Page 241 of Ruthless Court
Kane leans toward me.
“You nervous?”
“About dismantling your argument?”
“About doing it while I watch.”
I look up at him.
“That implies your attention has value.”
“You came to my game.”
“For research.”
“You winked.”
“A neurological event.”
“You kissed me twice.”
My pencil snaps.
The sound cuts through the room.
Kane’s grin deepens.
Professor Aldridge removes his glasses.
“Are we ready?”
“Yes,” I say.
Kane picks up the broken pencil and places it beside my notes.
“Very.”
Our question is projected across the board.
CAN PUBLIC INFLUENCE EXIST WITHOUT BECOMING COERCIVE?
I argue first.
“Influence is rarely neutral when one party controls access, status, or opportunity. A powerful person may never issue a direct threat. The imbalance exists before the conversation begins.”
I move away from the lectern, forcing myself to address the class rather than Kane.
“If refusing someone carries social, financial, or professional consequences, consent becomes difficult to measure.”
Kane sits on the edge of the professor’s desk, arms folded.
Watching me.
I ignore him.
“Institutions protect themselves by pretending choice exists simply because no one states the punishment aloud.”
Professor Aldridge nods toward Kane.
