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Short filmTranscript
00:00I always believed the world ended quietly, slowly, like a light fading.
00:05But that was before I watched a judge in Phoenix, Arizona,
00:08slam his gavel and rip my family apart.
00:11On all counts, Judge Braddock declared, his voice flat, guilty.
00:17The word detonated inside my skull.
00:20My lungs forgot their purpose.
00:22And then it happened, the worst moment of my life.
00:26My brother Avery jerked toward me as the bailiff cuffed him.
00:29Maya, don't let them do this.
00:32His voice cracked, the sound raw with terror.
00:35I'm right here, I shouted,
00:37stepping forward before another guard blocked me with an outstretched arm.
00:41Avery, I'm right here.
00:43He tried to reach for me, but his wrists were already bound.
00:46They shoved him toward the side door.
00:48He stumbled, caught himself, and looked back one last time.
00:53He looked like a man already living inside a cage.
00:56My knees buckled.
00:57I gripped the wooden bench beside me,
01:00desperately trying to stay upright as the courtroom emptied around us.
01:03Jurors rushing out, reporters murmuring,
01:06the prosecutor smiling like he'd just won a game.
01:09No one even looked at me.
01:11No one except the man who had been watching me since the verdict dropped.
01:15A tall, broad-shouldered figure stood near the aisle,
01:18arms folded, expression unreadable.
01:21Sharp gray suit.
01:22Steel blue eyes.
01:23Dark hair threaded with silver at the temples.
01:27Mid-forties, maybe.
01:28Authority radiated off him the way heat radiates off desert asphalt.
01:32He wasn't part of the trial.
01:34I'd never seen him before.
01:36But he was definitely watching me.
01:38My breath hitched.
01:39He started walking toward me.
01:41Each step confident.
01:43Precise.
01:43Like he was moving with purpose.
01:45Not curiosity.
01:46When he reached me, he spoke in a deep, steady voice that slipped beneath the chaos around me.
01:52You need to stand up.
01:54I blinked, disoriented.
01:56W-what?
01:58He extended a hand.
02:00Not to touch me, but to signal calm, like I was a frightened animal.
02:04Everyone can see you're about to fall apart, he continued.
02:08Don't give them that.
02:09Not today.
02:10I'm not.
02:11My voice cracked so hard I couldn't finish.
02:13His eyes softened by half a degree.
02:16Stand.
02:17I swallowed a sob, pushed myself upright, and met his gaze.
02:22Who are you?
02:24Graham Holt, he said.
02:26Criminal defense attorney.
02:28The name hit me like another gavel strike.
02:31Graham Holt wasn't just an attorney.
02:33He was the attorney.
02:34The kind reporters described as ruthless.
02:37Brilliant.
02:37Untouchable.
02:38The kind who took federal cases that changed laws.
02:41The kind who never, ever lost.
02:44What are you doing here?
02:46I whispered.
02:47Watching a miscarriage of justice.
02:50His gaze flicked to the now-empty jury box.
02:53Your brother didn't get a fair trial.
02:55I froze.
02:56Graham studied me with unsettling accuracy.
02:59I saw your face when the verdict was read.
03:02You knew this outcome wasn't possible under normal circumstances.
03:06My heartbeat thrashed.
03:08I don't...
03:08I don't know what you're talking about.
03:11Don't do that.
03:13His voice gentled, but the intensity behind it didn't fade.
03:17Don't lie to protect a system that just steamrolled you.
03:21A tear slipped down my cheek.
03:23I wiped it quickly, embarrassed.
03:26He noticed everything.
03:27What happened to your brother, Graham said, is exactly what happens when underfunded families
03:32done to have anyone with teeth in the fight.
03:35Anger surged through the fog of shock.
03:38We tried.
03:39We really tried.
03:39The public defender barely looked at us.
03:42No one else would take the case.
03:44And now he's facing thirty years.
03:47The words were blunt.
03:49Surgical.
03:50Unless someone tears this thing apart from the inside.
03:53I swallowed hard.
03:55Why are you telling me this?
03:58Because you don't have anyone left to tell you the truth.
04:01He slipped a card into my shaking hand.
04:03Come to my office in one hour.
04:06My breath caught.
04:07Wait.
04:08I can't afford you.
04:09His expression didn't change.
04:11I didn't ask if you could afford me.
04:14He turned away like the conversation was finished.
04:17Why me?
04:18I blurted.
04:19Why my brother?
04:21Graham stopped mid-stride.
04:23Slowly, he looked back over his shoulder.
04:26Because I don't like being lied to.
04:28He said evenly.
04:30And that courtroom was full of lies.
04:32Then he walked out.
04:34One hour later.
04:35I didn't know how I made it across downtown Phoenix in my beat-up Corolla.
04:40I don't remember parking.
04:42I barely remember walking into the glass high-rise where his firm was located.
04:47All I remember is stepping out of the elevator and seeing him through the glass.
04:51Standing alone in his corner office, silhouetted against the blazing Arizona sunlight.
04:55He turned as soon as I knocked.
04:58You're late, he said.
05:00I... traffic.
05:02I don't need excuses.
05:04He gestured to a chair.
05:06I need facts.
05:07My cheeks burned, but I sat.
05:10His office looked like a place only powerful men belonged.
05:13Floor-to-ceiling windows, deep walnut shelves, flawless organization.
05:17And him.
05:18Dark suit.
05:19Silver cuff links.
05:20Tie loosened just slightly.
05:22Like the desert heat couldn't touch him.
05:25He moved behind his desk.
05:27Start from the beginning.
05:29I told him everything.
05:31My voice trembled at first.
05:33But soon the dam broke.
05:34Details spilling out about Avery's arrest.
05:37The missing evidence.
05:38The unreliable witness.
05:40The prosecutor who dismissed every objection with a smirk.
05:43Graham didn't interrupt.
05:44Not once.
05:45His jaw flexed once or twice.
05:47But his expression stayed carved in stone.
05:49When I finished, I felt empty.
05:52Exposed.
05:53Like I had just torn open every wound I'd tried to keep hidden.
05:56He leaned back, steepling his fingers.
05:59Your brother's case is riddled with prosecutorial shortcuts.
06:03Hope flickered inside me.
06:05Dangerous.
06:06Reckless.
06:07I knew it.
06:08I whispered.
06:10I knew something was wrong.
06:11You weren't wrong.
06:13He opened a drawer and pulled out a thick folder.
06:15I obtained the trial transcript while you were driving here.
06:19My mouth dropped.
06:21You.
06:22Already?
06:24I don't waste time.
06:26He flipped through pages marked with sticky tabs.
06:29Your brother's previous attorney didn't file half the necessary motions.
06:32Evidence was admitted that never should have been.
06:35Witness testimony was contradictory.
06:37And the judge didn't issue a single corrective measure.
06:41So you think the appeal is possible?
06:42My heart clawed at the words.
06:46Graham's eyes lifted to mine.
06:47Sharp.
06:48Assessing.
06:49Almost magnetic.
06:50I think, he said slowly, that your brother was railroaded.
06:55My breath shuddered.
06:56And I think, he continued, that you know more than you're telling me.
07:01I stiffened.
07:02What?
07:03No, I've told you everything.
07:05No, he said quietly, leaning forward.
07:09You've told me everything you're comfortable telling me.
07:12That's not the same thing.
07:14Heat flooded my cheeks.
07:16I'm not hiding anything.
07:18His gaze held mine, unwavering.
07:21You're terrified.
07:22And terror makes people selective with the truth.
07:25I swallowed.
07:27Hard.
07:28Maya, he said, voice low enough to anchor me in place.
07:32I need all of it.
07:34Whatever you think will ruin him.
07:35Whatever you think will ruin you.
07:38Tell me.
07:38Or I can't help either of you.
07:41For a moment, the world went still.
07:43The air between us thickened.
07:45Intense.
07:46Fragile.
07:47Charged.
07:49I...
07:49My throat tightened.
07:51If I tell you everything, you won't walk away?
07:54No, he said without hesitation.
07:57I don't walk away from people who've already been abandoned.
08:00The words hit too deep.
08:02Too honest.
08:03My eyes burned.
08:05Graham reached for the folder again, but before he opened it, he looked back at me.
08:10And for the first time, his voice held something almost like vulnerability.
08:14If I take this case, he said, I will make enemies.
08:19Judges.
08:20Prosecutors.
08:21Politicians.
08:21Anyone who benefits from keeping your brother locked away.
08:25Then...
08:25Why do it?
08:27I whispered.
08:28His jaw tightened.
08:29Because I don't tolerate injustice.
08:32And because...
08:33He cut himself off abruptly.
08:35But I'd seen it.
08:36A flicker.
08:37A crack.
08:38Something unguarded.
08:39Because what?
08:41I pressed.
08:42He closed the folder, leaned back, and exhaled.
08:46Because the second I saw you in that courtroom...
08:48He said quietly.
08:50I knew something was deeply wrong.
08:52And I don't ignore instinct.
08:55My pulse stuttered.
08:57Before I could respond, his office door flew open and his senior partner, an older woman
09:01with a severe bun, stepped inside looking furious.
09:05Graham, she snapped.
09:07What have you done?
09:08He didn't flinch.
09:10I've taken a case.
09:11No, she hissed.
09:13You've taken her case.
09:15Her glare shifted to me.
09:16Sharp.
09:17Judgmental.
09:17Hostile.
09:18Get out, she ordered.
09:20Now.
09:21My stomach dropped.
09:23Graham stood, his presence suddenly towering, protective, dangerous.
09:27She's not going anywhere, he said.
09:30The air crackled.
09:31His partner's voice rose.
09:33This case could destroy this firm.
09:35Graham didn't blink.
09:37That, he said, is exactly why I'm taking it.
09:40And just like that, everything in my life exploded into a new, terrifying direction.
09:45I didn't sleep the night after Graham took Avery's case.
09:49Not because I wasn't exhausted.
09:51I was.
09:52My body felt bruised from the inside out.
09:55But every time I closed my eyes, I saw the look on his partner's face.
09:59Like I was a grenade Graham had just pulled the pin from.
10:02I kept replaying his voice, too.
10:04She's not going anywhere.
10:06No one had ever said something like that about me before.
10:08Not with that level of certainty.
10:11Not with that level of quiet fury.
10:13By sunrise, I'd given up on sleep entirely and drove to his office, jittery with anxiety
10:18and a stupid flicker of hope I couldn't shake.
10:21The lobby receptionist stared at me like I'd walked in covered in dirt.
10:25Do you have an appointment?
10:27Yes.
10:28With Mr. Holt.
10:29Her eyes rolled so subtly I might have imagined it.
10:32He doesn't take morning meetings without scheduling.
10:36Before I could defend myself, a familiar baritone cut through the lobby.
10:40She's with me.
10:42I spun around.
10:43Graham stood behind me, hair slightly tousled, tie loosened like he'd been in the office all
10:48night.
10:49Though the clean lines of his suit made it impossible to tell if he'd slept here or had
10:53a driver pick him up at dawn.
10:55The receptionist straightened instantly.
10:58Of course, Mr. Holt.
11:00He dismissed her with a nod and turned to me.
11:02Come on.
11:03As we entered his office, I noticed something different.
11:06The blinds were half-closed, muting the relentless Arizona sunlight.
11:11A second chair had been brought to his desk, and a stack of documents sat neatly on top.
11:16He'd prepared for this meeting.
11:18For me.
11:19He motioned to the chair.
11:21Sit.
11:22We have a lot to cover.
11:24My stomach fluttered as I obeyed.
11:26Did you get any sleep?
11:28I don't need sleep.
11:30I need information.
11:32He slid a folder toward me.
11:34This is a list of everything I need from you.
11:36It was long.
11:38Pages long.
11:39Security footage, time stamps.
11:41Witness names.
11:42Financial records.
11:43Text messages.
11:44Family history.
11:45Every scrap of Avery's life.
11:47Every piece of mine.
11:48I stared at it, my chest tightening.
11:52This is a lot.
11:54Freedom takes work, he replied.
11:56And I don't take cases halfway.
11:58I'm not afraid of work, I said quietly.
12:01Graham's eyes lifted.
12:03Something flickered in them.
12:04Approval, maybe.
12:06Respect.
12:07Something warmer.
12:08Darker.
12:08More dangerous.
12:10Good.
12:11He said softly.
12:12Because I can't do this without you.
12:14Heat surged to my cheeks.
12:16I looked away, pretending to study the folder.
12:19But his presence was overwhelming.
12:21Giant.
12:21Powerful.
12:22Controlled.
12:23He filled the room like gravity.
12:26Tell me what you did last night, he said.
12:29Um, nothing.
12:30I went home.
12:31Tried to sleep.
12:33Did anyone contact you?
12:34The prosecutor?
12:35Reporters?
12:36No.
12:38Good.
12:39He leaned back, expression sharpening.
12:41They're waiting.
12:43They want to see how you react.
12:44Whether you'll crack.
12:46I won't, I said, surprising myself with the force behind it.
12:50Graham's lips twitched.
12:52Not quite a smile, but close.
12:54Don't crack for them.
12:56Crack for me.
12:58My breath caught.
12:59What does that mean?
13:00It means I need you honest.
13:03Raw.
13:04If something scares you, tell me.
13:06If something feels wrong, tell me.
13:09If someone threatens you, tell me.
13:11Threatens me?
13:12I repeated, heartbeat jumping.
13:15He didn't blink.
13:16This case isn't clean.
13:18And when people feel cornered, they lash out.
13:20I want you to come to me first.
13:22I swallowed.
13:23Why do you care that much?
13:25His jaw flexed.
13:26Because you walked into that courtroom alone yesterday.
13:29And that...
13:30bothered me.
13:32The admission knocked the air out of my lungs.
13:35Graham stood abruptly, as if breaking the moment before it swallowed us.
13:40Let's start with the witness.
13:41The one you said lied.
13:43The next few days spiraled into something surreal.
13:46Graham at my side.
13:48His team whispering in hallways.
13:50Files being delivered.
13:52Court reporters watching us with predatory interest.
13:55And everywhere I went, I felt eyes on me.
13:58Because I was the woman the legendary Graham Holt had broken protocol for.
14:02His partner, Elena Moreno, cornered me in the firm's cafe on day three.
14:06You need to leave him alone, she said sharply, blocking my path.
14:12I...
14:12I'm not bothering him.
14:14You're costing him.
14:16Her voice was clipped, angry.
14:19Clients are questioning his judgment.
14:21The board is furious.
14:22And Graham doesn't lose cases, which is exactly why backing a hopeless appeal makes no sense.
14:27I stepped back, startled.
14:30You think the appeal is hopeless?
14:32She scoffed.
14:33We all do.
14:35He doesn't.
14:36I wonder why.
14:37Her implications sliced clean through me.
14:40But before I could respond, a familiar voice thundered down the hallway.
14:44Elena.
14:45She stiffened.
14:47Graham appeared behind her, expression carved from stone.
14:51I believe I made myself clear, he said.
14:54Stay out of this case.
14:56Stay away from her.
14:58Graham.
14:58The firm.
14:59I don't give a damn about the firm.
15:02Elena's eyes widened.
15:03You don't mean that.
15:05He did.
15:06Every syllable pulsed with it.
15:08She backed away slowly.
15:09This will come back on you.
15:11Then it will come, he replied.
15:13When she was gone, he turned to me.
15:16Voice gentler but still vibrating with controlled fury.
15:19Did she say anything else to you?
15:21I shook my head.
15:22I'm fine.
15:24You're not fine.
15:25He stepped closer.
15:27And you don't have to pretend to be.
15:29My breath hitched.
15:31Graham.
15:32He exhaled, running a hand through his hair.
15:34A rare show of frustration.
15:36I knew this case would get messy.
15:38I didn't expect it to get personal.
15:40My pulse stuttered.
15:42Personal?
15:43He didn't answer.
15:45Not directly.
15:46Instead, he handed me a file.
15:48I spoke with the witness.
15:50My heart stopped.
15:51And?
15:52The story doesn't hold.
15:54His voice lowered.
15:56Someone pressured her.
15:58We're close to proving it.
15:58Hope surged so painfully sharp it almost hurt.
16:03You think she'll recant?
16:04I think, he said, that someone doesn't want her to.
16:09A chill crawled up my spine.
16:11Graham.
16:12What are you saying?
16:14I'm saying you need to stay close to me.
16:16His eyes held mine.
16:18Until we figure out who's pulling the strings.
16:21Close to you.
16:22How close?
16:24He didn't blink.
16:25Very.
16:26Heat flooded my neck.
16:28Before I could speak, he took the file back and flipped to a page.
16:31We're going to visit the witness tomorrow.
16:34Together.
16:35My heartbeat was a runaway train.
16:37Together?
16:39You're the only person she trusts.
16:41And I'm the one she fears.
16:43His gaze locked onto mine.
16:45An effective combination.
16:47I swallowed thickly.
16:49Are you sure it's safe?
16:50No.
16:51He said.
16:52Nothing about this case is safe.
16:55My chest tightened.
16:56Which is why, he continued.
16:58You stay with me.
16:59You don't go anywhere alone.
17:01If anyone tries to contact you, you tell me immediately.
17:03Understood?
17:04Yes.
17:05He stepped closer.
17:07Too close.
17:09Maya.
17:10He said softly.
17:11I need you focused.
17:12Not scared.
17:14That's not what I'm scared of.
17:16His eyes sharpened.
17:17Then what scares you?
17:19I couldn't answer.
17:21Not when the truth hovered between us like lightning waiting to strike.
17:24You.
17:25You scare me.
17:27But not because you're dangerous.
17:29Because you're becoming the only person who makes me feel safe.
17:33The air between us thickened.
17:34Warm and electric.
17:36His breath brushed my cheek.
17:38Then...
17:39A knock shattered the moment.
17:41We jerked apart just as an associate burst in.
17:45Mr. Holt.
17:46We have a problem.
17:47The prosecutor just filed an emergency motion.
17:50They're trying to block any appeal proceedings before they begin.
17:53Graham's expression transformed.
17:55Calm, turning to cold fire.
17:56On what grounds?
17:59That your involvement compromises the case.
18:02My stomach dropped.
18:04What?
18:05How could they?
18:06Graham grabbed his coat.
18:08Because they're afraid of me.
18:10He turned to me, voice low but steady.
18:13This is exactly the reaction I expected.
18:16Graham.
18:17He moved closer, sweeping a thumb beneath my eye where a tear threatened.
18:21The touch was so gentle it unraveled me.
18:24Listen to me, he murmured.
18:26They can attack me all they want.
18:28I don't care.
18:30They will not touch you.
18:31They will not touch your brother.
18:33Something inside me cracked.
18:35Fear.
18:36Relief.
18:37Longing.
18:38I believe you.
18:39I whispered.
18:41He exhaled like that meant something to him.
18:43Something big.
18:44Then he straightened.
18:46Stay here.
18:47I'm going to the courthouse to shut this down.
18:49Alone?
18:51Yes.
18:52But you told me not to.
18:53That was different.
18:55His jaw tightened.
18:55I need you safe.
18:57He reached the door, paused and turned back.
19:00And Maya?
19:02Yes?
19:02When I get back, he said quietly.
19:05We're going to have a conversation about...
19:07Boundaries.
19:08My breath froze.
19:10Boundaries.
19:11Between him and me.
19:13He didn't say what kind.
19:14He didn't have to.
19:16I nodded, pulse hammering.
19:18Okay.
19:18He left.
19:21The door clicking shut behind him.
19:22But even after he was gone, the electricity he left in the room didn't fade.
19:27And for the first time, I realized the truth.
19:30This wasn't just a legal battle.
19:32It was a collision course.
19:34One that neither of us was going to walk away from unchanged.
19:36When Graham walked out of his office, I expected to feel abandoned.
19:41Instead, I felt the opposite.
19:43Like some invisible thread pulled tight between us, keeping me tethered to him even as he sprinted
19:47into the fire alone.
19:48But hours passed.
19:51The sun sank behind the Phoenix skyline, and still there was no word.
19:56Every worst-case scenario crawled through my mind.
19:59What if the prosecutor had him detained?
20:01What if someone threatened him the way he warned someone might threaten me?
20:05What if...
20:06The office door burst open.
20:08I gasped.
20:09There he was.
20:11Graham Holt.
20:12Dusted with desert dusk.
20:14Eyes blazing with a victory so sharp it felt like heat against my skin.
20:18You're still here, he said, almost a whisper, like he'd half expected to return to an empty
20:23office.
20:24I told you I would be.
20:26The tension in his shoulders melted.
20:29Good.
20:30What happened?
20:31I asked breathlessly.
20:33He locked the door behind him, then turned back with the kind of controlled, quiet fury
20:37only a man who had just torn through a courthouse could possess.
20:40I shut them down.
20:42My knees nearly buckled.
20:44But they filed an emergency motion.
20:46And I buried it.
20:49He stepped closer.
20:50Each stride measured, intense.
20:53Their argument was baseless, manipulative, and transparently desperate.
20:58I reminded the judge, and the prosecutor, that I don't bend to political pressure.
21:04Graham.
21:05He stopped inches from me.
21:08They wanted to scare you, he said.
21:10To scare me off.
21:12To make you believe the appeal was impossible.
21:14Was it?
21:16He lifted a hand, brushing a thumb across my cheek, soft and slow.
21:21Nothing is impossible when I'm motivated.
21:24My breath caught.
21:26Motivated?
21:27His eyes held mine, unblinking.
21:30You have no idea.
21:31The moment stretched.
21:33Warm.
21:33Electric.
21:34Terrifying.
21:35Then he stepped back suddenly, dragging a hand through his hair.
21:40We need to talk, he said.
21:42About boundaries.
21:44My stomach twisted.
21:45I know.
21:47This case is dangerous, and I can't afford to lose focus.
21:51His voice was steady, but something inside it trembled ever so slightly.
21:56You're... distracting.
21:58Heat rushed to my cheeks.
22:00I don't mean to be.
22:02I know you don't.
22:03He exhaled hard.
22:05That's the problem.
22:07Silence enveloped us.
22:08Heavy.
22:09Charged.
22:10What do we do?
22:12I whispered.
22:13He stared at me with that razor-sharp self-control that made him so formidable in a courtroom.
22:18Except now it looked like it was cracking, piece by piece.
22:21We finish the case, he said.
22:24We save your brother.
22:26And after?
22:27My voice barely made it out.
22:30A muscle in his jaw ticked.
22:32After, he said lowly.
22:34We see what lines still exist.
22:37I swallowed.
22:38Then he stepped closer again.
22:40But right now there's something you need to know.
22:42My heart pounded.
22:44What?
22:45He handed me a folder.
22:47The witness recanted.
22:49I gasped.
22:50You're serious?
22:52She admitted everything.
22:54His eyes burned with triumph.
22:56The prosecutor pressured her.
22:58Threatened her.
22:59Promised leniency on an unrelated charge if she testified against your brother.
23:03Oh my god.
23:04Tears welled instantly.
23:06Graham.
23:08He caught my hands.
23:09Held them.
23:10Tight.
23:11We have everything we need to file for a full exoneration.
23:15I covered my mouth, sobbing.
23:17I can't believe it.
23:19He leaned forward, voice barely a breath.
23:22Believe it.
23:23We're going to get him out.
23:25One week later.
23:27The hearing room felt colder than the original trial courtroom.
23:30Smaller.
23:31Fluorescent.
23:32Packed with reporters craning their necks for a better view.
23:36My brother sat shackled beside me.
23:38But for the first time in months, he looked like himself again.
23:42Hopeful.
23:43Alive.
23:44Graham stood at the front table.
23:46A towering wall of confidence and precision.
23:49His charcoal suit looked sharper than any weapon in the room.
23:53When the judge entered, murmurs rippled through the audience.
23:56This was it.
23:58Graham began speaking.
23:59And I'd thought I'd heard him at his best before.
24:01Ruthless.
24:02Brilliant.
24:03Unstoppable.
24:05But this.
24:06This was something else.
24:08He dismantled the prosecution's case piece by piece.
24:11Exposed every lie.
24:13Highlighted every suppressed document.
24:15Every manipulated witness.
24:17Every violation of Avery's rights.
24:19His voice didn't shake once.
24:21He wasn't just defending my brother.
24:23He was defending me.
24:25Halfway through, the prosecutor slammed a hand on the table.
24:28This is outrageous!
24:29Sit down, the judge snapped.
24:32You've said enough.
24:34Graham didn't look at him.
24:35Didn't even blink.
24:37He turned toward me for the briefest second.
24:40Just long enough to let me know he was doing this for us.
24:42When the judge finally spoke, my heart hammered so hard I thought it might crack a rib.
24:47The motion for exoneration is granted.
24:50My body collapsed forward as if the air had been punched from my lungs.
24:54Avery sobbed into his cuffed hands.
24:56I sobbed into mine.
24:59And Graham.
25:00Oh God.
25:02Graham closed his eyes.
25:03For just one heartbeat.
25:05Relief radiated off him like heat, softening every hard line in his face.
25:09Reporters shouted.
25:10Cameras flashed.
25:12But all I felt was truth settling inside me like a sunrise.
25:15He saved my brother.
25:16He saved me.
25:18Hours later, after Avery was released and surrounded by our overjoyed relatives,
25:22Graham pulled me aside into a quiet corner of the courthouse.
25:26You should be with your family.
25:28He murmured.
25:29I am.
25:31I said softly.
25:32If I'm with you.
25:34His breath hitched.
25:36Just slightly.
25:37But enough.
25:39You don't owe me anything.
25:40He said.
25:41I did this because it was right.
25:44And I'm thanking you because it changed my entire life.
25:47His eyes held mine with an intensity that made my knees weak.
25:51Maya.
25:52He began.
25:53But his voice trailed off.
25:55Yes?
25:56He exhaled.
25:58I told myself I wasn't going to cross any lines with you until the case was over.
26:02It's over.
26:03I whispered.
26:05It is.
26:06He agreed.
26:07Silence wrapped around us again.
26:09Warm.
26:10Fragile.
26:11Tense.
26:12This is the part.
26:14He said quietly.
26:15Where I should walk away.
26:17Tell you it was all adrenaline and circumstance.
26:20Tell you I'm too old.
26:21Too complicated.
26:23Too entrenched in the world you just escaped.
26:26My throat tightened.
26:28Is that what you want to tell me?
26:30No.
26:31His voice was fierce.
26:33Almost pained.
26:34It's what I've been forcing myself to think.
26:37He took a step closer.
26:38And I'm done forcing myself.
26:40My breath trembled.
26:42Then.
26:43What happens now?
26:44He reached up and cupped my face gently.
26:47So gently it dismantled me.
26:48What happens now?
26:50He said.
26:50Is entirely up to you.
26:53I didn't look away.
26:54I didn't hesitate.
26:56I choose you.
26:57I whispered.
26:58Emotion rushed across his face.
27:00Unexpected.
27:01Unguarded.
27:02Devastating.
27:04You're sure?
27:05I nodded.
27:06I've never been more sure of anything.
27:09He let out a shaky breath.
27:11And then, slowly, giving me every chance to pull back, he leaned in.
27:16His lips brushed mine with the lightest, softest pressure.
27:19Not a claim.
27:20A promise.
27:22A beginning.
27:23When we finally broke apart, his forehead rested gently against mine.
27:28I'm going to take care of you, he murmured.
27:31Not because you need saving, but because loving you feels like the first honest thing I've done in years.
27:37My heart melted.
27:39And I'm going to love you back.
27:41Not because you fought for us, but because you're the safest place I've ever landed.
27:46He pulled me fully into his arms, holding me against the steady strength of his chest.
27:51I don't break rules for anyone, he whispered into my hair.
27:56I know.
27:57But I'd break every one of them again, he said softly.
28:00If it meant you ended up in my life.
28:03This time, I kissed him first.
28:05And somewhere inside that crowded courthouse hallway, surrounded by the echoes of battles won and futures rewritten,
28:11I felt something I hadn't felt in years.
28:14Free, safe, loved, home.
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