The judge listened intently, his expression carefully neutral. When the recording ended, Zaden’s words hanging in the air like unfinished notes, he looked back at Zaden. “Thank you for sharing that, Zaden,” he said kindly. “I appreciate your honesty.”

There was a pause, a moment of recalibration. It was as if the very air in the room had shifted, aligning itself with the truth of what had just been revealed. Damian’s confident demeanor had cracked, and for the first time, he looked uncertain.