This is heaven in hiding

chapter 4

jisoo's eyes soften just the slightest, just enough from her usual professional mask for chaeyoung to notice as she walks into the courtroom with Murphy.

The softness is gone in an instant, as green eyes return to her notes, but it's enough for chaeyoung to need a minute.

"Do you have this today?" She whispers, looking him in the eye and not letting him back down.

"Yeah." He takes a deep breath and looks anything like someone who has it. As soon as jisoo picks up right where she left off the day before, questioning the police officer who was first on the scene, Murphy seems to lose any nerve he had.

The client glances at them nervously and chaeyoung stares at the ceiling taking a deep breath, before deciding what to do."Give me the files."

"What?"

"Give me the files, give me your notes."

"chaeyoung, I can handle this."

"When you can, then you can have them back. But we need to stop this train and I'm not about to let her run away with this." He acquiesces with a roll of his eyes but looks relieved that chaeyoung will be taking control.chaeyoung lets her get a few questions in, it's nothing that's too controversial and he's not saying anything that they don't already know.

But, as soon as jisoo approaches the information they kept out of discovery, she shoots out of her chair with an objection. jisoo's eyebrow raises as she turns around to stare chaeyoung down. Her arms are crossed and her face looks perfectly nonplussed and chaeyoung counts that as a win.

There's a sparkle in jisoo's eyes when she notes the pile of files in front of chaeyoung and the way Murphy is slumped in his chair, slightly defeated.

The game has officially begun.

"Your Honor, I didn't realize the defense would actually be testifying for the witness today. Surely we all remember that from our moot court days," jisoo snaps, exasperated.

Her cool demeanor shaken. "Alright, enough with the dramatics ADA Choi. Miss Park, watch it."

chaeyoung finds herself on the end of a reproachful glare from the judge, but the satisfaction at jisoo's ticked jaw doesn't let her feel it.

"Well, if the witness would answer the questions I ask, perhaps I wouldn't have to go so far." He glares again and chaeyoung notices jisoo's back straighten even more.

With a heavy sigh, the judge turns his attention to the witness who has not stopped glaring at chaeyoung through this whole diversion. "Answer the questions as asked. I would remind you that you are under oath."

jisoo stews in her periphery and chaeyoung is oddly buoyed by the sight, ready to dig back in and attack her hostile witness. What she isn't expecting is for him to slip on an important detail. A key point in the evidence. jisoo surely prepped him and prepped him hard.

She's notoriously thorough, but his mouth runs away with him when chaeyoung strikes a nerve."So, let me get this straight. You're saying that you did not clearly see if the alleged attacker was wearing blue sneakers?"

His face completely pales and he swallows, hands shaking and gripping his knees. Chaeyoung glances up at the jury, notices how they've all seemingly woken up from their stupor.

He opens his mouth a few times and chaeyoung shifts closer."Mister Brady?"

"Answer the question, please." The judge appears to be leaning closer too. One look at jisoo and chaeyoung can see the storm raging inside, though her face remains impassive.

He clears his throat. "No," he chokes out.

"And, could you tell what color they were?" She's got him, she's just gutted one of jisoo's key witnesses. Torn him to shreds in a matter of three questions."No, I could not."