"I knew it!" Lieutenant De Luca shouted, pointing directly at Sharon. "She's an ally! I told you not to give her such an important case!"
"Order!" the judge bellowed, banging his gavel. The courtroom fell into a tense silence.
Sharon's heart raced. "Your Honor, I swear... I received a letter. It said the senior attorney requested the file. Here, I have it!" She reached into her suitcase, frantically searching for the envelope.
But it wasn't there.
"No..." she whispered, her face paling. "I swear, I had it."
Her eyes scanned the room, desperately trying to find the man who had handed her the envelope. But there was no sign of him. All she saw was Mikhail, sitting at his table, grinning from ear to ear. His smile was mocking, knowing.
This wasn't happening. This couldn't end like this. She needed to act, and fast. But what could she do?
The judge's voice cut through her thoughts like a blade. "How dare you make a mockery of this courthouse? You've wasted everyone's precious time."
"Your Honor, I—"
"Silence!" The judge's sharp tone left no room for argument. "You have tampered with highly important evidence. This means only one thing... you are an ally of Mikhail Moretti!"
Sharon's breath caught in her throat. "Your Honor, that's not true. I—"
"Enough!" the judge interrupted, his gavel slamming down again. "This case is dropped until further notice. And you, Miss Carson..."
Sharon stood frozen, her heart pounding in her chest.
"You are unfit for this job," the judge declared. "You have shown incompetence and recklessness in handling such a high-profile case. Effective immediately, you are dismissed from your position."
Sharon felt the world crumble beneath her feet. The whispers in the courtroom grew louder, the judgmental eyes of her peers burning into her. She had failed.
The judge gave one final glare. "Court dismissed."
Sharon's vision blurred as tears filled her eyes. The weight of everything crashed down on her, making her head spin. Was this real? Did this really just happen?
Mikhail was going to be roaming freely... and it was all thanks to her.
Her chest tightened as Lieutenant De Luca's voice echoed in her ears, mocking her, insulting her. "I told them! I told them you couldn't handle this! You're pathetic!" His words felt like knives cutting through her heart.
Tears streamed down her face even faster now. She couldn't stop them.
With trembling hands, she grabbed her things, barely able to carry them as she stumbled out of the courtroom. But as soon as she stepped outside, a swarm of reporters rushed toward her, cameras flashing, microphones thrust in her face.
"Miss Carson, how could you lose such a crucial case?" one reporter demanded.
"Are the rumors true? Are you in league with Mikhail Moretti?" another voice shouted.
"Do you have any comment on the judge's decision to dismiss you?"
"Miss Carson, what's your next move after losing your job?"
"Do you have anything to say to your colleagues who defended you?"
"Did you tamper with the evidence on purpose?"
The questions piled up, each one more suffocating than the last. Sharon's breath came in short gasps. She couldn't take it anymore. The ground seemed to sway beneath her feet, the noise and lights blending into one chaotic blur.
Then, everything went black.
Sharon's eyes fluttered open, and the bright lights above her made her squint. Her head throbbed, and for a moment, she couldn't figure out where she was. Slowly, the beeping of machines around her became clear, and she realized she was in a hospital room.
"What... what happened?" she whispered, her voice hoarse.
She struggled to sit up, her body feeling weak. For a second, she thought maybe it had all been a nightmare, the courtroom, the judge's decision, De Luca's insults. Maybe none of it was real.
But then, the TV on the wall caught her attention. The newscaster's voice filled the room, and there, on the screen, was the courthouse... and her. Sharon watched as they replayed the scene, her failure, the judge's words, the cameras flashing as reporters swarmed her.
It wasn't a dream.
Tears welled up in her eyes again, and she quickly glanced down, realizing she was attached to a drip. Without thinking, she yanked it out, wincing as the needle left her skin. She had to get out of here.
She stumbled to her feet, still feeling the dizziness, and managed to escape the hospital, running down the street, her heart heavy. When she reached her apartment, she slammed the door behind her and collapsed onto the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.
This wasn't her. She had never been someone who drank to escape. The bottles of alcohol in her cabinet were only there for aesthetic decoration, never touched. But that night... she couldn't resist.
With shaking hands, she grabbed the nearest bottle, twisting off the cap and gulping the liquor down like it was water. It burned her throat, but she didn't care. She just wanted the pain to go away.
"How could this happen to me?" she cried out, her voice echoing in the empty apartment.
She threw the bottle across the room, smashing it against the wall, shards of glass flying everywhere. Then, she grabbed anything in sight, flinging it across the room in her rage, cursing Mikhail with every breath.
She drank more, the alcohol dulling her senses, and when she could no longer stand the chaos around her, she decided to take a bath. Maybe she could wash away the shame, wash away the memory of her failure.
Kaiden climbed the stairs to her apartment, worry etched across his face. He knocked several times, but there was no answer. His concern grew with each moment of silence.
"Sharon?" he called out, knocking again.
When there was still no response, he pushed the door open and was immediately greeted by the mess she had created. Broken bottles, furniture knocked over, and the overwhelming scent of alcohol filled the air.
His heart pounded as he heard the sound of water. He followed it, his gut telling him something was wrong.
He froze at the sight in front of him. Sharon was in the bathtub, fully submerged, her body lifeless beneath the water.
"Shit!" he cursed, rushing to her side. He grabbed her bare body, pulling her out of the water, his hands trembling as he laid her on the floor. Without hesitation, he began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
"Come on, Don't do this," he muttered between breaths.
Finally, she coughed, water sputtering from her lips. But she didn't wake. Her body was limp, unconscious but alive.
Kaiden sighed in relief but noticed how hot her skin felt. She had a fever. He quickly found a towel, wrapping it around her before lifting her into his arms. She was burning up, and he couldn't risk her condition worsening. He grabbed his phone, dialing for a doctor.
"She's going to be okay," he whispered to himself, hoping it was true.