Courtroom Drama

Thea sat perched on the edge of the leather chair in Seth's office, her palm upturned in Seth’s hands. The scent of antiseptic floated between them. 

On his desk, next to a stack of reports and a silver pen set, lay an opened first-aid kit. Seth was bent slightly forward, sleeves rolled to his elbows, dark hair falling across his brow as he worked. 

The cut Runes’ nails had left was not deep, but it had bled enough to leave faint trails down her wrist.

“It’s fine,” she murmured for the third time. “Really. You don’t have to…”

Seth shot her a look that froze the words on her tongue. It wasn’t anger; it was something harder. How often does this happen for her to think a cut this serious was nothing? 

“Don’t say it’s nothing,” he said, voice low but edged. “It’s my job to make sure nobody lays a hand on you.”

She tried to pull her hand back. He held it firmly but carefully, dabbing at the wound with a sterile wipe. The sting made her hiss, but she bit it back. His touch was steady, almost clinical, but she could feel the tension in his fingers.

“You’re bleeding,” he added, as if it proved his point. “That’s not nothing.”

“It’s a scratch,” she insisted softly. “I’ve had worse.”

“I know.” His eyes flicked up to hers for a heartbeat, something unspoken there. Then he reached for a small tube of ointment and began smoothing it over the cut with a feather-light touch. “But you won’t have to keep having worse. Not while you’re with me.”

The words settled between them like a promise and a warning. Thea looked away, focusing on the skyline beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows. From this height, the city looked like a model under glass, tiny cars threading the veins of streets, sunlight glinting off steel.

A knock at the door broke the moment. Dante slipped inside, his iPad tucked under one arm. He rarely interrupted unannounced; that alone told Seth it mattered.

“Sir,” Dante said, his voice clipped but faintly urgent. “You’re on the news.”

Seth’s brows knit. “What?”

Dante crossed the room to the sleek television mounted on the opposite wall. With a flick of the remote, the screen came alive. 

The corporate news channel’s logo spun, then cut to a podium framed by a bank of microphones. 

Runes Sterling stood behind it, cheeks visibly swollen, a thin cut at his lip. Cameras clicked like gunfire. To the people who loved him, he looked as impeccable as always but the bruises gave him a strangely pitiful air.

Thea’s stomach tightened. “Oh God…”

Onscreen, Runes leaned toward the microphones. His voice was shaky like aman who had been treated unjustly. 

“....without provocation. This morning I went to Blackwood Empire to discuss a business matter. Without provocation, Mr. Seth Blackwood physically assaulted me in his own lobby.” 

He paused for effect, lowering his eyes.

“I had no chance to defend myself. This was not a disagreement, this was an unprovoked attack by a man who had been rumoured to be ruthless. I suppose the ŕumours are in fact true. ”

Murmurs from the press rose, then faded as a man in a grey suit, Rune's lawyer, stepped forward. 

“My client has suffered not only physical injuries,” the lawyer said, “but emotional distress and reputational harm. We will be pursuing all legal remedies available. Blackwood Empire will be held accountable for this unconscionable act.”

The camera zoomed in on Runes’ face, highlighting the split lip. He looked like a fallen prince, wounded but defiant. 

Thea’s pulse raced. This was exactly the kind of spectacle he excelled at. No wonder he and Posy get along so well. This was infact their hidden talent, playing the victim. 

“What do I do sir?” Dante asked, despite having a million and one solutions to the scandal already. 

Seth stood with his arms crossed, expression unreadable. Only the small muscle in his jaw betrayed motion. Silence enveloped the room and everyone seemed to wait for his response. 

“They’re going to sue you,” Thea whispered. “They’re making you look like…like..”

“Like I lost control?” Seth’s voice was calm. “Let them try.”

“People believe what they see,” she said. “He’s… he’s playing the victim.”

He turned his gaze to her then, steady and cool. “I know.”

Onscreen, a reporter asked a question about the merger with Balmero. Runes dodged, speaking instead about “a pattern of intimidation” at Blackwood Empire. 

The lawyer announced they’d be filing a suit for damages and called for “justice for all those who fear Mr. Blackwood’s unchecked aggression.”

Thea gritted her teeth, that damned bastard! This was his way of getting back at Seth for cancelling their partnership. She really underestimated how devious that man was. 

Dante muted the TV just as his tablet beeped with a notification. He glanced at the screen, frowned and then gasped in horror, drawing the attention of both Seth and Thea to him. 

“What is it?” Seth asked casually.

“Sir,” Dante swallowed, “we just received an email from Sterling’s legal team.” He held out the iPad. “Demand letter. They’re threatening a lawsuit for 1.2 billion. Immediate settlement requested.”

Thea’s head snapped up. “A billion?” Her voice rose. “They can’t…”

Seth reached for the iPad, scanned the message. A low chuckle escaped him; dry, humourless. 

“Pathetic,” he said. “His company must be drowning for him to beg for money like this.” 

Thea said nothing, that drown was all thanks to her but she had no idea it would backfire like this. 

“It’s clearly orchestrated,” Dante said. “They had this drafted before the press conference.”

“Of course they did.” Seth set the iPad down, leaning back against the desk, arms still crossed. 

“He's trying to ruin public perception of the company. That tactic is as old as day.” He adds.

Unfortunately for Runes, Seth didn't give a damn about public perception neither has he ever allowed that to rule his decisions either. 

Thea stood, twisting her fingers together. “This is not good. ” she said. “Your reputation, your investors…”

“Sit down.” His tone softened. “You’re shaking.”

“I’m not…” she began, but she sat anyway. He crouched in front of her,  resting his hands lightly on her knees.

“I’m not going to prison,” he said quietly. “I’m not losing my company. And I’m not settling.”

Her throat worked. “But…”

He shook his head. “This is an old game. Runes company isn't doing too well on the stock market. He’s desperate. That makes him sloppy. My legal team is already better than anything he can afford. And if he wants a spectacle, he’ll get a courtroom.”

Dante cleared his throat. “How would you like me to respond to the email, sir?”

Seth rose, straightened his cuffs. “Reply that Blackwood Empire will vigorously contest any and all allegations. No settlement. No negotiation. See them in court.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And Dante,” Seth added as the assistant turned toward the door “make sure our surveillance team has the real footage from the lobby security cameras by noon. I need a copy of it.”

“Understood.”

When the door closed, Thea exhaled shakily. “Security footage?”

He gave a small, almost conspiratorial smile. “Every inch of that lobby is under surveillance. The cameras will show him grabbing you first.”

Her eyes widened. “You knew he might try something.”

“I know Runes.” Seth’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “And I’m always ready.”

Thea pressed a hand to her temple. “You’re so calm.”

He moved back behind his desk, closing the first-aid kit with a snap. “Someone has to be. If you let them see you rattled, they’ve already won.”

She watched him for a long moment. Even now, with a lawsuit hanging over him and his name trending on every news feed, he was composed as if he’d planned for this inevitability. She felt both awe and unease.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked softly.

“Tell you what?”

“That you were expecting him. That you knew he might try to use me.”

He paused. “Because I didn’t want you looking over your shoulder. You’ve been through enough.”

She folded her arms. “You’re playing a dangerous game.”

He met her gaze. “I always have.”

A chime from Seth’s phone broke the silence. He glanced at the screen, typed a quick reply, and set it down. Then he came around the desk again, standing over her.

“Go home,” he said gently. “Let me handle this.”

Her first instinct was to argue, to insist on staying, but something in his tone stopped her. She rose slowly. “You’re sure?”

“I’m sure.” He brushed a thumb just below the bandage on her hand. “I’ve got this.”

She looked up at him. For all his power and planning, there was a flicker of something else there, something she wasn’t ready to name. She nodded once.

“All right,” she said. “But… be careful.”

He almost smiled. “Always.”

As she left the office, the muted television still showed Runes at the podium, lips moving in slow motion without sound. 

Thea clenched her fist, how date Runes tried a stunt like that against Seth?! She will so make him pay for this. 

She pulled out her phone and dialed a number. 

“It's me. Crash the market. I want not a million dollars left in his name by the end of the month.”