How Things Changed Forever.. PART - II

CH 69: When You Know The Right People...

Jason had been expecting nothing less from Kai when he stood in front of his apartment door.

A glance at the watch showed him that it was nearly one in the morning and Kai wouldn't open the damn door.

"I should have left with my luggage, I know!" he called out sarcastically, staring at the small shadow behind the door. Kai was standing right on the other side, yet he hadn't even acknowledged his presence.

But Jason was also as stubborn as they came. He had no plans to apologize for what he did, even if it meant spending the whole night in the hallway. "Kai, open the door, dammit. We need to talk." He finally snapped.

"I don't want to hear you out." Kai shot back just as coldly.

Jason winced. He had no interest in angering the teen any more than he already had, but he couldn't think of any other options when the said teen was being so stubborn.

He leaned his forehead against the door, voice lowering from sharp insistence to something quieter. "Even if I say it's done?"

There was silence on the other side. A long one. Jason almost thought Kai had walked away when he heard the faint metallic rattle of a chain sliding free.

The door cracked open, just an inch. Kai's sharp eyes bore into his tired eyes, the glare more murderous than usual. "...What do you mean, done?"

Jason exhaled, the tension in his shoulders easing the slightest fraction. "Let me in. Please."

Another beat of hesitation, with Kai parsing through a thousand ideas before the door opened wider.

Jason stepped inside, careful, as though entering enemy territory. Kai didn't move from the doorway, arms folded across his chest, watching him like a hawk.

"Well?" Kai prompted coldly.

Jason let out a tired breath, his voice steady. "It's finished, Kai. Laura's case won't drag on. The officers have the videos in their hands. They've seen them—too clear, too damning. She'll be tried as an adult, and no one can bury it. There won't be victims dragged into court, no witness stand, no circus in the headlines. It's completely contained."

Kai's eyes narrowed, suspicion flashing. "Contained... how contained?"

Jason met his gaze firmly. "Her record, her name, the charges—that will all be in the system. But no one else's name comes up. The footage alone is enough. The prosecution doesn't need anyone to testify. Absolutely no public mess."

Kai's arms loosened just slightly, but his frown deepened. "How?"

Jason rubbed his face with both hands, as if the words themselves were heavy. "I thought I'd have to fight to keep it closed, but the truth is..." He gave a humorless laugh. "I didn't even have to bring it up. Once they watched those files, once they saw what she did—Kai, they were horrified. These were men who've been on the force for twenty years, seen everything, and I swear not one of them said a word for a full minute after it ended. Some of them walked out of the room. The others—" Jason's voice faltered briefly, exhaustion pulling it thinner. "The others looked at me like they'd never seen something that cruel before."

Kai looked away, jaw tight.

Jason continued, his tone almost flat now. "After that? Nobody argued. Nobody needed convincing that dragging anyone else into court would be... wrong. The evidence speaks for itself. The defense attorney has nothing. He sat there in silence, and didn't even try to object. The officers agreed on the spot—everything stays closed, only the charges move forward."