“Yes. They approached me immediately after the hearing to open negotiations.”“Hmm. Then this will wrap up soon. Very well.”The Prosecutor General nodded casually and looked away, indicating I could leave. But I stayed seated.“Anything more to discuss?” he asked.I took a quiet breath before replying, “I refused.”He stared at me in silence.“Why? Were their terms unacceptable?”“Yes.”I forced my expression to remain calm. “They offered five years for third-degree murder. I naturally refused.”“Hmm. That is harsh.”He frowned in disapproval. I pressed on.“And in the hallway, right after the preliminary hearing.”“They didn’t come to your office?”When he asked again, I confirmed, “They spoke in the corridor.”He nodded, understanding my displeasure. “So, what did we offer?”I answered, “I proposed thirty years for second-degree murder.”“‘Only?’” he echoed, scowling.“If they won’t accept it, we’ll proceed to trial,” I said evenly. “If his parents won’t teach him remorse, the law will.”He blinked in disbelief. “Listen…”He opened his mouth but fell silent. I filled the gap.“This is a crime beyond negotiation. My offer included thirty years with no parole, one million dollars in restitution to the family, and a public apology acknowledging guilt. That’s the bare minimum. Had he not been rich enough to hire Miller, he’d never leave prison alive.”“…You…” he began, faltering again.“So, you intend to indict?” he finally asked.I replied succinctly, “Yes—unless they accept our terms.”He sighed heavily, rubbing his eyes. “Why make this so difficult?”He repeated the defense counsel’s earlier complaint almost verbatim, adding, “Our budget is stretched thin.”“They show no remorse,” I shot back, anger rising.He shook his head. “That’s inevitable—you know Alphas are like that. What can we do? If we locked up every criminal, the cost would bankrupt us. Taxes would skyrocket, and the public would riot. Just imagining it is dreadful!”He flailed his arms theatrically, then softened his tone. “Betas like you and me have a ceiling we can never break through—that seat they occupy.”I sneered, “So we Betas must breathe twice for every breath they take?”A vein throbbed at his temple. “I’m not joking!”He raised his voice. “I won’t allow this to go to trial. Call Davis’s counsel right now and tell them to negotiate on reasonable terms! Your demands are too extreme. Offer something they can accept—that’s how negotiation works! Finish this today, or I’ll replace you as lead prosecutor!”I said nothing, meeting his glare. As he clenched his fist over the desk, determined to strike, there came a sharp—knock, knock.The sudden sound shattered the tension. He turned, and so [N O V E L I G H T] did I. His aide stood in the doorway.“Sir, sorry to interrupt your meeting, but a visitor has arrived…”“Who?”The Prosecutor General’s voice still trembled. The aide hesitated. “Mrs. Smith—Anthony Smith’s mother.”His face went rigid, and he glanced at me. I shook my head—no idea. He groaned softly, then said in a subdued voice, “Show her in.”The aide stepped aside. A middle-aged woman with sallow skin and hollow eyes entered, grief etched in every line of her face.“Prosecutor General, Prosecutor Jin.”She glanced between us and stepped forward uncertainly. We rose reflexively; I reached out to steady her, but she made it to the desk on her own.“Please, have a seat,” the Prosecutor General offered, but she shook her head.“I’m sorry to trouble you. I won’t take up much of your time.”Her voice trembled as she continued, “I just want to know how the trial will go… I’ve heard these cases usually end in negotiation, with reduced sentences or suspended terms. And as you know, their family is so powerful… I just don’t know what will happen.”She trembled like a defendant awaiting her own sentence, even though she was the victim’s mother—already punished by her loss.The Prosecutor General looked uncomfortable. “Of course we’ll follow proper procedure. We’ll do everything we can under the law.”He avoided her gaze. She looked between us, unsettled. I stared at him insistently. Swallowing hard, she spoke again, “It won’t just fizzle out… will it? He will be punished, right?”Tears welled in her eyes. “My son was such a good boy, but the newspapers— they call him a whore. He never used drugs, never deceived anyone. And that man… after killing my son, how can they…?”She broke into sobs. “They all call my child a slut. How can they do this?”

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.