Chapter 10 - Unbroken
The heavy oak doors of the federal courthouse swung open, releasing us back out into the cool, open air of the afternoon.
The media frenzy was still swirling on the steps below, but as I stood at the top of the grand granite staircase, looking out over the sprawling skyline of the city, the noise faded into a distant hum.
Ethan stood beside me, hands resting casually in his pockets, a small, genuine smile on his face.
"Well, Claire," Ethan said quietly. "Looks like justice works after all."
"It doesn't just work, Ethan," I said, turning to look at him with a clear, unburdened heart. "It has to be fought for every single day. People like Daniel and Evelyn rely on silence. They rely on fear, on intimidation, and on the assumption that victims will stay broken."
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"And you proved them wrong," he said softly.
"I didn't just prove them wrong," I replied, letting the autumn breeze catch my hair as I took my first step down the sunlit steps toward a future entirely of my own making. "I proved that the truth survives anything—even fourteen days in the dark."
