ELENA POV
They came for me at 6 AM.
"Castellano. Time to get ready. Trial starts at nine."
I'd been awake for hours. Hadn't really slept. Just lay there staring at the ceiling, rehearsing everything Martina had taught me.
Stay calm. Be honest. Show vulnerability but strength. Make them see you as human.
The guard handed me civilian clothes through the slot. A simple navy blue dress that Martina had brought weeks ago. Professional but not expensive. Sympathetic.
"You get thirty minutes to shower and change. Make it count."
I showered quickly, the lukewarm water doing nothing to ease the knots in my stomach. Changed into the dress. It fit perfectly Martina had been thorough.
I looked at myself in the small mirror.
Pale. Dark circles under my eyes despite the minimal makeup the prison had allowed. Hair pulled back in a simple style.
I looked like exactly what I was a woman who'd been through hell.
Maybe that would help.
