Several of his associates tried to suppress their smiles, their eyes darting between Roma’s reindeer-adorned chest and Juniper’s rigid posture. The casual cruelty of using even his family celebration as a weapon was not lost on anyone in the room.

The hearing continued, but with each passing moment, the outcome became clearer. Juniper’s arguments seemed to dissolve in the face of Roma’s confident rebuttals. When Daniel tried to interject with a point about precedent, Juniper’s curt “I’ll handle this” silenced him completely.

The judge’s decision, when it came, felt like a physical blow. “Motion denied,” he stated firmly. “The deposition stands as is. We’ll address any remaining issues at pretrial after the holiday recess.”

Roma’s satisfaction radiated across the room. “Counsel has proven quite flexible in adapting their positions, Your Honor,” he drawled, gathering his materials. “We’ll be ready for whatever approach they settle on at pretrial.” The threat beneath his words was clear - he’d seen them scrambling, and he was winning.