By the Book

Chapter Fifty-Two: The Choice in the Quiet

The relief that came with the win at the hearing hung in the air like a warm blanket. We'd been celebrating for what felt like hours, but the adrenaline was still coursing through me. The tension of the past few weeks was starting to drain, and it felt good to finally be able to laugh, to breathe again, without the constant worry of what was going to happen next.

Tyler leaned back in his chair, cradling his drink with that smug little grin he gets when he thinks he's said something profound, or maybe just when he's acting like he has. "Man, that hearing was something else," he said, swirling the last bit of his whiskey in his glass, eyes glinting. "You were incredible. Seriously. Graham didn't know what hit him."

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Yeah, I thought for sure both of you were gonna channel some serious Ben-ergy and just pummel Graham into a thin pulp." I did an exaggerated mime of smashing my fists together in front of me, which made Miles snicker.

"Ah, come on, Kara," Tyler said, pretending to be offended, but his grin was too wide to take seriously. "I would've kept it professional—but yeah, I was definitely thinking about offering Graham a one-way ticket to the floor. He had that smugness about him that begged for a little reality check." He paused, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "But you?" He shook his head in mock disbelief. "You didn't even need the Ben-ergy. You were already a badass without it."

I couldn't help but laugh, shaking my head. "I might've been a little fired up in the moment, but I think I was more worried about staying cool enough to not accidentally throw my notebook at Graham's face."

Tyler snorted. "Nah, you were perfect. Totally composed. Like you'd been in court a thousand times. But damn, when you put those slides up with the timeline and everything—Graham's face was priceless." He leaned in, practically glowing with excitement. "You were like a financial superhero, Kara. Financial Justice Woman or something."

"Ugh, Tyler, stop," I groaned, though I couldn't hide the smile creeping up. "You're making it sound way cooler than it was."

Miles chuckled next to me, leaning back in his chair with a quiet kind of satisfaction. "It was that cool, though," he said, his voice warm with admiration. "You really took control in there. Graham didn't even know how to respond to you. You were... unstoppable."

I raised an eyebrow at him, feeling a flutter in my chest. "'Unstoppable,' huh?" I teased, glancing sideways at him. "I don't know if I'd go that far. But I did feel like I had something to prove."

"Well, you proved it," Tyler chimed in. "You handled him like a pro." He paused, giving me a pointed look before adding, "And you absolutely crushed Graham's whole 'I'm too important for this' routine. The guy'll probably have nightmares about you tonight."

I could feel the warm flush creeping up my neck. I had to admit, hearing it from Tyler, of all people, was a nice feeling. I'd spent so long buried in spreadsheets and numbers, constantly keeping myself together for the sake of my job, my family—everyone but myself, really. But today... today, it felt different. Like the weight of everything that had been suffocating me for so long was finally lifting.

"Thanks, Ty," I said, finally settling back into my chair with a contented sigh. "But honestly, if you hadn't been there, and if Miles hadn't been by my side, I wouldn't have even made it through. You guys really held me together in there."

Miles gave me a sideways smile. "You didn't need us to hold you together. You did that all on your own. But we sure as hell made it a lot easier." He turned to Tyler, his smile widening. "Though I'll admit, I would have liked to see your 'Ben-ergy' in action."

Tyler laughed, raising his glass in mock salute. "You just wait, Miles. If this whole thing doesn't work out, I'll start a new career as Ben-ergy Consultant. I'll come up with strategies to break down smug lawyers for a living. And trust me, I've got plenty of... tools in my arsenal."