Chapter 42 - The New BenchThree weeks later, the municipal courtroom of Hancock County was packed for the official swearing-in ceremony.
The oak benches gleamed under the warm afternoon light streaming through tall, arched windows overlooking the harbor.
Celeste stood behind the raised mahogany judge's bench, her black judicial robe draped neatly over her shoulders. She placed her left hand on a vintage leather-bound family Bible held steady by a beaming, six-year-old Maya, while raising her right hand to take the oath of office administered by the state supreme court justice.
"I, Celeste Vascari, solemnly swear that I will administer justice faithfully and impartially..."
Roman sat in the front row, watching his wife with an expression of profound, unshakable reverence. He thought back to the rainy night in the Chicago penthouse when she had packed her suitcase and walked out the door. He remembered thinking his life was over.
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He had been entirely wrong. It was only then that his life had truly begun.
When the ceremony concluded and the courtroom erupted into applause, Judge Celeste Vascari banged her gavel once—a clean, resonant sound that echoed through the room, signifying absolute order, justice, and truth.
