"How do you feel?" she asked, handing him one.
Marcus took a sip and looked back at the police station. "Like I'm about to watch a very expensive house of cards fall down."
"The hearing's been moved to this afternoon. Eleanor is going to cooperate fully." Nora smiled. "By sunset today, everyone in Ashborne Crest will know exactly who you are and exactly what Vanessa tried to do to you."
Marcus nodded and got into his car. "Then let's finish this."
The county civil hearing room buzzed with tension as Marcus entered through the main doors that afternoon. Reporters clustered around the entrance, cameras flashing as he walked beside Nora toward the plaintiff's table. He wore a simple dark suit and moved with the same calm confidence he had shown in his driveway twenty-four hours earlier.
Outside, Vanessa had arrived in a black SUV with Arthur beside her. She stepped out wearing a cream-colored dress and pearl earrings, her hair pulled back in a style that suggested vulnerability rather than authority. The cameras loved her.
She paused on the courthouse steps, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue, while Arthur placed a protective hand on her shoulder.
"This has been the most terrifying experience of my life," she told the reporters, her voice trembling just enough to sound genuine. "No woman should have to fear for her safety in her own neighborhood. I only hope justice will be served today."
Officer Bellamy stood behind them in his dress uniform, looking uncomfortable but determined. His presence was meant to suggest official support for Vanessa's version of events.
Inside the hearing room, Marcus took his seat and surveyed the crowd. Half the residents of Ashborne Crest had shown up, along with reporters from three local news stations and a blogger who specialized in exposing wealthy corruption. The room felt electric with anticipation.
Judge Patricia Morrison called the proceedings to order at exactly two o'clock. She was a Black woman in her fifties with steel-gray hair and no patience for theatrics.
"This hearing will determine whether probable cause existed for the arrest of Marcus Ellison and whether civil-rights violations occurred during the incident in question."
Vanessa's attorney spoke first, painting her as a frightened neighbor who had acted reasonably when confronted by a suspicious stranger. The lawyer showed the edited video clip that had circulated through the HOA, emphasizing Vanessa's apparent fear and Marcus's imposing presence.
"My client exercised appropriate caution when she observed an unidentified individual in possession of an expensive vehicle in her exclusive neighborhood," the attorney argued. "Her call to law enforcement was both justified and necessary for community safety."
Several Ashborne Crest residents nodded in agreement. They still believed Vanessa's carefully crafted narrative.
Then Nora stood.
"Your Honor, the defense would like to present the complete, unedited footage from the incident in question."
She connected her laptop to the courtroom's display system. "This video was captured by Mr. Ellison's doorbell camera and clearly shows the actual sequence of events."
The screen filled with crystal-clear footage of Marcus's driveway. The movers were visible in the background. The Ferrari gleamed in the morning sunlight. Marcus stood calmly beside his car, checking his phone.
Then Vanessa appeared on screen, storming across the lawn with her finger already pointed accusingly. The room watched in stunned silence as Vanessa flipped Marcus off inches from his face.
Her voice carried clearly through the courtroom speakers. "You picked the wrong neighborhood to play rich in, idiot."
Gasps rippled through the audience. This was not the frightened woman they had seen in the edited clip.