Cole’s hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white. The city blurred past him as he drove in tense silence, the courthouse looming ahead like some cruel monument to the chaos his father had created. Every red light felt like a countdown, every honk a reminder that the world outside didn’t care about his fury, his grief, or the storm that had taken root in his chest.

He parked and stepped out, the crisp morning air doing little to soothe the storm inside him. Each step toward the courthouse felt like wading through cement, the weight of expectation and dread pressing down with every heartbeat. He could...