He helped a woman without knowing that she was the judge who held his fate in her hands…

She smiled, got in, and disappeared into traffic. Daniel jumped into his own car, not noticing the small USB drive slipping from the inner pocket of his briefcase onto her passenger seat.

At 7:42, Daniel burst into County Civil Court Five, shirt damp with sweat, briefcase barely holding together. A guard pointed him toward Room 2B. The hallway felt like it stretched for miles.

Inside, he immediately saw Attorney Martin Cole: expensive suit, smug smile, the air of a man who thought he’d already won. Next to him sat Jenna Collins, neatly dressed, eyes cold.

Then he saw the judge in a black robe at the bench—solemn, composed.

The woman from the flat tire.

“Mr. Daniel Carter?” the clerk called.

“Present,” he said, swallowing hard.

The judge looked up for the first time, frowning just slightly. Something flickered in her expression, then vanished.

“Let’s proceed,” she said. “Case 4752023. NovaCore Systems, represented by Attorney Martin Cole and Ms. Jenna Collins, accuses Mr. Daniel Carter of theft of a laptop containing confidential information.

“Mr. Cole, present the facts.”