The doors to Courtroom 3 swung open before anyone could respond, Judge Donahue’s clerk emerging with clipboard in hand. “We’re ready for you,” she announced, her voice carrying the precise neutrality of someone who had witnessed too many pretrial tensions to be impressed by any of them.

Juniper moved with lethal precision, Daniel’s hands finding each document she needed before her fingers could reach. She caught Sophia’s glance - sharp enough to cut - as they entered the courtroom. The unknown future pressed down like borrowed time paying interest, each heartbeat a confession she hadn’t agreed to make.

The morning light followed them in, painting stark patterns across the well of the court. Juniper felt Roma’s presence behind her like a shadow, but for once his looming threat seemed less immediate than the electricity that crackled between her and Daniel with each shared glance. Some boundaries, once crossed, couldn’t be rebuilt - no matter how carefully you tried to maintain professional distance.