He stood frozen between the benches. He recognized her the moment he walked in.
The black top, the tightly pulled-back hair, the cold, unwavering gaze…

The judge.

The very same woman he had helped earlier that morning, fixing a flat tire on a quiet side street.

Her eyes flicked toward him briefly, without the slightest hint of recognition. No emotion, no surprise — just controlled, professional composure. Yet Lukas felt something, the faintest stir of tension in the air, as if an unspoken memory trembled between them.

Then the judge spoke, her voice steady and precise:

— Case 48312-B. Lukas Perrin versus Salvetti Group.

On the defense side sat Marta Salvetti, wearing an expression of absolute confidence. Her attorney rose with the calm of a man who believed he had already won.

— Your Honor, we would like to remind the court that the plaintiff was expected to present the video evidence mentioned in the preliminary filings, — the attorney stated dryly.

A tight knot formed in Lukas’s stomach.

The USB drive.
His only evidence.
His last real chance.

It wasn’t with him.

He tore open his briefcase, frantically shifting papers, folders, pens — but the small metallic device was nowhere to be found.

Salvetti leaned back and allowed herself a sharp, triumphant smile.
— It appears the plaintiff is unprepared, Your Honor.

Lukas felt his throat close. He knew exactly where the drive was — in the judge’s car, on the passenger seat, where it must have slipped from his pocket during the morning chaos.

The judge turned her attention to him.
— Mr. Perrin, do you have the evidence you referenced?

— I… I had it this morning… I swear… — Lukas struggled to form the words.

— The hearing will proceed, — she said firmly.

Salvetti’s lawyer struck immediately:
— We request that the case be dismissed due to the absence of any substantiated proof.

Lukas felt the ground tilt beneath him. Six months of gathering documents, risking himself, sleepless nights… and now everything was collapsing because of one mistake.

But at that very moment, something unexpected happened.

The judge lifted her hand.
— One moment.

She reached for a sleek leather case beside her. After a short search, she pulled out a small, silver object.

She placed it gently on the desk.

The USB drive.

The room froze.
Salvetti turned pale.
Her attorney stared in shock.

The judge spoke with controlled calm:

— This drive was found in my vehicle this morning. I cannot speculate on how it ended up there, but I am obligated to review its contents. That is the proper procedure.

No one dared to object.

Lukas felt his pulse hammering against his ribs.
She remembered.
She knew.
And she had chosen to act — not recklessly, but bravely.

She inserted the drive into the computer.
The monitor lit up.

The video began to play:
Secret meetings.
Forged signatures.
Illegal transfers.
The entire structure of corruption Salvetti Group had been hiding for years — everything Lukas had worked to expose at great personal risk.

When the footage ended, the judge remained still for a moment. Then she spoke with a force that filled the room:

— The material is sufficient to initiate a criminal investigation against Salvetti Group. The hearing is adjourned. The case will be transferred to the prosecutor’s office.

A ripple of disbelief went through the courtroom.
Salvetti gripped the edge of her table.
Lukas felt his legs nearly give way.

The judge looked at him one last time.

This time, her gaze wasn’t cold.
It was serious.
Grateful.
And shadowed by the realization that her choice would change not only his life — but her own.

— Court is dismissed, — she said.

Then she stood, turned away, and exited through the private door before Lukas could utter a single word.

And still, he knew:

This was not the end of their story.
One ordinary morning had tied two strangers together in a way that neither of them could yet understand — but both would feel the consequences of.