Page 259 of The Rules

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The gavel cracked—sharp, violent, final.

"The court rules in favor of the defense. Neil Winters is declared innocent of all charges."

Silence.

Then—

Chaos.

The courtroom detonated around her. Reporters surged forward like a living wave. Camera flashes burst across the room. Voices tangled into a wall of static.

Katherine didn’t move.

Couldn’t.

The sound faded to a low, pulsing hum. Her body felt light and heavy all at once—like she might float or collapse. Somewhere, Ben was standing. Somewhere, someone was speaking. But she was underwater, untethered.

And then—

A presence at her side. Too close.

"You adapted."

Her eyes snapped up.

Crawford.

Still composed. Still poised.

But this time—there was no mask to drop. Just observation. Calculation. Like he was already filing this moment away.

His eyes met hers, not with anger, not even disdain—just the quiet interest of a man updating his mental ledger.

"You played it well," he said, voice low. "Better than I anticipated."

A pause, almost imperceptible.

"Next time, react sooner. Timing is everything."

Then he turned. No spectacle. No farewell.

Just gone—like a ghost exiting stage left before the lights rise.

Katherine exhaled, breath catching on the edge of something sharp.

Her hands didn’t move. But inside, something hardened.

Not peace. Not triumph.

A weight. A shift.

Because in that silence, she saw the truth:

Crawford didn’t see her as a threat to be destroyed.

He saw her as a factor to account for.

A variable worth noting.

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