Katie Robinson walked slowly to the center of the floor. The sharp, rhythmic clicking of her heels—usually a sound of absolute confidence—now seemed hesitant. She didn't look at the jury with her usual sparkling charm; she looked like a woman trying to solve a puzzle with missing pieces.
"Your Honor, members of the jury," Katie began, her voice soft, almost weary. "The prosecution has painted a very vivid, very dark picture. They’ve used words like 'predator' and 'cage.' But I want to remind you that emotion is not evidence."
She paused, casting a quick, pained look at Jason.
"Jason Vanderbilt is a man who was desperate," she said, her voice gaining strength. "A man who saw his wife slipping away into what he truly believed was a cycle of addiction and mental instability. Was he overbea
