So, I just turned and walked down the hall toward the courtroom, with Goldie and Tanner by my side. My lawyer, Anastasia Howe, met us at the door, a woman so full of class and grace that she looked slightly alien with her perfect clothes and perfect hair.
Paired with the perfect confidence I thought I used to have.
Before everything got shaken up in the washing machine.
“Let’s do this,” she said with a curt nod and a small smirk, and followed us down to the tables and chairs waiting for us again.
Today wasn’t part of a trial or anything, but it was a continuation of my charges. The judge had called the appearance after reviewing all the information that my lawyer gathered from Tanner and Lucas and sent in as evidence against the DA’s claims.
In the end, the DA’s office didn’t want to take a case to trial that they couldn’t win. But a small part of my mind wondered ifthey would dismiss the charges because they didn’t know if they could win, or because they actually believed in my innocence.
And that part mattered to me. A lot.
Sitting down at the defense table beside Anastasia, I folded my hands so tightly in my lap that my knuckles were white. Tanner sat behind me in the gallery, but he was close enough that I could feel the heat of his stare without looking. Goldie sat next to me on my other side. Steady. Silent.
Something she never was.
But she was trying so hard to be what I needed right now, and it warmed my heart, cracking through the ice just a little.
Anastasia leaned toward me. “Breathe,” she murmured.
“I am,” I whispered back.
“Not like you’re waiting for the ceiling to collapse.”
Fair.
The DA stood at the opposite table, flipping through a stack of papers he now looked less certain about than he had three days ago.
The judge entered, and everyone rose as I swallowed down the scream of anxiety that threatened against my lips and sat down as the court came to session.
The judge adjusted her glasses and looked directly at me.
“Ms. Dalton,” she began, voice measured. “This court has reviewed the supplemental evidence submitted by your counsel.” Anastasia’s hand rested lightly on my forearm, grounding me as the judge continued. “And while I’m glad the DA filed this motion, I’m highly disappointed that it took the District Attorney’s office so long to do so.”
My heart raced in my chest as the powerful woman on the bench glared openly at the prosecution bench.
She went on, “I’ve received documentation of corporate filings tied to Bakewell Industries, corroborating reports of similar property damage in neighboring municipalities,surveillance footage and official transcripts establishing your physical presence during all the alleged crimes and sworn statements showing potential third-party interference.”
The DA cleared his throat quietly, but the women in the room all heard it like nails on a chalkboard, and the judge ignored him.
She kept her eyes on me, which I respected more than anything, to be honest.
“In light of this evidence, and pending further investigation into alternative suspects, the court finds insufficient grounds to proceed.” My pulse thundered in my ears as she raised one perfectly poised eyebrow at me. “Accordingly, all criminal charges against you, Ms. Dalton, are dismissed.”
The words didn’t land at first, even though she said them clearly and firmly.
Dismissed.
Gone.
Goldie’s hand clamped around mine, and Tanner exhaled behind me as if he’d been underwater the whole time.
Anastasia leaned closer. “That’s it,” she whispered proudly. “You’re clear.”
I blinked, shaking my head slightly, “That’s it?”
The judge gave me a long look, not one that was unkind, but firm and honest.