Less than ten minutes after the hearing ended, the internet exploded.
The hashtag
#LucasCarterSendsJudgeOutInCourt
shot straight to the top of every platform, crushing celebrity scandals, political debates, and sports news alike.
It wasn't trending.
It was detonating.
Clicking into the topic revealed countless clipped videos from the trial—edited, subtitled, looped endlessly.
"I asked you to help me win my case—so why did you send the plaintiff to jail?"
"I asked you to prove my innocence—so why did the opposing lawyer get arrested?"
"Attorney Carter… you even sent a judge out?!"
Outside the courthouse, Ethan's stunned interview had become a meme overnight. His three bewildered questions were remixed with dramatic music, comedy edits, even orchestral scores. Reposts surged past one hundred million views in under an hour.
Right behind it was another clip.
Lucas, standing before a wall of microphones, calm and composed.
"Justice may be delayed," he said,
"but it is never denied."
The comments flooded in like a tidal wave.
— He's officially the most handsome man of the year. No debate.
— One man. One mouth. Took down an entire criminal chain. This is better than any superhero movie.
— I didn't believe in justice before today. I do now.
— That line alone? Worth crying over. I don't care if he's idealistic. I'm sold.
— Someone organize a banner for Donovan & Pierce! Huge letters: 'LAW WITH TEETH, JUSTICE WITH BLOOD.'
Compared to the online frenzy, Donovan & Pierce LLP was experiencing a different kind of storm.
The phone never stopped ringing.
"Donovan & Pierce, how may I help you—yes, this is Attorney Carter's firm—no, I'm sorry, his schedule is currently full—yes, completely full…"
Lily held the receiver in one hand while scribbling frantically on sticky notes with the other. A fine sheen of sweat glimmered on her forehead.
She hung up, exhaled sharply, and grabbed her water bottle, taking several deep gulps before finally turning around.
"Lucas!" she exclaimed. "My phone is about to explode! People are flying in from out of state, offering double—no, triple the usual fees just to get you to look at their cases!"
Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
"That's serious money. Are we really turning all of it down?"
Lucas leaned back in the chair, fingers tapping lightly against the armrest.
"I'm not answering them."
Lily froze. "Why? We're not exactly swimming in cash."
"Flies don't land on eggs without cracks," Lucas said calmly, lifting his mug. "Most of them want someone ruthless enough to clean up their mess. That kind of money is dirty."
The excitement drained from Lily's face.
She looked at him—really looked at him.
The man hadn't changed at all.
"So… I just reject everyone?"
Lucas took a sip. "Tell them to submit case summaries and materials to the firm's email. I'll screen them personally."
Lily's eyes lit up.
She understood instantly.
He wasn't refusing cases.
He was choosing justice.
"Yes, boss," she said firmly. "I'll handle it."
At the same time.
New York City. Midtown Manhattan.
Top floor of the Blackstone & Hale Law Group headquarters.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the skyline—glass, steel, traffic flowing like veins through the city's heart.
Inside the conference room, the atmosphere was heavy.
A dozen senior partners sat around the table, each a giant in the legal world. On the massive screen before them, footage from Ethan Walker's trial played silently.
When the ledger appeared.
When the judge collapsed.
No one spoke.
Finally—
A sharp slap against the table.
"Beautiful."
The voice belonged to Harold Blackstone, founder of Blackstone & Hale. His hair had gone silver, but his eyes were sharp, predatory.
"A flawless dismantling," he said with open admiration. "Evidence sequencing, pressure control, psychological warfare—this wasn't a defense. This was execution."
He stood.
"I want Lucas Carter."
Murmurs rippled across the room.
"I object."
A man with gold-rimmed glasses spoke calmly. Richard Coleman, head of compliance and risk control.
"He's brilliant," Coleman admitted. "But he's dangerous. He doesn't just win—he scorches the battlefield."
"This time, he didn't just defeat an opponent. He destroyed the plaintiff, opposing counsel, a forensic expert, and a sitting judge."
Coleman's tone sharpened.
"He's offended half the industry. If we bring him in, what happens when he turns that blade on one of our long-term clients?"
He paused, then added pointedly:
"Take the Stanton Group divorce. We represent the husband. The wife already consulted Carter's firm. If he takes her case under our roof, we lose a ten-year client overnight."
Several partners nodded.
Risk mattered.
Then a clear, cool female voice cut in.
"That's a coward's way of thinking."
Victoria Lane, head of litigation, leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, lips curved faintly.
"Traffic is power. Carter is a living brand now. He's worth a year of marketing in one verdict."
She glanced at Coleman.
"And since when did Blackstone & Hale rise to the top by playing safe?"
The debate ignited.
Voices overlapped.
The tension spiked.
"Enough."
Blackstone raised a hand. Silence fell instantly.
"You're all right," he said slowly. "And you're all missing the point."
"Risk can be managed. Profit can be calculated."
He turned from the window.
"But genius?"
"That only comes by chance."
His gaze swept the room.
"If we don't recruit Lucas Carter, someone else will."
"And when he stands across from us in court—"
Blackstone smiled faintly.
"—you'll wish we had."
He made his decision.
"I'll meet him myself."