The courtroom was silent except for the occasional shuffle of papers. Jay sat at her table, straight-backed and focused, reviewing her notes one last time before the hearing started.
Across the aisle, Keifer adjusted his tie. His face was calm, almost bored—exactly how he wanted it to appear—but his eyes flicked subtly toward every hallway entrance, every shadow.
No one else noticed, but Keifer's entire body was tense. Every instinct was screaming at him that someone had been lingering too close to Jay lately.
Just as Jay stood to address the judge, a man in a dark coat appeared near the gallery entrance, pretending to adjust his papers. His eyes darted toward Jay.
Keifer's hand twitched slightly, but he stayed seated.
Jay noticed him moving ever so slightly, and misread it entirely.
"What is he doing?" she whispered under her breath.
Keifer glanced at her briefly, meeting her eye. He gave nothing away—just the faintest narrowing of his gaze.
Jay frowned. "Is he… looking at me?"
She glanced back at Keifer. "Why does he even care what I'm doing?"
Keifer ignored her, watching the man carefully.
When Jay walked toward the podium, her foot caught the edge of the carpet. She stumbled forward slightly, dropping a folder.
Keifer instinctively stood, reaching out and catching her by the arm—but not in a way that screamed concern, more like a calculated, precise grab.
Jay froze, completely misinterpreting it.
"Whoa, whoa! Hands off, Keifer!" she exclaimed, glaring at him.
Keifer's jaw tightened. "You almost fell."
Jay crossed her arms. "I didn't need your help."
He let go, watching her straighten her notes. "Clearly."
Her irritation flared. She stormed to the podium as if she had just won a small battle. Keifer returned to his seat, eyes still on the man at the back, who had vanished before anyone could really notice.
Jay rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, "Seriously, what is with him today?"
The hearing continued. Keifer's arguments were flawless, his counterpoints sharp as always. But his attention wasn't entirely on the case—every movement of people in the courtroom, every shift in shadowed corners, kept him alert.
From Jay's perspective, he was just… being annoyingly meticulous, watching her like she'd make a mistake in front of the judge.
From Keifer's perspective, every second counted. One wrong step for Jay and it could have been dangerous.
Luke Reyes noticed the subtle tension but said nothing. He simply raised an eyebrow, knowing that something was stirring behind the polished facades of both lawyers.
Small Hints, Big Misunderstanding
After a particularly tense exchange over evidence, Jay returned to her table, fuming silently.
Keifer leaned slightly forward, whispering to himself, "Not today…"
Jay caught the movement and assumed he was mocking her under his breath.
She glared at him. "What are you muttering about?"
Keifer froze, then straightened, giving her nothing but a faint smirk.
Jay huffed. "Unbelievable."
Meanwhile, Percy noticed the interaction from across the room. He elbowed Aries.
"Dude, he's acting so weird. And she thinks he's being condescending."
Aries nodded, frowning. "Yeah… and she has no idea he's actually protecting her."
Percy grinned. "She's gonna explode when she realizes the truth."
After the session ended, people trickled out. Keifer stayed just behind Jay, his eyes scanning exits and hallways.
Jay walked ahead, muttering about how ridiculous he was acting.
Keifer's phone vibrated in his pocket—a text from someone he was tracking—but he didn't answer.
He couldn't risk Jay noticing. Not yet.
The tension between them remained high, all misunderstood gestures and silent protection, keeping Jay completely unaware that danger was still very real.