The gavel's sharp echo still hung in the air as the judge raised her hand once more, commanding silence.
"Please," she said firmly, "maintain the decorum of the court."
Her clear, uncompromising tone carried authority that cut through the nervous whispers spreading across the room. The murmuring faded, replaced again by tense quiet. Every eye turned toward the bench.
The judge took a long moment to collect her notes. Then she looked up once more, scanning the room — her gaze moving from Sebastian and Vivienne to Lucas and the Blackwood family, and finally settling on the small figure sitting quietly near the back.
"As to why this court has made its decision," she said deliberately, "you all deserve to know the full truth. You must hear what transpired during recess."
A ripple of surprise passed through the room. People exchanged uncertain glances. Lucas frowned slightly, confused but alert. Victoria and Charles leaned closer together, their hearts beating fast.
