Chapter 161. The Prelim Delay

Tristan's POV

The courtroom smelled like old wood and polished floors, it was suffocating and unforgiving. Every breath I took felt borrowed, like the air itself didn’t belong to me anymore. My stomach twisted violently, a slow churn that made me nauseous, and I kept my jaw locked tight, terrified that if I opened my mouth, something humiliating would spill out. A groan, a gasp, a confession I don’t even know I was holding. 

This wasn't my world. Boardrooms and silent wars fought over contracts and numbers... I know those rooms. I thrive there. But this? This place strips you bare without ever touching you.

I sat rigid on the hard bench, my hands clasped together so tightly that my knuckles had gone white. My leg bounces uncontrollably, a betrayal I can’t seem to stop. Beside me, Maria sits composed, professional, and her posture was calm in