“Of course.”Judge Regan looked at me as if waiting for my decision. I licked my dry lips and glanced between the judge and Nathaniel.“I have no objections either, but…”My voice trailed off in unease. Regan frowned, glanced at Nathaniel, then—after that soft groan he couldn’t hold back—said,“You know we need jury selection, courtroom scheduling… we can’t do it in less than a week. Anyway, let’s set it as soon as possible. Understood?”This time he looked to me for confirmation. Reluctantly, I nodded.“Understood.”“All right.”Nathaniel rose without a moment’s delay. The chair scraped back, and as he straightened I couldn’t help but look up at him.“Until next time, Judge Regan.”He offered a brief handshake to the judge, then shot me a quick glance before turning. He leaned on his cane and strode slowly down the hall, one deliberate step at a time.I snapped back to myself, hurriedly nodded thanks to the judge, and followed after him. In the corridor, I spotted him not far ahead—his uneven gait obvious.“Mister Miller!”At the sound of my voice, he paused and turned. He waited silently as I hurried over.“What’s going on?”I finally asked the question that had plagued me. Nathaniel cocked his head, as if I were speaking nonsense. Patiently, I tried again.“I mean—your counsel. Why are you representing yourself?”“Ah…”At last he sighed softly, as if disappointed. It didn’t matter to me, though—there was something more important.To my knowledge, he specialized in corporate law—defending big-business corruption, crushing victims under piles of paperwork. Now suddenly he was handling a criminal trial himself. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine Nathaniel Miller entering the courtroom as counsel. His motives were inscrutable—and his answer even more so.“I fired the previous attorney.”I went blank for a moment. Fired him?Memories of that expensive-suited man’s arrogant face surfaced, and it finally clicked: he really had dismissed his lawyer.“Fired him because negotiations failed…?”I murmured, stunned. But Nathaniel narrowed his eyes and corrected me.“I put my client in court.”“Was trying the case a mistake?”I couldn’t help asking. He answered matter-of-factly.“Of course. It should’ve ended at the grand jury.”I was left speechless. He said coolly,“I don’t need incompetence in my firm.”I had nothing more to say.“Anything else?”He gave me a chance, but no words came. He inclined his head politely and turned away.Click.The sound of his cane on the floor snapped me back. ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ Nathaniel walked off in measured steps. I stood, dazed, watching his retreating back—only to learn the reason for his confidence less than three days later.“What do you mean the evidence was excluded?”The detective’s angry voice startled me; I forced a calm reply.“Just what I said. The defense objected, and it was upheld.”“How—how could that be?”He stammered, unable to continue. I’d been through the same procedure and fully understood his reaction. As he pounded one fist into the palm of the other, cursing, another detective patted him consolingly. I waited for their fury to subside, then spoke.“It wasn’t critical evidence. We have other, solid witnesses—and the core evidence remains intact.”I offered what comfort I could. The first detective scowled and asked,“Aren’t you upset? Doesn’t it piss you off?”“Our team worked all night gathering evidence, so… no, I’m fine.”He snorted in frustration, but I stayed composed.“I am upset—just like you.”Under their two pairs of eyes, I gathered the files on my desk and added,“That said, after this is over, I’m going for a drink.”“Can I join you?”One rose eagerly. I smiled and declined smoothly.“The bar I go to is off-limits to married men. Maybe next time.”Of course, that was a lie—but no need to broadcast my personal life. Watching their faces droop, I stood to leave.“Don’t worry. We still have all the evidence we gathered around the clock.”I patted their shoulders and sent them off. Then I exhaled deeply—I needed something stronger than alcohol to shake this stress and irritation.Of course—sex.I propped one arm on the bar table and sipped a beer, scanning the room. Groups of two spoke quietly in corners; lone men, still partnerless, prowled the edges like hungry hyenas. In a hurry is fine, but drag it out and the best men will be taken.Since it’s only a one-night stand, maybe I should lower my standards.Between prepping for trial and endless days in the office, I’d hardly see home—better to blow off this pent-up stress now.I felt ready—but my opponent was Miller. Never let my guard down. I would review my files again, searching for any gap. I didn’t know where he might strike.“Hey—are you alone?”Remembering the sweet scent of the platinum-blond man drifting around me, I flinched at the rough voice suddenly beside me. I looked up to see a man watching me. He wore a neatly trimmed beard and decent clothes—hardly handsome, but not ugly enough to ruin the mood. Just the right compromise for tonight, it seemed.

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