Roxanne agreed to help Tim in his case against Romero Donnelley. She met with Bruce as well who questioned further about everything to make sure that she wasn't tricking them.

But their suspicions would only be erased once she proved to be of some help to them so she started to compile things she knew about Romero's involvement with the underworld.

With Tim's help, she compiled every single report she could give them from her sources including a list of illegal casinos being funded by the elder Donnelley heir, the coverup the rest of their business provided to drug trafficking, and last but not least, his latest involvement with human trafficking.

Every proof she could find, every written statement there was about funding, contacts, and details about the type of crimes committed. It was a painful one month of her facing everything her brother had done and that she had turned a blind eye to in the past.

Tim was right, she wasn't the only one he had been hurting but she was the only one who could put a stop to him.

At last, they had enough evidence to get Romero sentenced for his crimes.

And once everything was in place the court trials began.

Romero Donnelley had been kept under house arrest until then but once the case started, he had to be moved to city prison, just like any other criminal.

In all that time, Roxanne had been under witness protection as well because she had already been receiving death threats and by going against her brother to expose his criminal activities, she was under even more pressure. She was the most important witness to the case as well because she was the one testifying about his involvement in everything he was accused of.

Tim stayed with her at all times but unlike earlier when they were only bound by a contract to do so, their formal alliance had turned into a friendship. Then with the whole of Gotham abuzz with the rumors of the two dating, it had become general knowledge that they were a couple.

However, since that day at the hospital when Romero had been caught abusing his sister, she hadn't dared to cross the line and kiss Tim again.

The closer she got to him and the more she got to know him, she was beginning to see that she was the one who would end up breaking the contract by falling in love with him. Although the same could be said for him because if the persona of Roxanne Donnelley was charming enough to pull him close, the real her that not many people knew was even more alluring.

The thin line of reality and pretense they had been walking was slowly turning into the thin line between love and friendship.

Finally, on the last hearing of the Donnelley case, Roxanne testified against her brother and all the evidence had been submitted to the court already. That day, the decision was also passed on the case.

And as it was very much expected after the extent of his crimes, Romero was sentenced to life imprisonment with a major portion of his wealth to be used to compensate the families that had suffered due to him. His lawyer had managed in lowering the punishment from death row to lifetime captivity but it was still a shocking blow to the elder Donnelley heir.

He was the sort of man who radiated power such that the ground trembled underneath his feet. Yet right then, he was no more than a criminal punished for his sins, imprisoned for life.

The prison walls and the bars were torturous to him and he felt he would go mad from just staying there for such an undeniably long time.

All the wealth and power he had had wasn't able to help him out in the end. And neither of them could be used to change his fate.

And it was even more shocking to him that Roxanne had helped in getting him there. She hadn't stood beside him that once and let him get punished for his actions. He hadn't realized when he started to be so poisonous to her that she had to cut him out of her life herself.

But there was nothing he could do except ponder over it in the isolation of his prison cell.

The days would go by and he would keep waiting for her to come and see him yet it seemed she didn't want to even look at him again.

But then one day, during visiting hours, the prison guard called out his name and he was led out of his cell at last. He hoped Roxanne had finally come to see him however, he was led to another cell, away from the place the other prisoners used to see their visitors.

Upon asking he was told that it was a special order, his sister wanted to see him without the chains binding him or a glass wall separating them. It wasn't normal protocol but she had gotten the request approved by the higher authorities.

As a result, she would meet him in a cell instead, with a guard positioned outside to get her out of there if Romero lost control and tried to hurt her.

Romero was brought to the cell before her and was asked to sit down. The guard stood outside and shortly after, Roxanne stepped in.

He looked up to see her, an unfathomable expression in his eyes as she took the seat in front of him.

She was wearing that alexandrite necklace and it felt like an intentional move to prove a point. She sat there silently, waiting for him to speak up.

"Are you happy now?" He asked, eyes piercing through hers, "I'm behind bars and you're out there playing innocent... Is that what you always wanted? To have me kept in chains away from you?"

She shook her head, "no. I never wanted things to come to this point. And I have not come here to give you any justification."

"You betrayed me, Roxy," he looked angry but he kept his voice low, calculated enough not to raise suspicion to the guard that he would hurt Roxanne.

Because if that happened the meeting time would be cut short and that wasn't something he wanted. It had been days since he had had anyone to talk to, and she was the one he wanted to talk to most.

He wanted answers that only she could give him. Answers on everything including why she changed sides even after all he had done for her.

He had taken the blame for her actions in the past. Why couldn't she repay the favor?

Roxanne knew what was going on in his head very well. But like she said, she wasn't there to justify her decisions to him. He should have realized himself that his behavior towards her forced her to stop protecting him.

"Rom, I tried my best to do everything I could for you," she took in a deep breath as she spoke, "but I can't take it anymore. You would have killed me that day... I thought... I thought you would never go to such extremes yet you did..."

"You provoked me. Why do you have to say such hurtful things when you know it only makes me angrier to hear them from you?" He held his head in his hands, brushing back his tangled hair in that same habit he had to express that he was getting anxious. "And you're wearing this necklace... Is that not an attempt to provoke me further?"

"You bought it for me and kept asking me to wear it," her eyes were devoid of any emotion as she replied, "I thought I should value that and wore it today. Though I'll let you know I'm selling off most of these jewels and giving the money to charity. I won't be needing them anymore."

"Oh of course, because I wouldn't be there to hurt you again, right?" He snapped, dark brown eyes seething in pent-up rage.

"That too," she didn't deny his acclaim and it caused his eyes to flicker again. "Romero, I did not betray you. I just couldn't keep covering your crimes. I just..."

"I covered a murder for you and I didn't even kill anyone yet. How are my crimes somehow even more heinous than taking a life? Your hypocrisy is beyond me," he muttered darkly and she stiffened to hear that.

The guard wasn't close enough to hear them but she still felt worried.

"Adrian's case has probably been reopened. You don't get to manipulate me further, Rom. They will find out the truth," she mumbled, "but I'm not here to talk about him or myself. I want to talk about you."

"About me?" He raised an eyebrow skeptically, "what's there to talk about? I was a nuisance and you got rid of me. Just like you always do..."

She shook her head, her hand reaching out to hold his although he flinched, trying to get it out of her grasp. "You are my brother and I don't hate you. Even after everything, I can't bring myself to hate you and forsake you like this. I just want to help you, Rom, why can you not understand that?"

"So putting me in prison is going to help me? Never heard of that one before," he remarked deliriously.

"Stop throwing my words at me and just listen," she spoke up, "I'm trying my best, okay? I'm talking to the authorities so they will let you have regular therapy sessions and trust me..."

"Therapy! What the actual fuck, Roxanne!"

The guard looked back in to check whether she was fine and she nodded to convey that everything was okay.

"I am not mad, you hear me? I don't need fucking therapy!"

All the self-control from earlier was starting to evaporate. So she quickly let go of his hand, not wanting him to break it.

"I know. You're not mad but you need help. You're getting angry again and it makes you spiral out of control to do things you shouldn't," she tried to convince him, "please Romero, it's going to help you. Please... If not for your own sake then for Colin and Anya..."

His eyes flickered towards the guard and then back at her and she immediately drew back. "You should go before I do something I clearly can't afford to. Leave."

His eyes were dark and he had stood up, backing off from her.

"I promise I'll take care of your family," she could see he didn't want to talk to her anymore so she stood up to leave as well, "they won't have to worry about anything and you know I'm leaving my share to Colin as well."

"Stay the fuck away from my family."

She looked hurt but understood where all that anger was coming from. Staying in his cell was making him feel helpless, the one thing he couldn't bear to feel.

"Rom..."

"Guard, I want to go back to my cell," he called out, "because if I stay here any longer, I will hurt Miss Donnelley."

The guard nodded, opening the gate to come in and put the cuffs on Romero's wrists.

Roxanne wanted to say something to assure him but there was nothing she could think of. It seemed to hurt her too seeing him so frustrated. But there was no other way.

If he was freed, he would cause more danger to innocent people. He had to pass his sentence fully.

"At least let me say goodbye," she requested the guard to step aside.

Romero was cuffed by then so it wasn't possible for him to do anything to Roxanne. So the guard nodded and stepped aside.

"Bye Rom," she whispered as she hugged him, her lips close to his ear as she said something further.

His stiffened and his brown eyes widened in disbelief but he kept his lips sealed shut. She pulled apart with tears in her eyes as if it was really hurting her to leave him there.

But Romero knew it was all an act. She was always very good at pretending to be the perfect little sister.

"Don't come to see me again," he spoke up, "not even if I rot to death."

"Don't say that..."

But he nudged the guard and followed him outside, not turning to give her a single glance back.

Roxanne stood there for a while, her eyes following his retreating figure. Then she unclasped that alexandrite necklace and put it in her purse.

The worst part was over. Only the little things were left to take care of after that.

***