Chapter 324 Objection

Ella

A sharp jolt of realization pulled me out of my sleep. The luminescent glow of dawn was already seeping through the window blinds. How long had we been asleep? Frantic, I scrambled upright, inadvertently knocking a few papers off the cluttered desk.

“Logan!” I shook his shoulder, urgency lacing my voice. “Wake up. We overslept!” His eyelids fluttered open, his usually sharp eyes clouded with confusion. “Ella? What time is it?”

My fingers flew to my wristwatch, and a gasp escaped my lips. “God, it’s nearly time for the court session! We have minutes, Logan, minutes!”

His eyes widened as he registered the severity of the situation. “Damn,” he cursed, running a hand through his disheveled hair.

“Come on!” I urged, grabbing my files and purse, doing my best to appear somewhat professional. Looking at my reflection in a nearby window, I grimaced at the mascara smudged under my eyes and the crease lines imprinted on my cheek from the papers.

As Logan and I dashed through the halls of the firm, his tie hung loosely around his neck, and his shirt wasn’t entirely buttoned up. I struggled to adjust my blazer while balancing on my heels, my hand clutching a bundle of important case documents. There was no time for the elevator. We opted for the stairs, taking them two at a time.

Reaching the ground floor, we burst through the building’s main doors, the cool morning air hitting us. As we sped toward the courthouse just a few blocks away, Logan pulled off his tie, hastily re-tying it.

“You alright?” he panted, glancing my way.

“I’ve had better mornings,” I quipped, trying to find humor in our predicament. “We need to be on our A-game the moment we walk into that courtroom.”

We made it to the courthouse steps, barely catching our breath. As the grand doors came into view, I tried to mentally prepare myself. Every second counted, and making a good impression was vital.

our best efforts, as we entered the courtroom, all eyes turned our way -and not in the flattering, commanding presence I’d hoped for. The judge’s gaze was especially

a smug

tell he was rattled. Ignoring the snide remark, I began, “Your Honor, I sincerely apologize for our tardiness. It won’t

a heavy pause, he nodded. “Very well. Proceedings will begin

but if there was one man who reveled in

a pocket square that peeked out just so, he was the epitome of calculated perfection. His entrance had no doubt been marked by nods of respect from fellow attorneys and begrudging acknowledgment from others. His reputation preceded him-a man who knew the ropes, knew the judges, and more importantly,

Westbrook made it a point to catch my gaze as he passed by, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips. “Good morning, Miss Morrigan,” he

chink in my armor. “The name is Morgan, Mr. Westbrook. I

the game.” He paused, letting the implication hang in the air before continuing to his table, laying out his

Westbrook was in his element. He started by painting a vivid picture for the jury-one of a city under siege, a place where men like Logan roamed the streets, and where families lived in fear. Every word was like a stroke of his brush, every pause calculated to let the gravity

he intoned dramatically, “stands at a crossroads. Do we allow individuals who flout our laws to run rampant, or

then pivoted swiftly to focus on the day’s evidence. With every exhibit he presented, Westbrook weaved a tale. He spoke of past incidents, of confrontations and aggressive outbursts. He used witness statements, expert testimonies, and even went as far as to play audio recordings that painted

Honor,” he said at one point, holding up a photograph of a scene from Logan’s alleged crime. “This is not merely about a man and his past. It’s about the patterns we see, the consistent choices made. And patterns, as we all

admit, as much as it pained me, Westbrook’s tactics were effective. He was weaving a narrative that was becoming harder and harder to counter, especially with the jury’s increasingly concerned

began with

a honeyed voice. “Tell us about your childhood. Would you say

shifted uncomfortably. “As normal as any,

“And

but playing along. “Went to school, had a few close friends. Played a

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