Chapter 15: The Revelation

DeSean leaned back in his chair, tapping his pen against his desk. Mercedes sat across from him, fidgeting with the hem of her jacket. The room was dimly lit, the blinds half-drawn, casting slanted shadows over the polished oak table between them.

"You've got to give me everything," DeSean said firmly, his piercing blue eyes locking onto hers. "If I’m going to defend you, I need the full story—every detail about what happened that night."

Mercedes swallowed hard. "I’ve already told you—"

"You’ve told me fragments," he interrupted, his voice clipped. "What you’ve left out could make or break this case."

She hesitated, her hands clenching into fists on her lap. "Fine," she muttered, exhaling sharply. "It started when Ronnie came to my apartment that night and said we should chill at that bar..."