Chapter 14 — : A Witness Tries to Jump Ship
The text sat on Hayden's screen like a lit match.
LENA PARK: I can't do this. They told me what to say.
Maya's face had gone pale in that very lawyer-specific way—like her brain was already drafting five motions and three nightmares.
Donna didn't look pale.
Donna looked murderous.
"We are not replying," Maya said fast.
Hayden nodded once. "Correct."
Donna was already walking. "Jessica. Now."
They moved like a unit—Hayden in front, Maya beside him, Donna half a step ahead because Donna always somehow arrived before she left.
The bullpen noticed. Of course it did. People pretended not to watch while watching like their rent depended on it.
And from the corner of Hayden's eye, he caught Louis Litt's office door.
Cracked open.
Louis wasn't smiling.
Louis was hunting.
---
Jessica's office door shut behind them.
Donna locked it without being asked.
Jessica looked up from her desk, eyes sharp. "What."
Hayden didn't waste oxygen. He held up his phone.
"A witness texted me directly," he said.
Jessica's gaze dropped to the screen, read the message once, and the temperature in the room changed.
Not anger.
Not surprise.
That colder thing again—confirmation.
Maya spoke quickly, trying to stay ahead of the ethical cliff. "We didn't solicit it. We didn't respond. We can't engage substantively."
Donna added, bright but deadly: "But we can absolutely use it as pattern."
Jessica held Hayden's phone for a beat longer, then handed it back.
"Good," she said. "No response."
Hayden nodded. "None."
Jessica stood. "This is witness intimidation territory."
Maya swallowed. "We have to be careful how we frame it."
Jessica's eyes narrowed. "We frame it as what it is: a witness reached out saying she's being coached. We do not coach her back."
Donna leaned forward, voice low. "Do we tell opposing counsel?"
Jessica didn't even blink. "We tell the judge."
Maya's eyes widened. "Immediately?"
Jessica nodded once. "Immediately."
Hayden's voice stayed calm. "And we preserve everything. Screenshot, export, phone logs."
Donna snapped her fingers. "Already sending to IT and printing it like it's the Constitution."
Jessica's eyes cut to Maya. "Draft a short notice for the court. No drama. 'Witness contacted counsel. Counsel did not respond. Message indicates potential coaching.' Attach it. Request guidance and protective measures."
Maya nodded fast. "On it."
Donna grinned. "Protective order?"
Jessica's answer was a blade. "Yes. Protective order. And an order that all witness communications go through counsel."
Hayden added, "And we request the deposition be moved up."
Jessica looked at him. "Why?"
Hayden didn't hesitate. "Because if she's cracking now, she'll be sealed shut in a week."
Jessica nodded. "Correct."
Donna chimed in, smug: "Coaching window."
Jessica's eyes hardened. "We close it."
Maya was already typing like her keyboard owed her money. "Emergency motion—short, clean."
Jessica turned to Hayden again. "You're going to write a declaration."
Hayden nodded. "Chronology only."
Jessica's tone sharpened. "Exactly. Time received. No response. How it came in. That's it. No commentary."
Donna smiled. "Boring truth. The most terrifying kind."
---
The door cracked open before Donna could stop it.
Harvey Specter leaned in like he owned the air.
"Jess," he said, "I heard—"
Donna snapped, "How."
Harvey smirked. "I have ears."
Jessica didn't look at him. "Close the door."
Harvey didn't. He stepped inside.
Then he saw the faces.
The phone.
The tension.
His grin faded into something focused. "What happened?"
Maya answered fast. "Lena Park reached out to Hayden directly. Said they told her what to say."
Harvey's eyes narrowed. "That's… really bad for them."
Jessica's voice was calm. "Yes."
Harvey looked at Hayden. "You didn't respond, right?"
Hayden nodded once. "No response."
Harvey's grin returned, but sharper. "Good. Because now we don't just have a shady document. We have a witness trying to defect."
Jessica cut him off. "We have a witness contacting counsel improperly. Don't romanticize it."
Harvey held up his hands. "Fine. We have a witness panic-texting the wrong person. Still useful."
Jessica's eyes stayed cold. "Useful only if we stay clean."
Harvey nodded once—rare respect. "We stay clean."
Donna muttered, "I hate when you act mature. It's confusing."
---
Jessica turned back to Maya. "File the notice today. And I want the judge to set a hearing within forty-eight hours."
Maya nodded. "Yes."
Jessica looked at Donna. "You're going to find out where Lena Park is."
Donna blinked innocently. "Legally?"
Jessica didn't smile. "Legally."
Donna grinned anyway. "Of course. I'm basically a saint with better shoes."
Hayden spoke, measured. "We should also notify Sunset's counsel that any further direct contact with me is improper."
Jessica's eyes narrowed. "No."
Harvey blinked. "No?"
Jessica was steel. "We don't warn them. We file. The judge warns them."
Harvey smirked. "God, Jess."
Jessica: "Harvey."
Harvey: "Right. No worship. Just admiration."
Donna whispered to Hayden, "He's exhausting, isn't he?"
Hayden whispered back, "He's a walking lawsuit."
---
As Maya drafted, Hayden sat at the small table in Jessica's office and wrote his declaration like he was carving it into stone:
Date
Time
Number
Content
No reply
Immediately reported
No adjectives. No conclusions. No "clearly" or "obviously." Judges hated those words almost as much as they hated lawyers who used them.
Donna's phone buzzed again. She glanced down and made a face.
"Oh," she said.
Jessica didn't look up. "Donna."
Donna hesitated—rare. "Louis is asking around about you. Again."
Hayden didn't look up from his declaration. "Of course he is."
Donna's voice lowered. "He's telling people the Sunset mess is 'proof Jessica's hiring standards are slipping.'"
Maya's fingers paused on the keyboard. "That's… petty."
Donna smiled sweetly. "That's Louis."
Jessica finally looked up—eyes sharper. "Louis will be handled later."
Harvey's grin turned cruel. "I can handle him now."
Jessica's stare shut that down instantly. "No."
Harvey sighed. "Fine. Later."
Hayden finished the declaration and slid it to Jessica.
Jessica read it once.
Then nodded once. "Good."
Hayden stood. "What now?"
Jessica's voice went quiet, dangerous. "Now we protect the record, protect the witness, and force Sunset into daylight."
Donna's smile sharpened. "Sunlight again."
Jessica looked at Hayden. "And Harper?"
"Yes."
"If she contacts you again," Jessica said, "you still don't respond. You forward. You document. You let the court control the channel."
Hayden nodded once. "Understood."
Maya looked up from her laptop, eyes serious. "And if she's scared enough to run?"
Jessica's expression didn't change. "Then we move fast enough that she doesn't have to."
---
Hayden's phone buzzed in his hand.
Unknown number.
Same thread.
A new text appeared—shorter, more frantic:
LENA PARK: Please. They're watching me.
Hayden didn't react outwardly.
But his eyes went colder.
Donna saw it instantly. "Nope."
Maya's voice tightened. "We can't—"
Jessica stepped forward, gaze locked on the phone.
"We don't respond," Jessica said, calm as law. "But we act."
She looked at Donna. "Now."
Donna was already moving, phone up, fingers flying. "Calling the judge's clerk. And I'm going to find Lena Park a lawyer before Sunset finds her a leash."
Harvey's grin returned—thin, predatory. "Now we squeeze."
Jessica's eyes snapped to him. "We don't squeeze."
Harvey shrugged. "We let them choke."
Jessica nodded. "Better."
Hayden stared at the text a beat longer, then locked his phone and handed it to Donna without a word.
Because this wasn't about winning a case anymore.
This was about keeping someone from being crushed inside it.
And somewhere out in the bullpen, Louis Litt was still sniffing around Mike Ross's hiring file like a bloodhound with a grudge—
—but Hayden barely felt it right now.
Because Sunset had just crossed the line from dirty litigation…
…into something that could end careers, destroy people, and get someone hurt if handled wrong.
Jessica Pearson didn't panic.
She only did one thing:
she moved.
Donna moved like a woman who'd been waiting her whole life for someone to hand her a problem that deserved consequences.
She was already dialing the judge's clerk before Hayden's phone screen went dark.
Jessica didn't pace. She didn't raise her voice. She stood still—because stillness from Jessica Pearson wasn't calm.
It was control.
Maya hovered near her laptop like she was guarding a nuclear launch code.
Harvey leaned against the wall, jaw tight, the kind of quiet that meant he was actively choosing not to commit a felony out of principle.
Hayden watched the unread text sit in his pocket like a live wire.
LENA PARK: Please. They're watching me.
He didn't respond.
Not one letter.
Because the fastest way to ruin a witness was to "help" her with the wrong kind of help.
Donna put the phone on speaker as soon as the clerk picked up.
"Hi, it's Donna Paulsen—" she began.
The clerk sighed like this was not their first Donna. "Ms. Paulsen."
Donna smiled brightly. "We need a short telephonic conference with Judge Keller's chambers. Now."
"Now is… difficult."
Donna's smile didn't move. "This is a witness integrity issue in the expedited authenticity discovery matter. It became difficult the moment it happened."
A pause.
Then: "Hold."
Donna mouthed told you like she'd just won a bet against reality.
Jessica looked at Hayden. "Any response from her?"
Hayden shook his head. "No. Still nothing."
Jessica nodded once. "Good."
Maya exhaled quietly. "We should preserve the second text too."
Donna's fingers were already flying. "Done. IT has it. Printed, logged, timestamped—if paper could bleed, it would."
Harvey muttered, "I'm starting to like paper."
Jessica shot him a look. "Harvey."
Harvey held up a hand. "Not a joke. I really like paper."
The clerk returned.
"Judge Keller can do a brief call at 3:15," the clerk said. "Ten minutes."
Donna's smile turned predatory. "Perfect. We'll be ready. Thank you."
Click.
Donna immediately turned to Hayden. "If she texts again, you still don't respond."
Hayden nodded. "I know."
Donna's eyes narrowed. "Do you know or do you know and will obey?"
Hayden met her eyes calmly. "Know and will obey."
Donna exhaled like she'd just successfully prevented a plane crash.
Maya looked up. "What do we want from the judge?"
Jessica answered without hesitation. "A protective order for communications. A directive that the witness be represented by independent counsel. And an order moving the deposition up—preferably within forty-eight hours."
Harvey's eyes sharpened. "And sanctions."
Jessica's voice went colder. "Sanctions come after we lock the witness down safely."
Hayden added quietly, "And after we confirm chain of custody. We don't want to look like we're exploiting her fear."
Jessica nodded once—approval. "Correct."
Donna grinned. "Look at you. Growing up. Being boring."
Hayden deadpanned. "It's my brand."
---
3:15 PM — Ten Minutes That Change Everything
They gathered around Jessica's desk like a surgical team.
Donna put the call on speaker.
Judge Keller's voice came on dry and impatient.
"Ms. Pearson," the judge said, "I gave you expedited discovery, not a reality show. Explain why I'm on the phone."
Jessica didn't flinch. "Your Honor, opposing counsel's witness—Lena Park—contacted my associate directly, unsolicited. The message states she was told what to say and indicates she is being watched. Counsel did not respond. We are requesting immediate court guidance and protective measures."
A beat.
Then the judge's tone sharpened in that way that meant he smelled misconduct.
"You have the message?" he asked.
Maya spoke quickly. "Yes, Your Honor. We can file it under seal within the hour."
"And you didn't respond," the judge said, more like a test than a question.
Hayden answered calmly. "No response, Your Honor. I forwarded it internally to firm leadership immediately."
Another beat.
"Good," Judge Keller said. "Because if you had responded, I'd be enjoying this call in a very different way."
Donna's smile brightened like she'd just been complimented by God.
Judge Keller continued, voice hard. "Mr. Price's office is on notice: their witness does not contact counsel directly, and counsel does not contact witnesses directly. I will issue an order that all communications with Ms. Park occur through counsel and—if she requests—independent counsel."
Jessica's eyes stayed steady. "Thank you, Your Honor. We'd also request that the deposition date be advanced, given the risk of coaching."
Silence.
Then the judge sighed the sigh of a man who hated being right about the worst things.
"Fine," Judge Keller said. "Deposition moved to 48 hours from now. Strictly controlled, recorded, and under seal. If she fails to appear, I will assume someone made her fail to appear."
Harvey's mouth twitched with satisfaction.
Jessica didn't react—she just absorbed the order like it was oxygen.
"And Ms. Pearson?" Judge Keller added.
"Yes, Your Honor."
"If anyone from Sunset contacts your associate again directly," the judge said, "I want to know immediately. And if any party is making witnesses 'unavailable,' I will start writing orders that leave bruises."
Donna whispered, barely audible: "He's my favorite."
The judge wasn't done.
"I also want an affidavit from the Sunset witness by tomorrow morning," he said, "confirming where she is, who she's been with, and whether she has been coached. If she lies, the penalties are hers."
Maya's eyes widened. "Understood."
Judge Keller's tone lowered. "And Ms. Pearson—don't play hero. If she needs counsel, she gets her own. You stay clean."
Jessica's answer was crisp. "Understood, Your Honor."
Click.
Call ended.
For a second, the room was silent.
Then Donna let out one breath like she'd been holding it for hours.
"Well," she said softly, "that went… wonderfully violent."
Maya blinked. "We got everything."
Harvey grinned. "We got a judge who's mad."
Jessica's eyes stayed cold. "Good. Mad judges don't tolerate games."
Hayden's voice was quiet. "Now we protect the witness."
Jessica nodded. "Now we protect the witness."
Donna was already dialing again.
"Who are you calling?" Maya asked.
Donna smiled. "A lawyer who owes me a favor and specializes in representing scared people who suddenly realize they're in the middle of something ugly."
Harvey muttered, "Donna has lawyers like other people have phone chargers."
Donna winked. "I'm prepared."
---
Sunset's Next Move: Panic, Disguised as Professionalism
Twenty minutes later, the receptionist called up.
"Ms. Pearson," she said cautiously, "Sunset Network's general counsel is here. And… they brought Gideon Price."
Harvey's grin returned like a switch flipped. "Oh good. They're here to pretend this is fine."
Jessica didn't smile. "Send them in."
They walked into Jessica's office like they owned the building.
They did not.
Gideon Price wore his confidence a little too tight today. Sunset's GC looked tired in a way that screamed I didn't sleep because I'm managing disasters.
Gideon smiled. "Ms. Pearson."
Jessica's voice was flat. "Mr. Price."
Sunset GC leaned forward. "We heard you contacted the judge."
Jessica's eyes narrowed. "You mean the judge contacted us by agreeing to a conference call."
Gideon's smile tightened. "We would have preferred to handle this privately."
Harvey's voice cut in, amused. "Of course you would."
Gideon glanced at Harvey like he was a fly in his drink. "This is about maintaining witness integrity."
Hayden spoke calmly. "Then you should be thrilled the judge moved the deposition up and ordered independent counsel options."
Sunset GC's jaw flexed.
That was the tell.
They weren't thrilled.
They were terrified.
Gideon pivoted, eyes sliding to Hayden.
"And I understand your associate received direct communication from our witness," Gideon said smoothly. "We'd like that message."
Jessica's stare could've frozen water. "You'll get it the same way everyone gets things in court. Under seal. Through the judge. Not through intimidation in my office."
Gideon's smile thinned. "No one is intimidating anyone."
Harvey snorted. "You filed a Bar complaint, tried to trade it for withdrawal, and now your witness is texting us that she's being watched. You're not intimidating—you're just clumsy."
Sunset GC snapped, "This is outrageous."
Jessica didn't blink. "What's outrageous is how fast you've forgotten what's on the record."
Gideon's voice remained smooth. "We intend to proceed with deposition at the court's direction."
Hayden nodded once. "Good. Then you'll have no issue with the witness affidavit the judge ordered by tomorrow morning."
Sunset GC's eyes flicked—tiny, quick—toward Gideon.
That wasn't confidence.
That was help me.
Gideon recovered. "We'll comply."
Jessica leaned back. "Then we're done."
Gideon forced a smile. "Ms. Pearson, I'd advise your associate to be careful. Direct contact with witnesses can be… misunderstood."
Hayden's eyes went colder. "There was no direct contact from me."
Gideon smiled. "Perception matters."
Hayden replied evenly. "Proof matters more."
Jessica stood. "Get out of my office."
Gideon blinked. "Excuse me?"
Jessica's tone didn't change. "You asked for resolution. You chose tactics. Now you comply with the court or you suffer the consequences. Either way—leave."
They left.
And the second the door shut, Harvey let out a low laugh.
"They're rattled."
Jessica didn't celebrate. "Good."
Maya looked at Hayden. "If they're rattled, they'll get desperate."
Hayden nodded. "Which means we don't relax."
Donna stepped back in, phone to her ear, covering the mic. "I found independent counsel for Lena Park. She can meet her tonight."
Jessica's eyes sharpened. "Good. Coordinate through the judge's order."
Donna nodded. "Already."
Harvey murmured, "This is why I love Donna. She's like a nuclear missile with a smile."
Donna smiled brightly. "Thank you."
Jessica: "Donna."
Donna: "Right. No compliments. Only work."
---
Back at the Bullpen: The Other Storm
When Hayden returned to his desk, he felt the shift again.
Not the Sunset shift.
A different one.
Internal.
Quiet.
He looked up and saw Louis Litt walking down the hallway with a folder tucked under his arm and a look on his face that said he'd discovered a secret and decided it belonged to him.
Donna intercepted him before he could reach the bullpen.
"Louis," she said cheerfully.
Louis stopped. "Donna."
Donna smiled. "Whatever you're about to do, don't."
Louis's smile was too thin. "This doesn't concern you."
Donna's smile didn't move. "Everything concerns me."
Louis's eyes flicked past her—straight to Hayden.
Then back.
He leaned in slightly, voice low. "I want Mike Ross's employment verification file."
Donna's smile sharpened. "No."
Louis's eyes narrowed. "Donna."
Donna's tone stayed bright. "Louis."
Louis stepped closer. "There are irregularities."
Donna's eyes went cool. "There are irregularities in your personality too, but we don't audit that."
Louis clenched his jaw. "This is serious."
Donna's smile didn't fade. "So is theft of personnel records."
Louis stared at her like he was deciding how far to push.
Then he turned slightly—enough for Hayden to hear.
"Harper," Louis said. "You like documents, right?"
Hayden didn't look up. "I like evidence."
Louis's smile tightened. "Then you'll appreciate what I'm finding."
Hayden finally met his eyes, calm. "If you have something, bring it to Jessica."
Louis's eyes flashed. "Jessica is compromised."
Hayden's voice stayed even. "Jessica isn't compromised. Jessica is strategic."
Louis leaned in, voice dropping. "Mike Ross is a lie."
The sentence hit the air like a thrown knife.
Donna's smile vanished—fully, for the first time in days.
Hayden didn't react outwardly.
But something inside him went very still.
Because he'd smelled it. The missing-shape. The pattern. The way Mike moved like a genius with no paper trail.
Louis watched Hayden's face like he was hunting a flinch.
Hayden didn't give him one.
He simply said, calmly, "If you're right, you don't gossip. You document."
Louis's eyes narrowed. "I am documenting."
Donna's voice was razor-sharp. "Louis. Leave. Now."
Louis held her gaze for a long beat.
Then he smiled—small, satisfied—and walked away.
Donna stayed frozen for a second after he left.
Maya, nearby, whispered, "Oh God."
Hayden looked at Donna. "Don't tell me he's right."
Donna's face was unreadable. "I'm not telling you anything."
Hayden's voice stayed calm, but quieter. "Donna."
Donna exhaled once. "You promised me you wouldn't touch that."
Hayden nodded. "I'm not touching it."
Donna's eyes narrowed. "But you heard him."
Hayden's gaze stayed steady. "I heard a claim."
Donna looked relieved and terrified at the same time. "Good. Keep it that way."
Hayden returned to his desk, but his focus split cleanly in two:
Sunset witness protection and authenticity collapse
Louis sniffing around Mike like a bloodhound with a badge
One storm outside the firm.
One storm inside it.
And storms didn't care what you were ready for.
---
Hayden's phone buzzed again.
Not Lena.
Donna.
DONNA: Independent counsel met Lena. She's willing to testify… but she's scared. Also: Sunset's PR team is floating a new story tonight. 'Witness recants.'
Hayden stared at the message, jaw tight for half a second—then smooth again.
Because of course they were.
They couldn't stop the truth in court, so they tried to poison it in public.
He stood, walked toward Jessica's office, and felt the old thrill of chaos try to rise—because the game was escalating in multiple directions now.
He crushed it down.
Controlled chaos wasn't about enjoying the fire.
It was about knowing exactly where to stand so you didn't burn.
And if Sunset tried to roll out a "witness recants" story tonight…