Chapter 15 : THE COURTROOM MASK
204 Words
The Brooklyn courthouse was a far cry from the marble splendor of Manhattan, but today, it felt like a battlefield.
As they stood before the judge, the "Silent Treatment" became a weapon. They didn't whisper strategies; they didn't share knowing glances. They functioned like a perfectly calibrated machine—efficient, cold, and utterly disconnected.
But as the opposing counsel—a man clearly hired by Julian's father—began to attack Clara’s character, citing her "unorthodox" living arrangements with a disinherited Blackstone, Julian felt the protective rage roar back to life.
"The living arrangements of Ms. Sterling are irrelevant to the legality of the lease!" Julian barked, stepping forward. His voice carried the authority of a man who still owned the room, even if he didn't own a car. "If the defense has nothing but cheap character assassination to offer this court, I suggest we move to the summary judgment."
For a split second, Clara looked at him. A flash of the old heat passed between them—a reminder of the team they had been in the Alps. But then, Julian remembered the rain-slicked road. He remembered his father's pitying smile.
He looked away, his jaw tightening. The silence returned, thicker than ever.
- Writer
