THE EVIDENCE OF US

THE LEAK

The sun wasn't fully up yet when Maya's alarm went off. She had barely slept. Her mind kept circling..the necklace, the blocked call, the way Clayton Ford's eyes had shifted when she mentioned Chloe's contract.

She got up, made coffee, and scrambled eggs while checking the news on her phone. So far, the morning headlines were still about the investigation, but no new bombshells.

At 7 AM, her doorbell rang.

It was a delivery-a sturdy, insulated bag. Inside were two containers still warm to the touch. One held fluffy spinach and feta omelet bites. The other had fresh fruit salad drizzled with honey. A small note was tucked beside it.

Ana insisted. She says lawyers work better fed. - L

Maya stared at the food, a strange warmth spreading through her chest. It was thoughtful. Too thoughtful. She texted him.

Maya: You didn't have to do that.

Leo: I didn't. Ana did. She's force-feeding the whole security team. Consider yourself adopted.

She ate standing at the counter, the flavors bright and perfect. It was the best thing she'd tasted in days.

---

THE OFFICE WAR

By 8:30 AM, Sterling & Locke's main conference room had become "the war room." Whiteboards were covered in timelines, suspect lists, and question marks. Vanessa was monitoring social media sentiment on a large screen. Richard was on the phone, his voice tight.

Maya was studying Chloe's bank records when Robert Locke walked in, his face like stone.

"We have a problem," he said, tossing a printed gossip site article onto the table.

The headline screamed:

EXCLUSIVE: LEO VANCE'S LAWYER HAS "PERSONAL" STAKE IN CASE-SECRET FAN REVEALED!

Below it was a photo of Maya, taken years ago at a Leo Vance concert. She was in a crowd, face tilted up toward the stage, her expression one of pure, unguarded joy. The article "exposed" her as a longtime fan, questioning her professionalism and suggesting she was too emotionally involved.

The room went silent. Richard slowly hung up his phone. Vanessa's fingers stopped typing.

"Where did this come from?" Maya asked, her voice surprisingly calm.

"An anonymous tip to the press," Locke said. "They're calling it a conflict of interest. They're suggesting you're not defending him you're "obsessed" with him."

Richard didn't smile, but a flicker of something passed through his eyes. "This is a disaster. The judge could remove you. The court of public opinion will eat us alive."

"I am not obsessed," Maya said, standing up. "I was a fan of his music. That's it. It doesn't affect my ability to defend him."

"It doesn't matter what's true," Vanessa said quietly. "It matters what people believe. This makes you look biased. Unstable, even."

Locke looked at Maya. "Did anyone know about this? Anyone you told?"

Maya's mind raced. She'd never told anyone. But the photo... it was from her law school days. Only a few people had been with her then. "It was a long time ago. I don't know how they got it."

"Someone is digging," Locke said. "And they're not just coming for Leo. They're coming for you, too."

---

DAMAGE CONTROL

Maya drove to Leo's, her hands tight on the wheel. The security at the gate waved her through. Kellan met her at the door.

"He's seen it," Kellan said quietly.

Leo was in the living room, pacing. The article was open on the large TV screen. He turned when she entered.

"I'm sorry," he said, before she could speak.

"You're sorry? This is my problem."

"It's about me. Everything is about me right now. And now they're dragging you into it." He ran a hand through his hair. "You should step down. For your own good."

"No."

"Maya, look what they're saying about you-"

"I don't care what they're saying!" Her voice was sharper than she intended. She took a breath. "I care about the truth. And the truth is, someone is trying to discredit me because I'm getting close to something. This is a tactic. A distraction."

He stared at her. "You're not stepping down?"

"Not a chance."

A small, weary smile touched his lips. "You're the most stubborn person I've ever met."

"It's why you hired me."

"I didn't hire you. Fate did." He shook his head. "What do we do?"

"We focus on the case. The necklace, the blocked call, Chloe's contract. That's real. This," she gestured to the screen, "is noise."

---

A NEW THREAD

Maya spent the afternoon in her office, digging deeper into Titan Records' legal department. She requested copies of all contracts for dancers on Leo's last tour, citing the ongoing firm review.

Around 4 PM, an encrypted file popped into her inbox from an unknown sender. No message. Just a document.

It was a draft addendum to a standard dancer contract. It listed Chloe Reyes's name. The changes were small but vicious-a non-disclosure agreement extended to "personal relationships with affiliated artists," and a royalty clawback clause if the dancer's conduct caused "reputational harm" to the label.

The addendum was dated three weeks before Chloe's death. It was unsigned.

But at the bottom of the document, in the digital metadata, was the name of the person who had drafted it: Marcus Cartwright.

The rival lawyer. The one from Cartwright & Dean. The one Isabella had hinted was "connected."

Maya's blood ran cold. Why was a lawyer from a rival firm drafting contracts for a Titan Records dancer?

Unless Titan was using him to handle dirty work off the books.

She immediately called Detective Ross.

"I need you to look into Marcus Cartwright," she said. "And I need to know if he has any connection to Chloe Reyes."

"Cartwright? He's a big deal. What's the connection?"

"I think he might have been threatening her. Legally. I'm sending you a file."

---

DINNER, AGAIN

Maya worked until her vision blurred. When she finally looked up, it was dark. She was about to order food when her phone lit up.

>Leo: Food's here if you're hungry. Ana made lasagna.

She was tired. She should go home. But home was empty, and the thought of facing another silent meal with case files felt deeply lonely.

>Maya: On my way.

This time, when she arrived, the atmosphere was different. Softer. The security guard gave her a nod. Leo was in the kitchen, setting the table himself. Two plates, glasses of water, a simple green salad in a bowl.

"Julian's at a meeting with the label. Trying to keep them from panicking," Leo explained. "Ana left the lasagna in the oven. She said to tell you it has three types of cheese."

They served themselves and sat. For a few minutes, they just ate. The food was incredible..rich, hearty, comforting.

"I found something today," Maya said finally. "A contract addendum for Chloe. It was drafted by Marcus Cartwright."

Leo put his fork down. "Cartwright? He's... he's a shark. He represents labels in lawsuits against artists. Why would he be doing Chloe's contract?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out. I think Titan was using him to pressure her. To keep her quiet about something."

"Quiet about what?"

"Maybe about who the father was. If it was someone powerful at the label..."

Leo pushed his plate away, his appetite gone. "This is so much bigger than I thought."

"It is. And someone really doesn't want us finding out." She met his eyes. "The leak today... the photo of me. It wasn't random. They're trying to push me off the case."

"Then maybe you should let me hire someone else. A different lawyer. I can't let you get hurt because of me."

Maya looked at him...really looked at him. The fear in his eyes wasn't for himself. It was for her.

"I told you," she said softly. "I'm not going anywhere."

He held her gaze, and in the quiet kitchen, with the smell of garlic and herbs between them, something shifted. It wasn't about the case anymore. It was about trust. A real, quiet, terrifying trust.

"Okay," he whispered.

"Okay," she echoed.

They didn't say anything else. They didn't have to