Ice & Prejudice

Chapter 10

Ria's POV:

NEARLY THREE YEARS AGO

November 16th:

The courtroom was cold, or maybe it was just me. I sat there, hollowed out, staring down at my black trousers that hung loosely on my legs, barely registering the low hum of voices around me. My hands clutched the fabric of my blouse, the only anchor keeping me somewhat grounded in this nightmare. I couldn't bring myself to look up, not at the judge, not at the lawyers, and definitely not at the Wolves family. The pristine, powerful Wolves family that looked like they'd stepped off the cover of some high-end magazine. The father, Eduard, all steely-eyed and stern, his perfectly tailored suit probably costing more than my entire wardrobe. Nikolai, Vlad's older brother, sat beside him, expression blank but somehow still managing to exude that cold, unapproachable aura. Vlad... I couldn't even think about him without a surge of nausea. He looked flawless too, just like the rest of them. How could someone so monstrous look so perfect?

Their lawyer, the best money could buy, stood confidently, delivering his arguments with precision and a chilling calmness that made my skin crawl. He was ruthless, tearing down every piece of evidence, every word that might've helped me. He turned everything upside down, making me look like the villain, the one who had wanted all of this. His voice was smooth, persuasive, wrapping around the courtroom like a noose.

"Ms. Winters has failed to provide substantial evidence," the lawyer's voice dripped with condescension. "Her claims are based on hearsay, on the word of a girl who has shown clear interest in my client, Mr. Vladislav Wolves, as evidenced by numerous witnesses."

The screenshots, the photos of my bruises—they had all been torn apart, dissected by their team until they were meaningless. Makeup. That's what they suggested, that I had used makeup to fake the bruises. My chest tightened at the memory of how they'd shown photos of me wearing makeup at other times, using it as evidence to suggest that I could easily create those bruises. As if I'd wanted to do this to myself.

"Given the lack of concrete evidence and the questionable integrity of the plaintiff's claims, it is evident that this case is baseless," the lawyer continued, his words landing like blows. I felt them, each one pushing me further into the darkness that had been threatening to consume me for months.

Next to me, my sisters were like a lifeline, though their support was slowly becoming the only thing that kept me from disappearing completely. Mia sat closest to me, her hand wrapped around mine under the table. She squeezed it every now and then, a silent reassurance that she was there. Her presence was warm, comforting, even as my own body felt cold and distant. Gia, quiet and calm as always, would occasionally glance at me, her eyes filled with unspoken concern. She didn't need words to tell me she was there. Lia, ever the fighter, glared daggers at the Wolves' lawyer, her rage practically vibrating off her. She was ready to jump in, to fight them herself if she had to, but we all knew it wouldn't help.

The lawyer I'd managed to hire, thanks to Stacy's help, was doing his best, but it was painfully clear that he was out of his depth. He stumbled through his arguments, trying to counter the Wolves' lawyer, but it was like watching someone try to fight a hurricane with a paper shield. Every point he made was swiftly, brutally dismantled. I felt a pang of guilt. He was a good man, a good lawyer, but he wasn't equipped to take on this monster of a case. We didn't have the money, the resources, or the power that the Wolves family did. And it showed.

I couldn't look at my mom. Not after the way she'd been acting, her words ringing in my ears from earlier that morning. "Maybe if you'd been more careful, Ria, this wouldn't have happened." Careful. As if this was my fault. As if I'd somehow invited all of this. Her coldness, the way she'd pulled back from me, it hurt more than anything. My step-uncle had gotten away with it, and deep down, I could feel the same thing happening again. My mom wasn't going to fight for me. She never had, not really. She'd always cared more about appearances, about what people would think, despite pretending not to.

As the arguments continued, I zoned out completely, my mind sinking into that familiar dark place. There was no point in fighting this. Vlad was going to win. He had the money, the power, the connections. And me? I had nothing. Just a few screenshots, a couple of photos, and my word. And that wasn't enough. Not against someone like him.

My eyes flickered to Kathryn, who sat near her older brother Eduard. She wasn't as poised as the others, though she still had that air of perfection that seemed to run in their blood. But there was something different about her. Her eyes... they kept drifting toward me, and when they did, there was something in them that I couldn't quite place. Sympathy? Guilt? I didn't know. But every time I caught her looking at me, she quickly glanced away, as if she didn't want to be caught. This was the third trial this month already, And every time I felt her look at me every few minutes, sometimes even stare.

I knew I looked like a mess. I felt like one. My eyes were puffy from crying, my nose stuffed up. I hadn't slept in days, maybe weeks. It was all a blur at this point. My skin was pale, my frame thinner than it had been before all of this started. I didn't even recognize myself in the mirror anymore. Mia had tried to fix my hair earlier, but it still looked like a tangled mess. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore. The Wolves family was flawless, a picture of power and control. And I was just... broken.

The courtroom droned on, words blending together until they were nothing but noise. I kept my gaze on my lap, feeling more and more like I was sinking into a black hole. This was it. I was losing. Vlad was going to get away with it, just like my step-uncle had. No one was going to believe me. Not against him. I felt completely and utterly stupid. Violated. Silenced.

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I forced them down. I couldn't cry here, not again. I'd already cried enough. I was tired. So, so tired. The fight was leaving me, slipping away like sand through my fingers. What was the point? I was out of my depth, drowning in a sea of power and manipulation that I couldn't hope to navigate.

I could feel my sisters trying to pull me back, to keep me from sinking too far. But it was no use. I was already gone. Lost. I could see it, the inevitable conclusion of all of this. Vlad would walk away, free to live his life while I would be left in ruins. And the Wolves family? They would keep on being perfect, untouchable, while I... I didn't know what I'd do. I couldn't think that far ahead. I didn't want to do it anymore. Living. Surviving. Existing.

All I knew was that I was losing. And there was nothing I could do to stop it.