Micah’s POVThe instant the officer returned to my cell, I didn't wait for him to speak. "I want my lawyer!" I immediately voiced before he could say anything else.“So, you think you can afford a lawyer, huh?” he chuckled darkly, his eyes narrowing as he sized me up. Then, with a casual wave of his hand, he turned to the others. “Give him his phone for ten minutes,” he ordered, his voice carrying an authoritative edge.“Let him get himself a lawyer. But monitor him. We don’t want any funny business,” the officer warned.Funny business? Like what? Did they think I was going to miraculously break out of the cell? Escape from the police station when I knew full well that I’d be caught again? That any attempt at running would only worsen my already dire situation?I stayed silent, my thoughts swirling in my head as I remained seated on the cold concrete bench. A few seconds later, another officer approached the cell, his gaze unreadable. Through the metal bars, he stretched out his hand,
Micah’s POVMorning came as if it were never going to. The night was so long, and I was hell frozen to almost death. Every second that passed felt like an eternity, and the darkness of the cell only made it worse. My body ached from the cold, my muscles stiff, and my mind foggy from the lack of sleep.I never knew that Mandena was a city with so much coldness. Each time, I had always been in the room with the heater turned on, sheltered from the biting night air. But tonight, no heater was turned on. No thick blankets to wrap myself in. Just the unrelenting chill that seeped into my bones, making it feel as though I was locked inside a freezer, struggling to keep warm with nothing but my own body heat.The station was eerily quiet. Most of the police had retired home for the night to be with their families, leaving only a few behind. The ones who stayed behind weren’t the same officers from the daytime. These men were different—fully dressed in black, wearing masks that obscured their
Rebecca’s POVWe arrived at the Supreme Court of the city of Mandena. We had been duly informed that Micah’s hearing at the court was today, and hence, his fate would be sealed before the day was over.The weight of the moment settled heavily upon my shoulders, but I embraced it with unwavering determination. This was the day justice would be served.In light of this, we had hired a prosecutor who would prosecute Micah for his crime—David Cooper.One of the best attorneys in the whole of Manderin, talk less of Mandena. His reputation preceded him, a man feared by many in the legal profession, admired by even more.I had personally paid to hire him. A whopping sum of 400 grand. Just to put Micah in his place and make him understand that there are consequences for every action and inaction.To attempt a r*pe was a crime against humanity, and definitely, he must learn to put his dick in his trousers from now on.The moment we arrived at the court, I saw him darting a fearful look at us.H
Micah’s POVI couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw David Cooper enter the courtroom. His footsteps as he walked down the aisle were full of tension.Everyone was shocked. Who wouldn’t know David Cooper? The best lawyer in the whole country?My heart raced as he continued to approach. And when he approached the bench, said his name to the judge, it was as if my heart dropped into the deepest pit.My hands trembled as if I was infected by a shaking disease. I was sweaty all over. Before I met Rebecca, I had watched cases David Cooper argued on TV.He was a popular attorney that they used his life-courting arguing cases to teach young and upcoming attorneys how to do it right. And as such, his cases were always shown on TV for free.The cases he argued were brutal. The defendant, if he were prosecuting, always landed in a life sentence or was sentenced to be killed by fire.I opened my eyes widely as I remembered the final judgment a court pronounced on a case.Would I be judged to be kil
Micah’s POV“Objection Overruled!” Judge Hilar voiced immediately. And with this,“Mr. Micah, please approach the stand,” Attorney David gestured, his voice carrying the weight of authority.My heart pounded against my chest, an anxious rhythm that echoed through my entire body. I forced my feet forward, each step feeling heavier than the last. What question was Attorney David going to ask me? What angle was he going to take? Was this about defining sadomasochism, or was he going to twist the narrative, making it seem like my sexuality had driven me to attempt rape?Before I could steady my breath, one of the court officials—a woman dressed in a well-tailored brown suit with neatly pressed pants—stepped forward from the corner of the courtroom. She moved with calculated precision, her every motion exuding professionalism. In her hands, she carried two hardcover books that looked like legal documents at first glance. But deep down, I knew what they were.“Which belief do you adhere to,
Micah’s POV“Shut your fucking mouth up!” my voice boomed from the audio.“You fucker! I am so going to have this sex with you, and there is nothing—nothing—no fucking body will fucking do about it!!!” my voice continued, filled with rage and dominance.“Ahhhhhh!” a lady’s voice rang in the audio, high-pitched and trembling.“Shut your hell mouth! You wanna tell me you’re not fucking enjoying this?!!!” my voice cut through the recording like a blade, silencing the lady.***I opened my eyes widely in horror.A cold shiver ran down my spine, making my fingers tremble slightly as I gripped the edge of the table before me. The courtroom was suffocatingly silent, yet the weight of the countless stares boring into me felt heavier than any noise could have been.I needed no one to tell me I was doomed.When did this lady make the voice recording?I struggled to recollect the exact moment. My mind raced, flipping through my memories like pages in a book, but the answer was already known to m
Micah’s POVThe moment the video stopped playing, my mind went blank.I couldn’t think. I couldn’t speak.I was already bracing myself for the inevitable—for the judge to pronounce my judgment.The video was gory, violent, and disturbingly dark. It was so graphic that I struggled to believe Annabella had managed to capture everything that happened that night. But there was no mistaking it.My face was there. Clear as day.Her face was there too.There was no way around it. No excuse that could erase what was already being broadcasted to every single person in this courtroom.I felt suffocated."Mr. Micah."Attorney David’s voice sliced through the heavy silence.My pulse quickened.I kept my gaze lowered, refusing to meet his eyes. I didn’t need to look to know what expression he wore. I could hear the smugness in his voice before I even saw it on his face.He stepped closer. “I want to believe that video was AI-EDITED, right?” he teased, leaning against my stand, his words dripping w
Micah’s POVAfter Evelyn had been asked a series of questions, she nailed the hammer on the nail, putting me in even more misery—misery I knew I could never escape from. Each word she spoke tightened the noose around my neck, making my fate feel inevitable.“Your Honor, if it pleases the court, I would like to invite Chef Mirabel herself to the stand,” Attorney David announced, his voice firm and unwavering. My heart pounded in my chest, my anxiety reaching its peak.This was the moment of truth—one that would drown me in the most pitiful state of my life.At this instance, I wished I could turn back the hands of time, erase every trace of my meeting with Rebecca. She was the root of all my misfortunes. If only I had never met her, maybe—just maybe—I would still be living my life the way I wanted, preying on victims too weak to stand up for themselves.As my thoughts spiraled, I barely registered Mirabel stepping forward.“Do you swear to tell nothing but the truth?” Attorney David as
Cassian’s POV Immediately our lips touched, and that I saw her lean back like we had done something we shouldn’t out of the blue, out of the emotions that poured out of our discussion, I felt a wave of uncertainty. “I am sorry,” I quickly said. I didn’t want to lose her. Even when I wanted to pursue a relationship with her, I wanted it to start up slowly, making sure she fully accepted me before I properly asked her out so that I wouldn’t receive the same "No" of an answer I got back in college. “It’s okay,” she said the instant I apologized. Then I saw her hold my hands again. She looked at my lips and leaned slowly closer. “The truth is,” she whispered as she was coming closer, “We would have been a perfect match,” she said in a whisper. Hence, she kissed me right on the lips. This was like a prayer answered for me. It was like I had just hit a jackpot. And how could the most beautiful woman on earth kiss me and I wouldn’t kiss her in return? I kissed her back, burying my hand
Rebecca’s POV Cassian just asked me the question that sent me back to my past. The question rang a bell. I didn’t know why it did, but it did anyway.Could it be because the question was asked by someone whom I rejected because of this very Gabriel?It shot me to the day we had our wedding—how we read our vows and promised each other never to be separated until death did us part.This same question shot me to our wedding night—how we had made love and kissed each other until morning.The memories clung to me, but I forced myself back to the present. I blinked, shaking off the thoughts.“I don’t want to talk about it, please,” I said to him, and I saw the way he nodded his head gently.He looked as if he understood where my pain was coming from, as if he could relate so well—so well that it meant he had also gone through the same fate.I felt somehow that I rejected him an explanation for his harmless question, especially because he understood it just as much as I wanted to avoid it.
Cassian’s POV I walked into the classroom in the hope of teaching my newly admitted student and going back out of there just the way I have always done in the past. Lecturing was fun, yeah right? But at the same time, it was tiring. And most tiring when you have to teach three classes in a day.I heaved out a sigh as I walked through the class entrance door. Then I lifted my head, gazing to the front of the class, the podium, and all of the students' heads. As I was moving my gaze back onto my feet, my eyes stopped as they landed on this particular lady’s head, or should I say hair? The hair color, the crispness to which the head stood on the neck, the way the gentle, beautiful fingers touched gently on her cheeks like the beautiful princess of Persia—it all reminded me of one lady. Rebecca.Back in college, she was everything I wanted to be with. And why this? Her gentle voice when she talked, her beautiful, attractive physique, the way her waist moved when she walked like she was t
Rebecca’s POVCassian was a man I met back in college. He was the top boy whom all the ladies on campus wanted back then—except me, because, of course, I was with Gabriel. He was fucking handsome, and girls flocked around him every now and then, wanting to be his girl. But how ironic—he didn’t want any of them. He only wanted me.We weren’t in the same department back then, but that didn’t stop him. He would come from his department, which was the Department of Project Management, just to watch us and stare at me from a distance. It was something I noticed often, but I never truly acknowledged it until he finally expressed his feelings for me.Back then, I loved Gabriel too much to even consider anyone else. When Cassian confessed, I told him I was with someone else and that it couldn’t work between us. And being a man who valued his self-respect, he backed off. He stopped talking to me ever since, merely waving from afar anytime we crossed paths.At first, I felt offended by his sudd
Rebecca’s POVIt’s been three months since Micah’s sentencing, yet the knowledge still feels fresh, as if the verdict was just announced yesterday. Michel has also been struggling with PTSD. Anytime she is in the kitchen and hears one of the male employees enter—whether to pick something up or deliver a message—she immediately tenses. Her first reaction is always to grab a knife, pointing it instinctively at whoever stands before her.No one blames her. We all understand that healing takes time. According to the doctor, this is the moment when she needs the most support, and I’m determined to be there for her every step of the way.Despite everything, life moves forward. This morning, I decided to arrive at my first lecture early, feeling a sense of renewal as I embarked on this next chapter.A month ago, I applied to further my studies. I realized that returning to school would not only help me heal but also increase my value. In a world dominated by men, I understood that as one of
Micah’s POVWhen Attorney Langford was asked if he had evidence to support his claims, my heart raced even further.Attorney Langford was actually making a lot of sense, enough to prompt the judge into giving me a lesser punishment. But now that she had asked for evidence? I knew Attorney Langford was all mouth and no proof, yet he should have known that words alone wouldn’t work in court—especially not in the Supreme Court of Mandena.I turned to look at Attorney Langford. At the mention of providing evidence, sweat broke out on his forehead. He was clearly trapped. Across from him, Attorney David smirked, and when I passed my gaze toward Rebecca, she smirked too. But she wasn’t even looking at me.It was evident that Attorney Langford had walked straight into a dead end on this case.“Huh… humm…” he stammered, attempting to form a response regarding the evidence.Right there, I dropped my gaze to the floor inside the dock. My hands were trembling now. I could practically see myself
Judge Hilar’s POV“Who is representing the defendant?” Judge Lisa asked as she took her seat. Just then, the courtroom door barged open, and Attorney Victor Langford stepped in.Every attorney in the city knew who Langford was. He was an opportunist attorney, the kind who seized cases others wouldn’t touch. No one hired him because they believed he was too young and inexperienced to handle or win any case. So, he made himself available for any defendant who had no legal representation.If he won, he would demand his payment later. But unfortunately, he was a lawyer who kept proving the public right. He had never won a case since he was called to the bar.My heart froze the moment I saw him enter the courtroom. If by “defendant” attorney, it meant he was the one who would represent me too, then Micah and I were doomed. My pulse quickened at the thought.“My name is Victor Langford, representing the defendant.” I watched as Langford rose to his feet and bowed to the judge, introducing
**Micah’s POV** It didn’t matter how long I waited for the head of the community service to arrive so that I could complete my service for the day and ensure I wouldn’t land in trouble with the government—he never came. Hours passed, yet there was no sign of him. Frustration gnawed at me, but knowing full well that I couldn’t leave the house, I stayed put and waited until the next morning, hoping for clarity. Morning arrived faster than I had anticipated, the sun barely peeking over the horizon when a sudden, resounding knock echoed through my home. My heart froze. The forceful banging sent a chill down my spine, instantly reminding me of the letter I had received the day before. Yesterday had been the 18th. Today was the 19th—the day I was supposed to appear before the Supreme Court of Manderin. My pulse quickened as my mind scrambled for a solution. **"How do I..."****BAM! BAM! BAM!** Another heavy knock jolted me out of my thoughts. Without wasting another second, I rushed to
Micah’s POVThe moment I stepped out of the office, the court officials grabbed me immediately, escorting me straight to the van before tossing me inside.Just as they were about to close the door, I caught sight of Judge Hilar stepping out of his office. He stood by the entrance, his gaze locked onto mine. His eyes were red and swollen as if he had been crying before coming outside.Even as the police vehicle took off, my eyes remained fixed on him until his figure faded into the distance.His words still haunted me, echoing in my mind as if he were standing right next to me, speaking them all over again.Two hours later, we arrived at my home—the same home I had abandoned when I left to be with Rebecca. The officers dragged me out of the van and led me inside. Without hesitation, they fastened a device to my leg, and the moment it snapped into place, a sharp beeping sound filled the air.I knew exactly what this device was. I had seen it in movies countless times—a tracking monitor