Brooks closed his eyes like a man hearing the end of a story he already knew.
“Then we’re done.”
Up front, Salinger smiled wider.
Paula kept her eyes down, but her mouth curled in the faintest smug line.
The judge flipped through the file.
“Does the defense have additional evidence to submit?”
Brooks exhaled.
“Your Honor… no.”
It felt like the gavel was already falling.
And then—
the courtroom door opened.
Everyone turned.
A clerk rushed in, walked straight to the bench, and handed the judge something wrapped in a cloth.
Ethan’s chest seized.
It was his USB drive.
The judge looked at it for a moment… then looked directly at Ethan.
“Before we begin,” she said, “I need to clarify something.”
Silence.
“This morning, I had a roadside incident. A flat tire left me stranded and at risk of arriving late on my first day as the presiding judge of this court.”
Murmurs swept the room.
Salinger’s brow tightened.
“A citizen stopped to help me without asking for anything in return,” the judge continued. “Because of him, I arrived in time to do my duty.”
Ethan felt like his heart might burst.
The judge lifted the USB.
“That citizen… is Mr. Ethan Carter.”
The courtroom erupted into whispers.
Paula snapped her head up, alarmed.
Salinger’s smile disappeared.
The judge continued, calm and surgical:
“While checking my vehicle, I found this device on my passenger seat. I assumed it belonged to Mr. Carter and—before this hearing began—ordered it reviewed to determine whether it contained information relevant to this case.”
Salinger stood instantly.
“Objection, Your Honor! That’s improper—”
She looked at him with ice.
“Sit down, counsel. Relevant evidence discovered prior to judgment may be admitted under this court’s discretion. And believe me… this is relevant.”
She turned to the clerk.
“Play the contents.”
The courtroom screen lit up.
And the video appeared.
A hidden camera recorded Paula Grant’s office.
Clear as day—Paula altering accounting files while speaking with Salinger.
“Carter takes the fall,” Paula said on the video. “Nobody will believe him.”
“Perfect,” Salinger replied. “We push him out and keep the project money.”
The room went dead.
Someone gasped.
Brooks stared, mouth open.
Ethan couldn’t breathe.
Paula’s face drained white.
“That’s edited!” she shouted.
But the video kept rolling.
Illegal transfers.
Forged emails.
Copied signatures.
One proof after another.
Silence, absolute and crushing.