FABIAN
The Council chamber buzzed with tension as people filed in for the second day of Bianca Hayes' trial. Every seat in the gallery was filled—word had spread overnight about Vanessa's surprise testimony, drawing curious onlookers from packs across three territories.
I tugged at my tie, already feeling strangled. The weight of expectation pressed down on me from all sides. Roman had called me four times after yesterday's session, his concern for Vanessa barely contained. Leo hadn't slept, pacing our hotel suite half the night. And I—I couldn't stop my mind from calculating all the ways this could go catastrophically wrong.
"She's here," Leo muttered beside me, his shoulders tensing.
I followed his gaze to the side entrance where Vanessa had just appeared. She looked composed in a simple navy dress, her auburn hair pulled back into a neat bun. Nothing about her appearance suggested the storm she was about to unleash.
