“I speak these words with a heart full of tears,” a man said, his voice trembling as he faced the people before him. “One of our own, Riley Collins, through his negligence and irresponsibility, has brought about a tragedy: the loss of a newly married couple and their two-month-old daughter.” He paused, his eyes heavy with grief.“Th… this… is… very…” he began, but his voice cracked before he could finish. Suddenly, he broke down in tears, lowering his head onto the desk. For a moment, the room went silent except for the sound of his sobbing. When he finally lifted his face, his eyes were already red and swollen. His voice trembled as he continued, “This is very sad news… and ever since I heard it, I have not been myself. Those precious lives could have been saved if only this foolish, selfish man had answered the emergency calls on time.”He paused, trying to steady himself. With the back of his hand, he wiped away his tears.“This man deliberately ignored the emergency calls more tha

“Objection, My Lord!” The voice of the defense attorney echoed sharply across the solemn courtroom. All eyes turned toward the tall man. He gestured toward the prosecutor, pointing a finger at herr “The line of questioning implies guilt without evidence, Your Honor. It prejudices the jury and misrepresents the facts.”The judge, a gray-haired man, tapped his gavel lightly. “Sustained,” he said. “Counsel, please restrain your remarks to the facts presented and the evidence at hand.”A thin sigh escaped the lips of the prosecutor, a woman in her early forties. She leaned slightly forward, resting her forearms on the edge of the long table. “Thank you, Your Honor. I will endeavor to remain factual,” she said.Riley sat in the dock, clasping his hands tightly on his lap. He stared down at the floor, avoiding the gaze of the prosecutor.The defense attorney turned smoothly to the jury, his voice calm. “Ladies and gentlemen, I ask you to consider the circumstances carefully before passing j

“For the past twelve years, you have been trying to kill him, and you have failed continuously,” a man said, exhaling a long stream of cigarette smoke that curled lazily into the air. “He’s to be released tomorrow. Make sure you end his life tonight. Do whatever it takes to kill him, and if you fail this time around, I swear I’m going to skin you alive. This is going to be your last time.”He paused to draw again on the cigarette,his eyes narrowing his eyes on the man in front of him, the ember flared briefly, illuminating his face in a harsh orange glow.“Did you know what Henry would do if he got to know that he’s yet to die?” He growled. “You’d better kill him now before he gets out tomorrow. That’s your only chance.”The other man swallowed hard, his palms damp against his sides.The smoker stepped back slowly, the sound of his shoes echoing sharply against the corridor’s bare floor. He inhaled the cigarette again before adding, “ I have already bribed the kitchen leader and the o

“Please, sir, let’s go inside the car,” the man said softly, bowing again with respect, moving his hand behind his back.”I’ll introduce myself properly once we’re inside, along with everything else, sir.”Riley froze for a moment, looking at the man in surprise before moving some steps away from him. Then, he looked at himself, staring at his torn clothes and then turned his gaze back to the man, a shaky laugh escaping his lips.“I can’t believe this,” he murmured as he brushed his fingers over the rip along the shirtfront. “ Am I hallucinating?".“Or have you mistaken me for someone else?” Riley’s voice faltered, still gazing at the man in disbelief and surprise. “ I'm Riley Collins. I’ve… I’ve lost my parents for as long as I can remember. How on earth would I be the person you have been looking for since all these years. You must have mistaken me for someone else”.He tried to steady his breath by placing his hands on his chest but it came out uneven and heavy.“ And I grew up in a

A low groan escaped Riley's lips as he tried to lift his hand but his arm felt impossibly heavy and a dull ache throbbed behind his temples. Slowly, painstakingly, he wanted to open his eyes but the two felt glued, forcing themselves shut immediately he slightly opened them. He tried again, pushing against the heavy veil of unconsciousness. And this time, they opened slightly again and he immediately saw a blurred white ceiling."Ah," Riley whispered, shifting his head slightly. He paused and breathed shallowly and he opened his eyes more, seeing the white ceiling more clearly. He tilted his head slightly to his first side and he saw an IV drip snaked from a bag above and the needle connecting to the IV injected in his right hand."Where am I?" he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper as his eyes began to search the sterile room. After discovering that he was alone inside the room, he gently pushed himself against the mattress, trying to sit on it but all of a sudden, he felt pai