"I did feel bad for him."
Gregory nodded.
"Thank you."
He returned to his table.
Melissa stood again.
"One question, Ms. Green. Did Mr. Dawson's concern about your job change what you saw?"
"No."
"Did it change what Mr. Raines did?"
"No."
"Thank you."
Tasha stepped down.
As she passed Curtis, she whispered, "I hope this helps."
"It does," he replied.
Daniel Whitaker was next.
He was a middle-aged customer who had been sitting at a nearby table during the incident.
He confirmed that he had recorded the confrontation on his phone.
Melissa asked him to describe why.
"I heard raised voices. I looked over. The man in the dark jacket was standing over the truck driver. It looked like things might get worse."
"Why did you begin recording?"
"Because I thought I might need to show someone what happened."
"Did you alter the recording?"
"No."
"Did you edit it?"
"No."
"Did you send it to anyone before providing it to law enforcement?"
"I sent a copy to myself and then gave the original file to the investigator."
Melissa showed him the recording.
Daniel confirmed that it was the same video.
The court watched.
The courtroom lights dimmed slightly as the video appeared on the monitor.
Curtis saw himself seated at the table.
He saw Victor approaching.
He heard the words again.
He saw the moment Victor reached for his collar.
The plate fell.
The slap followed.
Then the silence.
The recording continued for several seconds.
Curtis could see himself looking at Victor.
His face was not angry.
It was still.
Then he heard his own voice.
"That's enough."
He remembered saying it.
He remembered the decision behind those two words.
He had wanted the situation to end.
Not to escalate.
Not to become a contest.
To end.
The video stopped.
The courtroom lights returned.
Melissa asked Daniel whether the recording had been altered.
"No."
"Does it accurately reflect what you observed?"
"Yes."
Gregory's cross-examination focused on the angle and the possibility that parts of the interaction were outside the camera's view.
Daniel acknowledged that he had not recorded every second before Victor approached the table.
But he confirmed that the physical contact was visible.
Gregory asked whether Daniel knew Curtis personally.
"No."
"Had he spoken to you before the incident?"
"No."
"Did you have any reason to favor him?"
"No."
"Then why record the event?"
"Because somebody was being hit in public."
The answer was simple.
It left little room for further argument.
Dylan Mercer was called.
Victor's posture changed immediately.
He leaned toward Gregory and whispered something.
Gregory listened but did not respond.
Dylan took the oath.
He looked nervous.
His hands were clasped so tightly that his knuckles had turned pale.
Melissa approached.
"How long have you known Victor Raines?"
"About six years."
"Did you train at Raines Combat Academy?"
"Yes."
"Did you accompany him to the travel plaza?"
"Yes."
"How many people were with him?"
"Eight of us."
"Did you witness the interaction with Curtis Dawson?"
"Yes."
"Tell the court what you saw."
Dylan swallowed.
"Mr. Raines walked over to Mr. Dawson's table. He told him he was sitting in the wrong place. Mr. Dawson asked him to give him room."
"What happened after that?"
"Mr. Raines grabbed his shirt."
"Did Mr. Dawson stand up?"
"No."
"Did he strike Mr. Raines?"
"No."
"What happened next?"
"Mr. Raines slapped him."
Dylan's voice became quieter.
"Hard."
Melissa waited.
"Did Mr. Dawson threaten Mr. Raines?"
"No."
"Did he make any movement that you understood as an attempt to attack him?"
"No."
"Did you intervene?"
Dylan looked down.
"No."
"Why not?"
He took a breath.
"I froze."
The answer seemed to surprise even him.
Melissa nodded.
"Thank you."
Gregory stood.
"Dylan, you trained under Mr. Raines for several years?"
"Yes."
"He taught you techniques, discipline, and confidence?"
"Yes."
"Did you respect him?"
Dylan hesitated.
"I did."
Gregory lifted his eyebrows.
"Did?"
Dylan looked at the judge.
"I still respect what he taught me. But I don't agree with what he did."
Gregory paused.
"Isn't it true that you have recently become unhappy with the academy?"
"No."
"You have disagreements with Mr. Raines?"
"Not before the incident."
"Did you provide a statement to investigators voluntarily?"
"They asked me questions."
"And you chose to cooperate?"
"Yes."
"Because you wanted Mr. Raines to get into trouble?"
"No."
"Then why?"
Dylan's answer came slowly.
"Because he hit a man who wasn't threatening him."
Gregory stepped closer.
"You understand that your statement could damage the academy?"
Dylan looked at him.
"I understand."
"Could affect Mr. Raines's reputation?"
"Yes."
"Could affect your own future there?"
Dylan paused.
"Yes."
"Yet you still chose to say these things?"
"Because they're true."
Gregory returned to his table.
Dylan stepped down.
As he walked past Victor, he kept his eyes forward.
Curtis watched him return to his seat.
The young man looked exhausted.
But he had told the truth.
Aaron Pike testified next.
He had been one of the eight men who accompanied Victor.
His statement was similar to Dylan's.
He confirmed that Victor had approached Curtis, grabbed him, and slapped him.
He also confirmed that Curtis had not attacked anyone.
Gregory asked whether Aaron had spoken to Dylan before the hearing.
Aaron said they had discussed the incident.
"Did you coordinate your stories?"
"No."