Sharon stood in front of her mirror, staring at her reflection. She took a deep breath, trying to calm the nerves bubbling up inside her. This was it. The big case. Mikhail Moretti.
This is what she was made for.
She had worked her way up, and despite being new to the firm, she had quickly earned a name for herself. Brilliant, quick, and sharp—Sharon was everything the firm needed in an attorney. Today, she would finally prove to everyone, including herself, that she was ready. Ready to carry on her father's legacy.
Her deep ocean-blue eyes stared back at her from the mirror, the same eyes her father had. She ran a hand through her blonde hair, straightening out a strand that had fallen out of place. She smiled slightly, liking what she saw.
"I wish you were here, Dad," she whispered softly, knowing how proud he would've been.
She grabbed her briefcase, took a final look in the mirror, and stepped out of the house. The drive to work was short, but her mind raced the entire time. This was her moment.
When she arrived at the firm, the tension hit her immediately. She could hear the heated voices even before she walked into the office.
Lieutenant De Luca stood in the center of the room, arguing with a group of lawyers and attorneys.
"Why would you let someone like her handle this case?" he barked, clearly frustrated. "She's too young. She doesn't have the experience to go up against someone like Mikhail Moretti. He'll chew her up and spit her out."
The other attorneys murmured in disagreement, but De Luca wasn't backing down. He was one of the top bosses, after all. His words carried weight.
Sharon stepped forward, straightening her posture. "I can do it," she said firmly. Her voice cut through the conversation like a blade. All eyes turned to her. "I'll prove it to you, Lieutenant."
De Luca gave her a skeptical look, but before he could respond, the senior attorney walked over and handed her a thick file of papers.
"You'll need these for the courtroom," he said.
Sharon nodded, taking the file. "Thank you."
She walked out of the office, her heart racing. She could feel De Luca's eyes on her back, but she didn't let it shake her confidence. She could handle this. She had to.
As she made her way to the courtroom, a man dressed like an attorney approached her in the hallway. He looked professional, but something about him felt off. He handed her a sealed envelope.
"For you," he said, his voice calm and neutral.
Without thinking much of it, Sharon opened the envelope and quickly scanned the contents. The letter was brief, but the message was clear. It contained urgent instructions regarding the case.
She looked at the man, nodded, and handed him the files the senior attorney had given her earlier. It felt strange, but she assumed it was all part of the case prep.
When she entered the courtroom, the atmosphere was tense. The hearing was about to begin. The courtroom buzzed with quiet chatter, and Sharon took her seat near the front, preparing herself mentally. Everything that usually happened in a courtroom began—the opening statements, the formalities.
Then, the moment arrived. Mikhail Moretti.
He was seated calmly at the defense table, dressed in a sharp, tailored suit that hugged his muscular frame. His black hair was slicked back, revealing a perfectly chiseled jawline and piercing blue eyes that seemed to see through everyone in the room. He was dangerous, no doubt, but there was an undeniable magnetism about him. Even as a criminal, there was something almost... captivating about Mikhail.
He sat there, completely relaxed, as if the courtroom was nothing more than a minor inconvenience. He knew what he was doing, and that unsettled Sharon.
When the senior attorney turned to Sharon and asked for the files she had been given earlier, she froze.
"I... I gave them back to you," she said, her voice trembling slightly.
The senior attorney's brow furrowed in confusion. "No, you didn't," he replied, glancing around. "I never asked for them."
Sharon's heart sank. She felt a wave of cold wash over her. "But the man in the hallway... I thought..."
Before she could finish, a deep chuckle echoed through the room.
Mikhail Moretti was laughing. His cold eyes glimmered with amusement as he leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest.
"You really brought me to court without any evidence?" he mocked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "This is a joke, right?"
The courtroom fell into an uneasy silence, all eyes now on Sharon. Her chest tightened as the weight of what had just happened hit her. She had been tricked. She had walked right into Mikhail's trap.
People in the courtroom began to murmur, questioning her competence, her judgment.
Sharon's mind raced. She had made a terrible mistake. One that could cost her everything.
And worst of all, Mikhail Moretti knew it.