The courtroom still felt tense.
Even after the session resumed, the atmosphere remained heavy, almost suffocating. The warning note Michael had received earlier stayed in the back of his mind like a shadow he couldn't escape.
Every face around him now looked suspicious.
Every whisper sounded dangerous.
Michael sat quietly beside his co-lawyers, his eyes scanning the room again. Government officials occupied the front rows with expressions too calm to be innocent. Some whispered to one another occasionally, their eyes drifting toward him before quickly looking away.
It made his skin crawl.
Then the side doors opened.
Kwame Mensah was brought in again.
The entire courtroom shifted.
Kwame looked worse than before. His body trembled visibly as he walked. His breathing was uneven, and his eyes moved nervously around the room as though expecting death to come from any direction.
Michael immediately noticed it.
Kwame tried to speak when questioned, but his voice kept failing him. The pressure in the courtroom was crushing him alive.
One of the officials stared at him coldly.
Kwame's hands began shaking harder.
Michael couldn't ignore it anymore.
Slowly, he stood up and walked toward him.
The courtroom fell silent.
Even the judge watched carefully.
Michael stopped beside Kwame and gently held his trembling hands. The man looked startled at first, almost like he wasn't used to kindness anymore.
Michael's voice softened.
"Kwame… look at me."
Kwame hesitated before slowly lifting his eyes.
"There is nothing wrong with your existence," Michael said quietly.
The courtroom became completely still.
"You are not less human because of who you love."
Kwame's lips trembled.
Michael tightened his grip slightly, grounding him.
"Fear makes people cruel sometimes," he continued, "but cruelty is not holiness."
A few people lowered their heads.
"The same God that created them created you too."
Kwame's eyes filled with tears instantly.
"And no religion built on love should teach you to hate yourself."
A tear rolled down Kwame's face.
Michael's voice grew even gentler.
"You survived this long for a reason."
The prisoner broke down crying quietly.
"Don't let them convince you your life has no value."
Silence filled the courtroom completely.
Even reporters seemed emotionally shaken.
Behind Michael, one of his co-lawyers slowly smiled in admiration.
Another whispered softly, "That's why people trust him."
Meanwhile, beyond the courtroom walls, the live broadcast of the case was spreading rapidly online.
Comments flooded in from different countries.
#FreeKwame
"Protect him!"
"Michael is fighting for humanity!"
"Being gay is not a crime!"
Support exploded across social media within minutes.
But not everyone inside the courtroom was moved.
The government officials remained expressionless.
Cold.
Watching.
Waiting.
Then suddenly—
One of Michael's co-lawyers hurried toward him looking pale.
"Michael…"
Something in his voice immediately felt wrong.
"What happened?"
The lawyer swallowed hard.
"The evidence…"
Michael frowned. "What about it?"
"…It's gone."
For a second, Michael thought he heard wrong.
"What?"
"We can't find the files," the lawyer said quickly. "The original documents against the officials—they're missing."
Panic quietly spread through the legal team.
They searched through folders.
Bags.
Documents.
Nothing.
Michael's chest tightened.
This was the exact moment they needed to submit the evidence to the judge.
Across the room, one of the officials leaned back slightly, a faint smile touching his lips.
Michael noticed.
And immediately understood.
This wasn't an accident.
Someone inside the system had interfered again.
Without the evidence, the hearing couldn't proceed fully.
The judge adjusted his glasses before finally speaking.
"This court session will continue tomorrow."
The sound of the gavel echoed heavily through the room.
Michael clenched his jaw.
Tomorrow.
More time for corruption.
More time for danger.
By the time Michael finally left the courthouse, exhaustion sat heavily on his shoulders.
The streets outside were quieter now.
Kofi walked beside him silently.
"You okay?" Kofi asked carefully.
Michael let out a dry laugh. "I don't even know anymore."
As they approached the vehicle waiting for them, Michael suddenly noticed movement nearby.
Too fast.
Too deliberate.
Three men.
Coming directly toward him.
One reached inside his jacket.
Michael's instincts screamed instantly.
"Kofi—!"
But before anything could happen—
Another group moved faster.
Men dressed in black appeared from nowhere.
Precise.
Efficient.
Deadly.
One of them grabbed the attacker's arm before the weapon fully emerged. Another slammed someone against the wall. The third man was forced to the ground almost instantly.
Everything happened within seconds.
No shouting.
No chaos.
Just controlled violence.
Michael froze.
The same kind of men again.
The same presence.
The same impossible timing.
One of the attackers tried to fight back—
A gun was quietly pressed against his side.
"Don't," one of the black-clothed men warned coldly.
Silence.
The attackers were quickly dragged away before attention could gather.
And just like before—
The men who protected Michael began disappearing too.
Michael stepped forward immediately.
"Wait!"
One of them paused slightly.
Michael stared at him. "Who are you people?"
The man looked at him briefly.
Then replied calmly—
"Go back to your hotel, sir."
And walked away.
Michael stood there breathing hard, confusion flooding his mind.
This wasn't coincidence anymore.
Someone was protecting him.
Someone powerful.
Later that night, Michael finally video-called Lucas.
The moment Lucas appeared on screen, Michael immediately spoke.
"They tried to kill me."
Lucas went completely still.
"What?"
Michael sat down slowly on the bed. "Outside the courthouse. Some men came after me."
Lucas' jaw tightened dangerously. "Were you hurt?"
"No."
Michael hesitated slightly.
"Those men appeared again."
Lucas stayed silent.
"The same ones," Michael continued. "The ones who keep saving me."
For a brief moment, something unreadable crossed Lucas' face.
But then he relaxed slightly. "Maybe Ghana has guardian angels."
Michael snorted softly. "Very violent guardian angels."
That finally made Lucas laugh quietly.
The tension eased slightly after that.
Lucas was shirtless tonight, leaning comfortably against his bed while looking at Michael through the screen.
"I'm proud of you today," Lucas said softly.
Michael looked up.
"What you said to Kwame…" Lucas continued, "…the whole world felt it."
Michael smiled faintly. "I just didn't want him to hate himself."
"And that's why I love you."
The words came naturally.
Softly.
Honestly.
Lucas smiled warmly before continuing, "You know what you need right now?"
"What?"
"Our van trip."
Michael laughed quietly.
Lucas grinned. "I'm serious. You were happiest during that trip."
"I was stressed half the time because you kept burning the food."
"That happened once," Lucas defended dramatically.
"Three times."
Lucas pointed at him through the screen. "Lies."
Michael laughed again, more genuinely this time.
Lucas watched him carefully, his expression softening.
"I miss cooking with you," he admitted quietly.
Michael's smile faded into something gentler.
"I miss sleeping beside you too," Lucas added. "The bed feels too empty without you."
Michael's eyes slowly drifted downward.
Lucas noticed immediately.
A smirk formed on his lips.
Because Michael was staring.
Hard.
Lucas waved a hand in front of the screen. "Michael?"
No response.
Lucas burst into laughter.
"Baby, come back to earth."
Michael blinked suddenly before realizing he got caught staring at Lucas' shirtless body.
His face warmed instantly.
Lucas kept laughing softly, clearly enjoying his embarrassment.
"You're terrible," Michael muttered shyly.
"And you're distracted."
Michael tried hiding his smile while Lucas looked at him with so much affection it almost hurt.
Then suddenly—
Michael's phone buzzed.
His co-lawyer.
Michael sighed immediately. "I don't want to answer."
Lucas smiled softly. "Pick up. It might be important."
Before answering, both of them became quiet for a moment.
Just staring at each other through the screen.
Emotion sitting silently between them.
"I love you," Lucas said softly.
Michael's chest tightened.
"I love you too."
And this time, the words felt so deep they barely needed sound.
Then Michael answered the call.
The co-lawyer sounded breathless.
"Michael—we found it."
Michael sat upright instantly. "Found what?"
"The second copy of the evidence. Backup files."
For the first time that entire day, relief flooded through him.
Lucas smiled immediately after hearing it.
But Michael's expression slowly darkened again.
Because now he understood something terrifying.
The evidence had not disappeared by accident.
Someone inside the courtroom had removed it intentionally.
The courtroom had never truly been a place for justice.
Only a stage controlled by power.