Derek's POV
"Not guilty."
The words echo through the courtroom. I can't breathe. Can't think.
"Not guilty on all charges."
The room explodes. People jump to their feet. Someone screams with joy. Applause thunders in my ears.
Maya cries in the front row. Ethan hugs her. Sophie cheers. Even Catherine smiles.
But I feel nothing.
Mr. Chen shakes my hand. "You're free, Derek. You're free!"
Free. The word sounds strange. Wrong.
The judge bangs his gavel. "Order! Order!" But nobody listens. The celebration is too loud. Too wild.
Guards unlock my handcuffs. The metal falls away from my wrists. I rub the red marks left behind.
"Derek!" Maya pushes through the crowd. She throws her arms around me. "You're coming home. You're really coming home."
I hug her back. My arms feel like lead.
"Thank you," I whisper. "For the evidence. For believing me."
"Always," she says.
But when she pulls away, I see something in her eyes. Worry. Like she knows I'm broken inside.
