Chapter 97

The judge’s words echoed through the courtroom, piercing the air with finality. “The court finds the defendant guilty of the murder of Jax and hereby sentences him to life imprisonment with maximum security.”

The weight of those words descended upon me like an iron shroud, suffocating any remnants of hope that still lingered. My heart sank, and a chill ran down my spine as I realized the gravity of the situation. Life in prison—a fate that seemed incomprehensible just moments ago—now awaited me, casting a shadow over the future I had once envisioned.

Vera’s eyes, filled with tears, met mine for a brief moment. The pain and anguish etched on her face mirrored my own, the weight of our shared ordeal pressing down upon us. It was a crushing blow, knowing that our dreams of a life together had been shattered, replaced now by the stark reality of separation and confinement.

The courtroom seemed to fade into the background as the guards approached, their footsteps resona