Reasonable Doubt

Nella's POV

Nella Hart's life had always followed a careful order, from her morning coffee to the steady rhythm of her work in the lab, where evidence spoke more clearly than people ever did. She trusted patterns, relied on procedure, and believed that if she followed the facts closely enough, the truth would always reveal itself. That certainty begins to fracture when Luca DeCruz walks into the police station with the ease of someone who has never been questioned and rarely challenged. As she studies a series of disturbingly precise murders, Nella starts to recognize a logic that feels less criminal and more deliberate. What unsettles her most is not the possibility that she is wrong, but the growing awareness that she knows exactly what she is seeing and is already deciding how far she is willing to follow it.

Luca's POV

Luca DeCruz was raised to understand power, not morality, and the law became his chosen instrument rather than his guiding principle. As a respected attorney from a formidable family, he learned how to control narratives, anticipate outcomes, and erase doubt before it could take shape. He does not expect to be affected by Nella Hart, whose quiet focus and unflinching attention make him feel studied rather than admired. She looks at evidence the way he looks at people, with patience and intent, and it becomes clear to him that she is capable of seeing more than she should. For the first time, Luca considers that being understood might be more dangerous than being exposed.