### **Chapter 4: The System on Trial**
Harvard Law had its rituals, and Elle Hoods had learned them quickly. The polite nods between legacy students, the quiet calculations behind every classroom debate, the unspoken rule that confidence mattered more than correctness. It was all part of a game—a game that had been rigged long before she stepped into the room.
Today, that game had a new round.
The professor paced at the front, setting up a mock trial. "Defense," he announced, "will argue for the legitimacy of the defendant's conviction. Prosecution will challenge the ruling."
Elle leaned back, arms crossed. The case was familiar. A young man sentenced based on evidence that barely held together under scrutiny. A conviction built on assumptions instead of facts.
Preston Montgomery III smirked as he was assigned to the defense.
Elle got the prosecution.
She stood, took a breath, and faced the room. "Your Honor," she started, voice steady, "this conviction rests on precedent. But precedent isn't truth—it's just repetition."
Preston straightened his tie. "We trust the system because it's designed to be impartial," he countered.
Elle tilted her head. "Impartial to *who*? The law isn't just written—it's enforced. And enforcement is where bias lives."
A murmur spread across the class.
The professor leaned forward. "Miss Hoods, are you implying the justice system is inherently flawed?"
Elle met his gaze without hesitation. "I'm saying flaws aren't hypothetical. They're documented."
She turned to the panel. "We can argue about intent. We can argue about theory. But when justice prioritizes conviction over truth, *that's not law*. That's a system choosing certainty over fairness."
The debate continued, tension sharp enough to slice through the room. By the time it ended, no one had spoken in quiet dismissal. They had listened. *Really* listened.
Harvard Law had its rules. But Elle Hoods had a different mission.
She wasn't here to play the game. She was here to change it.