Bound By Lies - Rafe Cameron

Chapter 61

The courtroom is buzzing with anticipation, a low hum of murmurs and whispers that grows louder with every passing second. The air is thick, charged with tension and uncertainty, and I can barely breathe. My fingers are twisted together in my lap, clenched so tightly my knuckles have turned white, but I can't let go. I can't move. I can only stare straight ahead at the man who holds our future in his hands.

The judge shuffles a stack of papers, his expression unreadable as he looks down at them. I feel my heart pounding wildly in my chest, the sound echoing in my ears like a drumbeat, drowning out everything else.

Rafe is standing beside his lawyer, his posture stiff, his face a mask of calm. But I know him. I know every muscle, every twitch, every flicker of emotion he tries to hide. And right now, he's barely holding it together. His jaw is clenched so tight I can see the muscle jumping beneath his skin, and his hands are curled into fists at his sides, shaking ever so slightly.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury," the judge's voice booms, cutting through the tension like a knife. "Have you reached a verdict?"

The jury foreman, an older man with graying hair and a serious expression, stands slowly, holding a folded piece of paper in his hands. My breath catches, and I feel my dad's hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently, a silent reminder that I'm not alone.

But I feel alone. I feel like the entire world has narrowed down to this one moment, this one decision that will determine everything.

The foreman clears his throat, his gaze flickering to the judge, then to Rafe, then finally to the piece of paper in his hands. "We have, Your Honor."

The room goes dead silent. Every breath, every heartbeat, every thought is suspended, waiting for the next words.

The judge nods, his expression still calm, still detached. "Please read the verdict."

The foreman nods, unfolding the paper slowly, the crinkling sound deafening in the stillness of the courtroom. He glances down at the words, then up at Rafe, and for a moment, everything seems to freeze.

"We, the jury, find the defendant, Rafe Cameron..."

Please, I think desperately, my heart pounding so hard I think I might be sick. Please, please, please...

"...not guilty on all charges."

The words hit me like a shockwave, my entire body going numb, my mind blanking out in a sudden, blinding rush of disbelief. Not guilty. Not guilty.

Not guilty.

There's a split second of stunned silence, like no one in the room can quite believe it, and then everything erupts at once.

The Cameron family, seated behind me, lets out a collective gasp of relief, whispers and cries of joy filling the air. Ward is on his feet, his face breaking into a wide, relieved smile as he turns to hug Rose. I can hear the low murmur of reporters, the shuffling of people rising to their feet, the entire room shifting and swaying like a stormy sea.

But all I can do is stare at Rafe.

He's still standing there, still as a statue, his gaze locked on the jury, his face blank, as if he hasn't quite processed the words yet. And then, slowly, his eyes flicker to mine.

I rise to my feet without even realizing it, my legs shaky, my heart still pounding wildly. He looks at me, and in that moment, it's like the entire world falls away. There's nothing but him and me and the overwhelming, dizzying realization that we did it.

He's free. He's really, really free.

Rafe's lips part, his chest heaving as he takes a deep, shuddering breath, and I see the emotion flicker across his face—relief, disbelief, and something else. Something raw and powerful that makes my breath catch in my throat.