Chapter 4 — Elliot’s Entry

Lydia

The courthouse loomed before Lydia like a fortress, its stone columns reaching upward into a sky suffused with a leaden gray. The earlier rain lingered in shallow pools across the pavement, capturing distorted reflections of the grand building's facade. Adjusting her grip on the leather strap of her briefcase, she let her fingers brush the cool surface of the polished clasp. A small ritual, but one that steadied her. She paused at the base of the courthouse steps, glancing at her obsidian wristwatch—it was precise, unyielding, and constant. She let the smooth tick of its hands anchor her resolve before climbing the stairs.