Alpha Family Put Their Princess on Trial Chapter 02

Alpha Family Put Their Princess on Trial Chapter 02

“Don’t blame Callum,” Evelyn said. “If you weren’t rotten to the core, he wouldn’t treat you like this.”

Callum got even angrier when he heard that. He pointed at my nose and shouted, “Blame me? How dare you blame me? Name one single thing my family ever did wrong to you. Just one.”

“The day you came home, not only did Natalia bake you a cake with her own hands, but I also gave up my bedroom — the one I’d lived in for over ten years — for you. And what did you do? You shit on my brand new rug from Dubai like a goddamn animal.”

“Fine, you ruined the room. But then why did you hit Natalia? You really are trash from The Feral Den, crawling with rogues. You’re nothing but lowborn trash.”

Callum got even more worked up as he spoke.

“And then there was that time Father drank too much. He was so sick he was coughing up blood. Mom and I weren’t home, and you couldn’t even be bothered to take care of him.”

“Thank God Natalia was there. She made him Silverbark Tisane to sober him up, gave him his medicine, and stayed up with him all night. She made him feel better.”

“But you? You slept like a corpse in your room. You didn’t even bother to come out. Not once.”

No.

That’s not how it happened.

I wanted to tell him.

But like a thousand times before, he didn’t want to listen.

He dug his fingers into my already bloody face and squeezed, letting more blood pour from my torn lip.

He glared at me through gritted teeth. “I’m going to ask you one more time. Do you admit to hurting Natalia? If you admit it, I’ll give you a million dollars, cut all ties with you, and send you back to that backwoods dump you came from. This whole thing will be over.”

“Natalia, think carefully. This is your last chance.”

Send me back?

“No. I won’t go back,” I said.

The words came out before I could stop them, pure instinct.

My whole body was shaking.

I couldn’t go back to that nightmare. That hell.

I’d rather be put down than go back there.

Callum looked at me with a mocking smile, like he’d known my answer all along.

“I knew it. You only came back for Ghostpine Pack’s money. You’re so greedy for wealth and status that you’d throw away the foster parents who raised you. A monster like you deserves to be put down on the spot.”

I shook my head frantically. “No, that’s not why I won’t go back ”

Callum cut me off roughly. “Shut up. No more excuses.”

“We’re done playing nice. We’re done treating you like family. Your Logic, Arbiter, begin the trial.”

I looked at my family — their faces twisted with disgust — and let out a bitter, self-mocking laugh.

Then I closed my mouth.

Yeah.

How could I have forgotten?

I was so stupid to even think about explaining.

They never wanted to hear a single word from me.

A moment later, The Logicore’s commanding voice echoed through the hall.

“Plaintiffs Tristan, Evelyn, Callum, and defendant Giselle. Are you ready to begin the trial?”

Callum immediately answered, “We’re ready.”

Maybe when your heart breaks enough times, it goes numb.

I didn’t even feel afraid of the tribunal anymore.

I closed my eyes.

And smiled a broken, hopeless smile.

“I’m ready too.”

Not like anyone would believe me anyway. Let the tribunal give me the justice my family never would.

“The trial begins.”

“This trial will be based on three statements provided by the plaintiffs. Finally, The Veritas Engine will extract the full truth and determine whether the defendant did in fact bully Natalia.”

“The plaintiffs will now present their first statement.”

As The Logicore finished speaking, Callum couldn’t wait to start.

As he spoke, the screen came to life, showing the scene he was describing.

It was the day I turned sixteen, right after I found out I was the real Alpha heiress. The first time I was brought back to Ghostpine Pack.

I sat in the living room, stiff and awkward in my old, worn-out clothes.

Natalia, dressed in a pretty dress, sat next to me with a playful smile. She chattered away warmly. “Your eyes are so beautiful. You can really tell you’re Mother’s daughter. Unlike me — you and Mother both have amber eyes, but mine are just gray.”