Across the room, Jared exhaled slowly, guilt tightening in his chest. He had let things get out of hand, trying to protect her by keeping secrets and keeping her at a distance. In his determination to shield her, he'd left room for others to twist the truth. Now, they were interpreting her simple devotion as something sordid. This was his fault—if only he'd resisted his jealousy that day, stayed out of the records room. She wouldn't have been implicated, dragged into this absurdity. His hand clenched tighter, a silent apology in his gaze as he watched her face the judge's disdain.
Jerica met the judge's gaze, her anger now at full force. "Did you subpoena me here to assassinate my character? What is the actual purpose of this?" she demanded, her voice steady but laced with contempt.
