CHAPTER 4: The Fall of a Perfect Mask
Juliette’s trial was swift—and brutal.
The recordings left no room for doubt.
Her calm voice, her planning, her intent—it echoed through the courtroom like a ghost refusing to fade.
She didn’t cry.
She didn’t apologize.
Even when the verdict was read—guilty—she simply smiled.
“You all believed me once,” she said as they led her away. “That’s enough.”
But outside, the world had already turned against her.
The headlines were merciless.
“Heiress Turned Monster.”
“The Stepmother Who Tried to Erase a Child.”
Back at the mansion, the silence felt different now.
Not heavy.
Not suffocating.
May you like
Just… empty.
And for the first time, that emptiness felt honest.
