a middle-aged man with a refined appearance and gold-rimmed glasses suddenly stiffened.
The polite, scholarly calm he had worn like a mask froze in an instant.
That man was Michael Bennett.
He had come today expecting to watch an arrogant young defense attorney get crushed in open court.
Instead, he witnessed the public collapse of the accuser, the arrest of the boyfriend, the exposure of extortion, and—worst of all—the spectacle of Zachary Kang and a forensic expert being led away in handcuffs.
And now—
That blood-stained blade had turned toward him.
"You—this is nonsense!"
Bennett finally lost control.
He stood up abruptly from the gallery, pointing straight at Lucas Carter, his voice sharp with rage—and an unmistakable thread of panic beneath it.
"This is slander! Defamation! Your Honor, I formally protest! This man is openly challenging judicial authority. I demand he be cited immediately for contempt of court—"
"Silence."
Judge Harold Sullivan's gavel cut him off mid-sentence.
The sound was crisp. Absolute.
Judge Sullivan's expression had never been so severe.
He looked at Lucas with a complicated gaze.
How deep does this young man's preparation really go?
"Applicant," Sullivan said slowly,
"your allegation is extraordinarily serious. Do you have evidence?"
"Yes, Your Honor."
Lucas didn't spare Bennett so much as a glance.
He merely inclined his head slightly toward the bench—unhurried, composed.
Behind him, Lily felt her chest tighten.
Her heart hammered as she followed Lucas's signal and handed the USB drive to the court officer.
Lucas's voice rang out again—calm, precise, carrying a chilling edge.
"Before presenting direct evidence regarding Judge Bennett's misconduct in the original trial," he said,
"I would like to first establish something else."
"Specifically—his subjective malice toward this type of case."
Subjective malice?
The courtroom stirred.
The screen lit up once more.
This time, it displayed a screenshot of a personal social media account.
Username: Michael_Bennett_JD
Profile photo: A formal judicial portrait.
Feed: Reposted legal articles, civic commentary, carefully crafted statements about fairness and justice.
Bennett exhaled sharply and sneered.
"My personal account? That proves nothing."
"Don't worry, Judge Bennett," Lucas replied coolly.
The screen switched.
A second account appeared.
Username: JusticeBreaksTheSword
Profile picture: An illustrated cartoon figure with a raised fist.
"Your Honor," Lucas continued evenly,
"this account was registered to a secondary phone number verified through carrier records, device fingerprints, and platform authentication."
"It has been used long-term by Judge Michael Bennett."
The next image appeared—
A backend real-name authentication record.
Name: Michael Bennett
Government ID: Verified
Bennett's pupils shrank violently.
How… did he get this?
Before he could recover, comment after comment from that account filled the screen.
"Another case today. Watching that man's miserable face made me sick. He got what he deserved."
"Ladies, don't be afraid. If something happens between a man and a woman, the man is guilty. Make noise first."
"Any lawyer who defends men in these cases is disgusting. What century are they living in?"
"If a judge doesn't rule in favor of women, what's the point of the bench? Authority is our weapon."
"Rape is binary—zero times or countless times. If she says no, it's rape. Prior relationship doesn't matter."
One post after another.
Blatant prejudice.
Open hostility.
Unfiltered contempt.
If these words had come from an anonymous troll, they might have been dismissed as online extremism.
But these words came from a judge—someone entrusted with deciding guilt, freedom, and fate.
The courtroom exploded.
The livestream went berserk.
"WHAT DID I JUST SEE?"
"That's not bias—that's outright hatred."
"This man judged Ethan Walker's case?! This wasn't a trial—it was prewritten."
"Investigate everything he's ever ruled on!"
Bennett's face drained of all color.
Sweat soaked through the back of his suit.
It was over.
Even if criminal liability couldn't yet be established, his judicial career was already dead.
Still, desperation forced him to cling to procedure.
"These are personal online opinions!" he shouted hoarsely.
"Freedom of speech! You cannot use internet comments as evidence of judicial misconduct! This is irrelevant!"
From a purely technical standpoint—
He wasn't entirely wrong.
And to everyone's surprise—
Lucas nodded.
"That's correct."
Bennett froze.
"These statements alone," Lucas continued calmly,
"cannot directly prove a wrongful judgment."
Relief flashed through Bennett's eyes—
Only for Lucas's tone to turn razor-sharp.
"They are merely appetizers."
"They establish motive."
"They prove that from the very beginning, you had no intention of granting Ethan Walker a fair trial."
"Bias," Lucas said coldly,
"is not proven by words alone—but by patterns."
He turned toward the bench, voice clear and forceful.
"Your Honor."
"Judge Bennett claims his rulings are impartial and beyond reproach."
"Then the only legitimate standard is his past judgments."
Lucas raised the final document.
"I formally request that this court—"
"Immediately retrieve and review all cases involving romantic relationships, sexual assault allegations, and domestic disputes presided over by Judge Michael Bennett during the past three years."
"To verify—"
He paused deliberately.
"—his innocence."
The words were slow.
Measured.
Crushing.
This wasn't a request.
It was an indictment.
Bennett stood frozen, mind blank.
A full review?
No.
Absolutely not.
On the bench, Judge Sullivan exchanged rapid glances with the other members of the panel.
Shock.
Grim resolve.
This had gone far beyond a single overturned conviction.
This was a direct threat to the credibility of the entire judicial system.
And if the rot wasn't cut out—
There would be nothing left to defend.
Bang!
The gavel came down.
Judge Sullivan's voice carried unquestionable authority.
"The court grants the applicant's request."
"This hearing is adjourned."
"Court officers—dispatch personnel to the archives immediately. Retrieve and seal all relevant case files presided over by Judge Michael Bennett within the past three years."
"And notify the Judicial Conduct Commission to place Judge Bennett under supervisory control, effective immediately."
The gavel fell again.
Bennett's legs gave out.
He collapsed back into his chair, utterly spent.
The polished image of a respected judge was gone—
Leaving behind only a pale, trembling man staring at the ruin of his own making.