The air in the hospital room felt tense again.
But this time—
It wasn't just about danger.
It was about doubt.
Jay stared at the file.
At the name.
"Luke Reyes…" she whispered.
Keifer watched her carefully.
"…something feels off."
Jay shook her head immediately.
"No."
Keifer frowned. "Jay—"
"No," she repeated, firmer this time.
Her eyes finally met his.
"He's not like that."
Jay stood up, pacing slightly.
"Luke has been fair in every single case."
She pointed at the file.
"He jokes, he teases, he literally calls himself 'Your Honor' like it's a personality trait—"
Keifer almost smiled.
Jay continued, serious now.
"But he never once showed bias. Not even when we were clearly trying to outdo each other."
Her voice softened.
"He's a good person."
Keifer leaned back slightly, thinking.
"…then why is his name here?"
Jay paused.
That was the problem.
Jay walked back to the table and picked up the file again.
"Maybe…" she muttered.
"…he's being used."
Keifer raised an eyebrow.
Jay flipped through more documents.
"Look at this—his name is listed as a legal advisor, but there's barely any actual work tied to him."
Keifer leaned forward slightly.
"…like someone put his name there on purpose."
Jay nodded.
"To mislead. Or to protect the real person."
They both went quiet, thinking.
Then Jay's eyes widened slightly.
"Wait…"
Keifer looked at her.
"What?"
She grabbed another file.
"Every time Luke was assigned as judge in our cases…"
She flipped pages quickly.
"…those cases were connected to this company."
Keifer's expression darkened.
"…they were watching him too."
Jay's heart dropped.
"They weren't using him…"
She looked at Keifer.
"They were observing him."
Keifer nodded slowly.
"And us."
Silence.
Jay clenched the file.
"This isn't just about stopping the case…"
Keifer finished the thought.
"It's about controlling the courtroom."
Jay exhaled slowly.
"They needed to know how we think. How we argue. How we win."
Keifer's eyes sharpened.
"And they used Luke's position to do it."
Jay sat down again, calmer now—but more focused.
"Luke isn't the enemy."
Keifer nodded.
"…he's part of the board."
Jay gave a small, serious smile.
"Then we protect him too."
Keifer watched her for a moment.
"You trust people easily."
Jay looked at him.
"I trust the right people."
A pause.
Then—
"…even when they lie to me," she added quietly.
Keifer sighed.
"…still mad?"
Jay picked up the spoon again.
"Open your mouth."
Keifer smirked slightly.
"That's a yes."
Somewhere else—
A man sat in a dark office.
Files spread across his desk.
Photos.
Jay.
Keifer.
Luke.
All connected.
He smiled slowly.
"Good… they're getting closer."
His voice dropped.
"Let's see how far they can go… before everything breaks."