
“Thank you, Your Honor. I appreciate the opportunity to speak.”
He turned slightly, meeting Charlotte’s eyes with a steady gaze before shifting his focus back to the judge. The courtroom was silent, each person on edge, waiting for the words of a seventeen-year-old who had grown up in a world that balanced between uncertainty and love.
“I’ve thought a lot about what was said here today, and about what my future might look like,” Noah began, his voice unwavering. “I’ve heard the arguments, the promises of a life filled with opportunities. I understand the kind of life that Charlotte is offering me—a life of wealth, travel, connections. It’s appealing, it really is.”
