“All rise!” The bailiff’s voice carried a note of urgency that sent ripples of electricity through the chamber.

Juniper surged to her feet, her heart thundering against her ribs as Daniel’s shoulder grazed against hers. The contact steadied her even as her pulse threatened to overwhelm her senses. Beside them, Sophia’s tab clattered against the counsel table, her usually fluid movements made jerky by sudden adrenaline.

The towering doors swung open as Roma’s team filed in, their movements carrying that practiced precision that made Juniper’s teeth grind. Roma himself seemed to float across the marble floor, his confidence radiating like heat. The slight upturn of his mouth suggested he knew something they didn’t.