Chapter 230: Stories
The prosecutor, Ms. Desmara, stood now. A small woman with sharp features, she looked like she’d been waiting for this moment all day.
She approached the jury box slowly, arms behind her back, then turned to face the room.
"Ladies and gentlemen," she began, her voice measured and calm, "the defense has painted Maria-Isabel Williams Lewis as a desperate mother. A victim. A woman with no options. And today, we were presented with a surprise witness meant to reinforce that narrative."
She paused, walking over to the evidence screen.
"But allow me to remind you of the facts. There are two dead men. Two. One of whom was found hidden in a refrigerator, a calculated decision made after he was killed. The other, stabbed over a dozen times while unconscious."
She turned to Maria, who sat rigid in her seat.
"Does that sound like a woman acting in the heat of the moment?"
She clicked the remote. Photos appeared on the screen—crime scene photos. The jury flinched. Even Ethan tensed beside Maria.
"This," Desmara said, gesturing to the grisly images, "is not self-defense. This is rage. This is cleanup. This is someone who had hours—hours—to call the police, to seek help, to protect her daughter in any legal, humane way."
Maria looked away.
Desmara let the silence stretch before turning back to the jury.