"Ready, baby?" Sarah asked.
"Ready, Mama. Let's go change the world."
---
The courtroom fell dead silent as everyone returned from recess. The tension was so thick it seemed to press against the walls. Judge Krenshaw took his seat with obvious reluctance, his face pale and drawn. Preston Blackwell sat rigidly beside his lawyers, sweat bleeding on his forehead despite the cool air conditioning.
Malik stood at the defendant's table, his small frame poised. "Your Honor," he began, his young voice carrying clearly across the room. "Before we continue with the property damage claims, I must formally request your recusal from this case due to undisclosed financial conflicts of interest."
The words hit like a bomb. The gallery gasped. Reporters leaned forward, typing furiously.
Preston Blackwell's lead attorney shot to his feet. "Objection! This is outrageous, unsubstantiated slander!"
"Mr. Sterling," Judge Krenshaw interrupted, his voice hollow and strained. "The representative is addressing the court. Please be seated."
Malik continued with devastating precision. "Your Honor, public records show that you own five hundred shares of Blackwell Properties Incorporated, purchased through your private retirement account in 2019. You also maintain a membership at Pinehurst Country Club, where your annual dues of $12,000 are paid directly by the Montgomery County Landlords Association—an organization chaired by the plaintiff, Mr. Preston Blackwell."
The courtroom erupted in shocked whispers. Blackwell's entire legal team looked completely stunned.
"Furthermore," Malik pressed on, his voice growing stronger, "judicial ethics require the immediate disclosure of any financial interest that could influence, or appear to influence, your decisions. Your failure to recuse yourself from housing cases involving Mr. Blackwell's properties constitutes a direct violation of Canon 3 of the Judicial Code of Conduct."