Ashley’s breathing hitched slightly as she asked, “What’s your plan?”Michael’s lips curled into a cold, crooked smile. “It’s simple,” he said. “He prepared a fake… so I’ll prepare another one.”Ashley frowned. “Another fake?”“A fake of a fake,” Michael replied calmly. “The one he made is meant to expose the truth. Mine has only one purpose.blur the line between what’s real and what isn’t.”He stepped closer, voice lowering.“I’ll use a perfect replica to replace the one he planted ahead of time. When he proudly plays his ‘reveal’ video and the experts come up to authenticate the painting… they’ll find that the evidence.” he paused, the smile deepening, "...is genuine.”Ashley’s eyes widened.His carefully staged trial would collapse into a farce. He would accuse Ivan of forgery, only for the physical evidence to prove otherwise. In an instant, he’d go from a righteous judge to a sensationalist slanderer in front of everyone.The plan was bold. Reckless. Borderline illegal.Ashley’s

The audio in the video was crystal clear.Young Michael's voice filled the mobile command vehicle as he passionately delivered his argument from the debate stage."We believe that under any circumstances, the dignity of the law must be protected."His voice was steady and confident."Because due process is justice made visible. It is the final barrier between the powerless and the powerful."The audience in the lecture hall listened attentively.Michael continued. "If we destroy due process in pursuit of so-called 'justice in the outcome,' then how are we any different from the very abuses we claim to oppose?"He paused.His eyes swept across the crowd before settling firmly ahead.Then he delivered his conclusion."Therefore, we firmly believe—""Due process must come before everything else."The video ended abruptly.Silence filled the command vehicle.Ashley and Lorenzo slowly turned toward Michael.Both wore complicated expressions.The glow from the monitor illuminated half of hi

Michael's words struck Ashley like a bolt of lightning.Her entire body trembled violently, and her mind went completely blank.Her sister. Aliyah.The little sister who had always trailed behind her since they were children, timid and quick to tears. The quiet scholar she had always protected, someone she believed was too innocent and sheltered for the harshness of the world.A fear buried deep in her instincts seized her heart in an instant. Cold spread through every inch of her body, leaving her limbs stiff and numb. Almost on reflex, she reached into her pocket for her phone. She needed to hear Aliyah's voice. Right now.But her hands were shaking so badly that she couldn't even hold the phone. Again and again, her trembling fingers slipped against its cold metal frame."Calm down."A hand reached over and gently covered the back of hers.It wasn't a large hand, but it was unbelievably steady. The simple touch stopped her frantic, futile movements.It was Michael.Only moments ago

The livestream began. In an instant, millions of eyes were fixed on Aliyah's sunlit office.The screen split neatly into two halves.On the left was Aliyah, composed and elegant, every bit the gentle psychology professor. On the right was Andrei, impeccably dressed, wearing the calm, confident smile of a man who belonged among society's elite.The viewer count skyrocketed.Thirty million.Then it climbed even higher at an astonishing speed.The live chat exploded, comments pouring across the screen like a river bursting through a broken dam."The Final Trial is starting!" "No way! Who is this Andrei? He looks incredible!" "He's judging Michael? Seriously? Michael's my idol!" "Stop being blinded by fandom! Read the title, this is a psychological trial. They're using professional analysis!"Andrei ignored the flood of comments completely.His attention never left Aliyah. There was just enough regret in his eyes to make him seem sincere, and just enough determination to convince the a

“Everyone wears a mask, Andrei.”Michael’s voice was calm, yet every word carried crushing weight.“Yours is called idealism. Due process. A spotless sense of morality that stands in broad daylight, judging everyone else.”His voice echoed through the livestream, spreading across the internet and reaching millions of viewers. Every sentence dug deeper into Andrei’s already fractured state of mind.“But what’s hiding underneath that mask? It was you. When that fire broke out, you locked the doors to all sixteen wards so you could escape alone. You chose yourself over everyone else. You ran for the exit without looking back while those psychiatric patients pounded on the locked doors, screaming and begging for help.”Michael's gaze never wavered. “You're not condemning me because I betrayed my ideals.”A cold, almost cruel smile touched the corner of his mouth.“You're condemning me because you're jealous. You're jealous that I had the courage to face the darkness... that I was willing