Chapter 96 – First Hearing
Chapter 96 – First Hearing
(Eden’s POV)
The courthouse felt colder than outside, like the air itself carried judgment. The marble floors echoed with every step we took, our shoes clicking in rhythm with my pulse. My palms were damp, though I had rubbed them dry against my skirt a dozen times already.
Luca walked on my left, tall and steady, his hand brushing mine now and then like he wanted to hold it but knew I needed space to breathe. Levi kept pace on my right, jaw tight, eyes forward. Harper trailed close behind us, her arm linked with Morales, our attorney, who moved with the calm efficiency of someone who had done this too many times before.
“This is just the arraignment,” Morales whispered, pausing at the courtroom doors. “They’ll enter the plea. We’ll argue bail. Don’t expect more than that today. You don’t have to stay the whole time.”
“I’m staying,” I said firmly. “I need to see it.”
Morales gave a small nod, pushing open the heavy wooden doors.
Inside, the courtroom was all polished wood and stern silence. The gallery filled quickly—reporters, officers, curious civilians—but my world narrowed to the front, to the defendant’s table.
The side door opened with a metallic groan. My breath hitched.
Daniel walked in cuffed, his suit replaced by the bland orange of the county jail. But he carried himself like he was still Detective Cross, shoulders squared, chin lifted. He scanned the room without flinching, eyes cold and sharp. When they found me, he stopped walking for half a second.
My heart pounded, but I refused to look away.
“All rise,” the bailiff announced.
The judge swept in, robes flowing, voice steady as he called the session to order. We sat, but I felt anything but settled.
“State of New York versus Daniel Cross,” the clerk read. “Charges: kidnapping in the first degree, unlawful imprisonment, aggravated assault, abuse of authority.”
The judge turned to him. “Mr. Cross, do you understand the charges against you?”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“And your plea?”
Daniel’s voice was calm, almost smug. “Not guilty.”
A scoff broke in my throat, but Harper squeezed my arm to steady me.
The prosecutor, Ms. Patel, stood. “The state moves for remand without bail. The defendant exploited his position as a police detective to kidnap and conceal the victim, Ms. Eden Hayes, for several months. He manipulated evidence, disabled private security systems, and kept her in conditions designed to isolate and intimidate. DNA, fingerprints, and financial records tie him directly to the secondary property where she was found.”
Murmurs rippled across the gallery. I stiffened. Hearing it laid out so clinically almost made me feel like I was back in that room.
The defense lawyer jumped up. “Your Honor, Detective Cross is a decorated officer with no criminal record, deep ties to this community, and an exemplary service record. With electronic monitoring and restrictions, there is no risk of flight—”
“No risk?” Patel’s voice cut like glass. “The complainant was restrained. Malnourished. Forced to take scalding showers multiple times a day that left burns across her skin. She was threatened with violence against those she loves if she resisted. This was not momentary error. This was prolonged, calculated conduct.”
The words hung heavy in the air. I gripped the edge of the bench, nails biting into the wood. That was my nightmare being reduced to bullet points, but it was also the truth—and hearing it spoken aloud made it real in a new way.
The judge turned to me. “Ms. Hayes, are you present?”
I stood, knees trembling but spine straight. “Yes, Your Honor. I’m here.”
“You understand you don’t need to be here for these proceedings?”
“I understand,” I said. My voice cracked but held. “I need to be.”
He inclined his head before returning his gaze to Daniel. “Given the severity, the abuse of authority, and the clear danger to the complainant and others, bail is denied. The defendant will remain in custody pending further hearings.”
For a heartbeat, silence. Then the gavel struck once, sharp and final.
Deputies moved to take Daniel away. He twisted once more to face me, his lips curling into that same unshakable smirk. “She’ll come back to me,” he said, loud enough for the room to hear. “She always does.”
My stomach lurched, but before I could react, Levi leaned forward, his voice like a growl. “You’re delusional.”
“She never wanted you in the first place,” Luca added, venom in every word.
The deputies forced Daniel through the side door, his protest echoing down the corridor until it vanished.
I sank back into my seat, my pulse still racing. The courtroom buzzed again, reporters scribbling, whispers trading like wildfire. But all I could feel was the twins on either side of me, solid and unshakable.
Morales leaned close. “This is a good outcome. He’s not walking free. The grand jury will move quickly.”
“What now?” I whispered, barely trusting my own voice.
“Now,” Morales said, “you focus on healing. We’ll handle the rest.”
In the corridor afterward, the fluorescent lights felt harsher, the press of bodies more suffocating. Reporters shouted questions, cameras flashed, but Levi and Luca shielded me with their presence, cutting a path through the noise.
Harper reached for my hand. “You didn’t break in there.”
I managed a small smile. “I already did. But not today.”
Luca slid his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close as we moved toward the exit. “He’s not touching you again. That’s not a promise. That’s fact.”
And for the first time since I woke in that cold, locked room, I believed it.