The courtroom felt colder the next morning, though the sun slanted hot through the tall windows. Reporters filled every inch of the benches, phones in hand, hashtags primed: #FinalWitness, #CarterVsBlackwell, #ForbiddenGame.
I sat rigid, Ethan at my side, heart jackhammering. Across the aisle, Adrian's expression was its usual mask—but his jaw was set tighter than I'd ever seen, his shoulders sharp lines of restraint.
Daniel rose with theatrical calm. "Your Honor, today we present our final witness. Someone who knows Mr. Blackwell's empire from the inside. Someone who can confirm the pattern of coercion, manipulation, and corruption."
The doors opened.
A man walked in. Older than Adrian, younger than my father, expensive suit pressed to perfection. His hair steel-gray at the temples, his smile the kind that knew headlines would follow.
The bailiff announced: "Marcus Hale."
The room buzzed. Even the judge leaned forward.
Ethan's whisper was knife-thin. "Shit. Ex–Chief Operating Officer. He left Blackwell Capital three years ago. Quiet exit. No lawsuits, no noise. Until now."
My stomach dropped.
Marcus took the stand with ease, like he'd been waiting for this stage.
"Mr. Hale," Daniel's lawyer began, "you worked at Blackwell Capital for nearly a decade, did you not?"
"Yes." His voice was smooth, controlled. "I was COO. Helped build the very structure you see today."
"And why did you leave?"
He glanced at Adrian, just briefly. "Because I couldn't stomach it anymore. The manipulation. The deals cut in shadows. The way Adrian Blackwell bent everyone—employees, partners, interns—to his will."
Gasps. Pens scribbled furiously.
Adrian's jaw tightened, but he said nothing.
Daniel's lawyer pressed on. "Are you aware of the alleged insider trading?"
Marcus nodded. "I am. I saw trades placed within hours of confidential meetings. I raised concerns internally. They were ignored. Eventually, I left rather than be complicit."
"Do you believe Ms. Carter's testimony that she felt pressure, even fear, in Blackwell's office?"
Marcus looked straight at me. His eyes were steady, unreadable. "Yes. I believe her. Because I've seen it before. He preys on loyalty. On weakness. It's his method."
My heart stuttered. The room tilted. He sounded… credible. Too credible.
Adrian's lawyer rose, calm but sharp. "Mr. Hale, if you witnessed crimes, why did you never report them to regulators?"
Marcus's smile was thin. "Because I thought walking away was enough. I was wrong."
"Yet you return now—conveniently—under Daniel Carter's banner. Isn't it true you left Blackwell Capital with a generous severance package and non-disparagement agreement?"
"I did. But conscience outweighs contracts."
The lawyer frowned, but Marcus's confidence didn't crack.
Ethan leaned toward me, whispering so only I could hear. "This is dangerous. Hale knows enough to sound real. Even if it's twisted, people will believe him."
I swallowed hard. "Can we disprove him?"
"Not instantly. But maybe…" He trailed off, eyes narrowing at his tablet. Fingers flew.
On the stand, Marcus leaned closer to the mic. "Blackwell doesn't care about truth. He cares about control. I watched him destroy rivals, intimidate employees, manipulate markets. And now, he's ensnared Ms. Carter—an intern, a daughter—just to crush Daniel Carter once and for all."
The words landed like hammers. Gasps. Phones buzzed. Outside, I knew hashtags were mutating: #BlackwellExposed. #HaleSpeaks.
The judge rapped her gavel. "We will allow cross-examination tomorrow. Court adjourned for today."
Chaos erupted. Reporters rushed for the exits.
I stayed frozen in the pew. My father's smile cut through the noise, satisfied. Tara beamed like a girl who thought she'd already won.
And Adrian—Adrian's eyes met mine, just for a flicker, and what I saw there shook me more than Marcus's words.
Not fear. Not defeat.
Recognition.
He knew this man. Knew him deeply. And something in that history wasn't finished.
Outside, the press swarmed. Ethan shoved me toward the car, voice low and urgent. "We need to dig Hale. Everything. His exit, his ties to Carter, his finances. There's a reason he came back now. And I'll find it."
I nodded numbly, heart still racing.
As the car door slammed shut, my phone buzzed again. A new message.
Unknown:Tomorrow, the past will bury him. And you with it.
I clenched the phone so hard my knuckles went white.
Adrian slid into the car from the other side. TRO meant no words, no touch, but his presence filled the space anyway. His eyes flicked to the phone in my hand, then back to me.
Silent promise. We'll bury him first.