Magnus leaned back into his chair, the leather giving a faint creak beneath his weight. His fingers tightened slightly around the phone, the screen still glowing in his palm.
"It's not that simple," he said, lifting his eyes to Roman.
Roman straightened, tension tightening his shoulders. "What do you mean?" he asked. "The evidence is right there."
Magnus gave a slow nod, as if acknowledging the point, but his grip on the device didn't loosen. "We'll have to present this to the panel," he said. "Let them review it and decide."
Roman's brows drew together, confusion flickering into frustration. He opened his mouth, but Magnus continued, his voice measured, deliberate.
"The Saunders haven't admitted to anything," he said. "And until they do, this," he lifted the phone slightly, "doesn't hold as much weight as you think."
The words hung in the air.
Roman froze. For a moment, his thoughts scattered, colliding. How does this not matter? After everything?
