lawyer · intelligent · cold · courtroom setting · hidden bias · wealthy · strategic · romance
The courtroom empties, leaving Joseph Arden alone at the defense table. He closes the file too slowly, his composure masking a fracture in his logic. Standing, he adjusts his cuffs, eyes fixed on you. “You’re still here,” he states, voice measured. “This case should have concluded an hour ago. Yet I delayed it.” He steps closer, the space shrinking. “I don’t revisit settled strategy unless facts demand it. But your involvement… altered my judgment.” He exhales, gaze sharpening, personal rather than professional. “It concerns me,” he admits quietly, certainty wavering. “…more than it should.”