Ice & Prejudice

Chapter 16

Ria's POV:

NEARLY THREE YEARS AGO

November 21st:

The courtroom felt colder than usual, the air thick with tension as the fourth trial against Vlad Wolves began. This time, the stakes felt impossibly high, like everything was hanging by a thread. I sat at the plaintiff's table, my heart pounding as our lawyer, Mr. Donovan, methodically organized his notes. He'd been different this week—more focused, more determined. And for the first time since this nightmare began, it felt like he was ready to really fight.

I glanced over at Vlad's side of the courtroom. He sat there, composed and indifferent as ever, surrounded by his high-powered legal team. But there was something different today. They didn't look as relaxed or as confident as they usually did. Instead, they were flipping through documents, whispering hurriedly among themselves. I couldn't help but feel a flicker of satisfaction at the sight.

"Court is now in session," the judge declared, her gavel striking with a sharp crack that echoed through the room.

Mr. Donovan stood up, his presence commanding as he began his opening remarks. "Your Honor, today we present not just evidence, but a plea for justice that has been long overdue. My client, Victoria Winters, has been wronged in ways that no person should endure. And today, we intend to show the court the truth, unclouded by the manipulations and distortions that have been presented by the defense."

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. This was it. This was our chance.

Mr. Donovan began by revisiting the events of that horrible night when Vlad had assaulted me. But this time, he brought out new evidence—witness statements, text message logs, and expert testimonies from psychologists who had analyzed both my behavior and Vlad's. The psychologists had prepared detailed reports that painted a clear picture: I wasn't lying, and the trauma I had experienced was real, deeply embedded in my psyche.

The Wolves' lawyers looked rattled. They exchanged nervous glances as Mr. Donovan systematically dismantled the narrative they'd been pushing—that I was unstable, unreliable, and seeking attention. With each point Mr. Donovan made, it became increasingly difficult for them to maintain their composure.

"Your Honor," Mr. Donovan continued, "we have here the testimony of Dr. Latham, a licensed clinical psychologist who has spent the last several weeks analyzing both Victoria Monroe and Vladislav Wolves. Dr. Latham's findings are clear: Miss Winter's account of the assault is consistent with her psychological profile, while Mr. Wolves displays signs of manipulative and controlling behavior."

Dr. Latham was called to the stand, and she spoke with authority, laying out her analysis in a way that was both compelling and irrefutable. She explained how my symptoms—anxiety, hypervigilance, nightmares—were all consistent with someone who had experienced severe trauma. And she didn't shy away from pointing out the inconsistencies in Vlad's behavior, noting how his responses during the psychological evaluation had been carefully calculated, almost rehearsed.

As Dr. Latham spoke, I watched Vlad's expression. For the first time, there was a crack in his icy demeanor. His jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing as he listened to the damning testimony. His lawyers, too, were visibly shaken, scrambling to prepare a rebuttal that suddenly seemed far less convincing.

The judge's gaze flickered between Dr. Latham, Mr. Donovan, and Vlad. I could see the wheels turning in her mind, the way she was weighing the evidence, reconsidering everything that had been presented in the previous trials. There was a shift in the room, a palpable tension that hinted at the possibility of the tide turning in our favor.