CHAPTER 135

DECLAN

The courtroom was packed for Trent’s second hearing. Hazel and I arrived early, securing seats near the front. We exchanged a look of silent encouragement, our hands tightly clasped together.

This was the moment we had been waiting for—the months of fear, frustration, and hope.

The murmur of voices filled the room as we waited for the judge to arrive. My eyes wandered over the crowd, noti