quiet. “That’s not true.”
A murmur rippled through the courtroom.
Arthur didn’t move—but his lips curved almost imperceptibly.
The prosecutor continued, pacing slowly. “And yet, we have a witness who places you at the scene.”
Clara’s stomach dropped.
A witness?
Her attorney, Daniel Reeves, leaned closer. “Stay calm,” he whispered. “We weren’t told about this.”
The courtroom doors creaked open.
A woman stepped inside.
Clara’s breath caught.
Marlene.
Arthur’s former assistant.
The same woman who had once secretly warned Clara to “get out while you still can.”
May you like
But now… Marlene wouldn’t meet her eyes.
Something was very wrong.
