Vanessa.
Her name lingered in the courtroom like a storm no one could avoid.
By the time court adjourned on day six, the air itself felt heavier. Charged. Anticipatory. Everyone knew what was coming next. The defense had spent days building Alessandro into something clear and human—a man of integrity, a son betrayed, a victim of circumstance.
Vanessa would try to tear all of that down.
That evening, Sienna sat across from Jennifer in the quiet conference room they'd claimed as their war base. Files were spread everywhere—transcripts, timelines, notes covered in red ink.
But for once, Jennifer wasn't speaking.
She was watching.
Watching Sienna.
"You held up well today," she said finally.
Sienna let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "I felt like I was going to pass out the entire time."
"You didn't show it."
"I think I did."
"You didn't," Jennifer said firmly. "You were exactly what the jury needed. Honest. Grounded. Not rehearsed."
