Chapter 10 : Dirty Games, Clean Hands
Pearson Hardman West ran on three fuels:
1. caffeine
2. ego
3. bad news delivered with a smile
Hayden walked in at 7:09 AM and got hit with all three at once.
Donna was waiting at his desk with her arms crossed and that expression that said someone did something stupid and now we all have to be adults about it.
"Jessica wants you," Donna said.
Hayden didn't even take his coat off. "That fast?"
Donna nodded. "Sunset escalated."
Hayden's eyes sharpened. "How."
Donna slapped a folder onto his desk like it owed her money.
SUNSET NETWORK STUDIOS — NOTICE OF INTENT TO SEEK INJUNCTIVE RELIEF
+ "CONFIDENTIALITY & NON-DISPARAGEMENT" SETTLEMENT PROPOSAL
Hayden flipped it open.
It was exactly what he expected.
Big legal words. Fake politeness. Threats dressed like "remedies."
Donna leaned in, voice lower. "They also asked, and I quote: 'Is Mr. Harper… personally involved with Ms. Benoist?'"
Hayden's face didn't change.
But the air around him did.
"That's retaliation," he said.
Donna smiled, sharp. "Bingo."
Hayden closed the folder. "Where's Jessica?"
"Office," Donna said. "And—Harvey's in there too."
Hayden blinked once. "Why is Harvey in there."
Donna's smile got brighter in the worst way. "Because Sunset's outside counsel is one of Harvey's old enemies and he cannot resist a good fight."
Hayden exhaled once. "So it's Christmas for psychopaths."
Donna beamed. "Now you're speaking my language."
---
Jessica's office felt like a pressure chamber.
Jessica stood by her desk, calm as ever. Harvey Specter was leaned casually against a chair like laws were suggestions. Maya was there too, legal pad ready, eyes already tired.
Jessica didn't waste time. "Sunset filed notice. They want a TRO."
Harvey smirked. "They want to scare her."
Hayden stepped in. "They want to scare us."
Jessica's eyes flicked to him. "Correct."
Harvey's gaze landed on Hayden—brief scan, faint amusement. "You're Harper."
Hayden nodded once. "You're Specter."
Harvey grinned. "Cute."
Hayden didn't blink. "We're trying to avoid cute."
Maya made a quiet choking sound.
Jessica ignored it. "They're claiming breach based on Amendment Three. They're asking for injunctive relief to force compliance with schedule and publicity obligations."
Hayden's voice stayed even. "Which they can't get if the amendment is unauthenticated."
Harvey tilted his head. "Unless a judge buys the 'signed document = end of story' argument."
Hayden nodded. "Which is why we don't argue story. We argue chain-of-custody."
Jessica slid another page forward.
A separate letter. Different tone. Dirtier.
We are prepared to protect our client's brand and will respond appropriately to any public misinformation.
Hayden's eyes narrowed slightly. "That's a threat."
Harvey shrugged. "It's Hollywood. Threats come with headshots."
Jessica looked at Hayden. "What did Melissa tell you yesterday?"
Hayden didn't hesitate. "They implied leaks. Relationships. 'Behavior.'"
Harvey's smirk faded half a notch. "That's not just dirty. That's stupid."
Jessica's voice sharpened. "Stupid people are dangerous because they don't know when to stop."
Hayden nodded once. "So we stop them first."
Jessica gestured. "Go."
Hayden turned to Maya immediately. "Draft expedited discovery motion limited to authenticity and witness deposition. Today."
Maya nodded. "Already halfway done."
Harvey raised an eyebrow. "You're moving fast."
Hayden met his eyes. "They're trying to win the narrative clock. We're taking the clock away."
Harvey smiled slightly. "Okay. I like that."
Jessica's gaze locked onto Hayden. "And Harper—no more off-site meetings."
Hayden didn't argue. "Understood."
Harvey smirked. "What, you took a client on a date?"
Hayden's expression stayed calm. "Public place. Daytime. Fifteen minutes."
Harvey laughed once. "That's not a date. That's a parole check-in."
Donna, from the doorway, chimed in sweetly: "It was very professional. Also Jessica saw him once talking to Charlie Harper about a divorce negotiation in a coffee shop, and he survived that too."
Harvey blinked. "Charlie Harper?"
Hayden sighed. "Unfortunately related."
Harvey grinned wider. "That explains the chaos."
Jessica cut through the amusement like a knife. "Focus."
Everyone focused.
Jessica leaned forward, voice low. "Sunset is going to do two things next: weaponize the press and weaponize ethics."
Hayden's eyes sharpened. "They're going to claim conflict."
Jessica nodded. "Exactly."
Harvey straightened a little. "On what grounds?"
Jessica's gaze stayed on Hayden. "On whatever grounds they can make sound plausible long enough to slow us down."
Hayden nodded. "Then we preempt it. Full internal documentation. Clear boundaries. No private contact. All comms through the firm."
Donna smiled. "Already setting the paper trail on fire—in a good way."
Jessica's mouth twitched. "Good. Harper, you draft a response letter rejecting the settlement terms and demanding original documents and witness availability."
Hayden nodded. "Done by noon."
Harvey pushed off the chair. "And I'll handle the TRO angle."
Hayden glanced at Harvey. "You're not on this case."
Harvey smirked. "I'm on whatever case I want."
Jessica's eyes sliced to Harvey. "Harvey."
Harvey held up his hands. "Fine. I'll consult."
Jessica nodded. "That's better."
---
At 11:18 AM, Hayden was back at his desk drafting a letter that looked polite but read like a warning.
Donna hovered nearby, multitasking like a deity.
Maya slid into the chair across from him. "Motion's almost done."
Hayden nodded. "Good."
Maya hesitated. "Also… Louis is asking questions."
Hayden didn't look up. "Of course he is."
Maya lowered her voice. "He's telling people you're 'too close' to the client."
Hayden's fingers didn't pause. "Let him talk."
Maya frowned. "That's your plan?"
Hayden's tone stayed calm. "No. My plan is to make sure anything he says looks like what it is: politics."
Maya stared. "How."
Hayden finally looked up. "By being perfect."
Maya blinked. "That's insane."
Hayden's mouth twitched. "Welcome to law."
---
Across the bullpen, Louis Litt appeared—like a storm cloud that had learned to wear Italian leather.
He strolled over holding a file, smiling too pleasantly.
"Harper," Louis said. "Busy?"
Hayden didn't blink. "Yes."
Louis sat anyway, uninvited, because Louis treated boundaries like suggestions.
"I just want to make sure the firm isn't exposed," Louis said sweetly. "Celebrity clients… can be messy."
Hayden nodded once. "Agreed."
Louis smiled wider. "And off-site meetings can raise… questions."
Hayden's gaze stayed steady. "Public place. Daytime. Fifteen minutes. Documented."
Louis's smile faltered. "Documented?"
Hayden nodded. "Donna has the timeline."
Donna, without looking up from her computer, added cheerfully: "I have everything. Including the part where you're being weird about it."
Louis's jaw tightened. Donna smiled brighter.
Louis leaned forward, lowering his voice. "You think you're untouchable because Jessica likes you."
Hayden's expression stayed calm. "I don't think that."
Louis's eyes narrowed. "Then why are you so comfortable?"
Hayden answered honestly. "Because I'm not bored."
Louis stared like that sentence offended him personally.
Then he smiled again—thin, sharp.
"Be careful," Louis said quietly. "The higher you climb, the farther you fall."
Hayden returned the smile—smaller, colder. "And the more it hurts when you push someone."
Louis's eyes flashed.
Then he stood and walked away.
Donna watched him go and muttered, "I love mornings."
---
At 12:06 PM, Hayden's letter was on Jessica's desk. Maya's motion followed five minutes later.
Jessica called them into her office again.
"Good," Jessica said, skimming. "We file this today."
Harvey, still there because ego has legs, read the TRO notice and scoffed. "They won't get it."
Hayden didn't assume. "They might. If the judge is press-sensitive."
Jessica nodded. "Which is why we're asking for expedited authenticity discovery. If the signature's real, they have leverage. If it's fake, they're dead."
Maya added quietly, "And if they're threatening leaks, we can raise retaliation."
Jessica's gaze sharpened. "Only if we can document it."
Hayden nodded. "We can."
Donna stepped in, holding her phone. "Bad news."
Jessica didn't blink. "Donna, you don't bring bad news unless it's real."
Donna's smile vanished—rare.
"It's real," Donna said.
She turned the phone around.
A gossip site headline.
Not TMZ—yet. But close enough to feel the teeth.
"STUDIO STAR AT WAR WITH SUNSET—INSIDERS CLAIM 'DIVA BEHAVIOR' AND 'BREACH'"
Hayden's jaw tightened—just slightly.
Because this wasn't about law anymore.
This was the narrative clock starting to tick.
Jessica's eyes hardened. "They went public."
Harvey's voice went cold. "That was fast."
Maya whispered, "Melissa is going to see this."
Donna nodded. "She already has. Her publicist called. She's… angry."
Jessica looked at Hayden, sharp. "This is where clients make mistakes."
Hayden's voice stayed calm. "Then we keep her controlled."
Jessica nodded once. "Good. Donna—get her on the phone, now. And Harper?"
Hayden met Jessica's gaze.
"If she goes public," Jessica said, "we lose control."
Hayden's eyes didn't flinch. "She won't."
Jessica's tone sharpened. "That's not confidence. That's a promise."
Hayden's voice stayed steady. "Then it's a promise."
Donna was already dialing.
And as the ringtone pulsed through the room like a countdown, Hayden felt the old urge—the thrill of chaos—try to rise.
He shoved it back down where it belonged.
Because this wasn't fun chaos.
This was reputation chaos.
And reputations didn't heal like bruises.
They healed like broken glass.
Slow. Costly. Never the same.
Donna put the phone on speaker.
The ringtone pulsed through Jessica's office like a countdown.
Hayden stood still, hands loosely at his sides, face calm—because if he looked tense, everyone else would panic harder.
Jessica didn't blink. Harvey didn't smirk. Maya didn't breathe.
Then—
"Donna."
Melissa's voice. Controlled. Tight. Angry in the way that meant she was trying not to blow up.
Donna kept her tone warm. "Hey. We saw it."
Melissa let out a short laugh with no humor. "You mean the part where I'm apparently a 'diva' who 'refuses to work'?"
Jessica leaned in slightly, voice like steel wrapped in velvet. "Melissa, this is Jessica Pearson."
A beat.
"Hi," Melissa said. "So they're really doing this."
"Yes," Jessica replied. "And this is exactly why you do nothing publicly."
Melissa's breath sharpened. "I'm not a child."
Jessica didn't soften. "No. You're a professional. Act like it."
Harsh. But it landed. Melissa didn't explode—she recalibrated.
Then Melissa's tone shifted—lower, more dangerous. "They leaked it because they want me to react."
Hayden spoke calmly, cutting through the heat without stepping on Jessica's authority.
"Correct," he said. "So we don't give them a reaction. We give them a filing."
Melissa's voice tightened. "They're painting me like a monster."
Hayden didn't sugarcoat it. "They're painting you like a monster because monsters can be controlled. Professionals can't."
A pause.
Then, quieter: "Okay," Melissa said. "What do you need?"
That was the moment Jessica's eyes flicked to Hayden—approval, sharp and quiet.
"Screenshots," Hayden said. "Any emails. Any texts. Anything that even hints at retaliation or leaks. We're building a record."
Melissa exhaled. "I can get you something."
Donna chimed in, sweet: "I'll set up a secure drop. Please don't email it. I like my job."
Melissa huffed a small laugh. "Fine."
Jessica delivered the final instruction like a court order. "Melissa—no statements, no posts, no 'sources close to her.' You stay quiet. We handle noise with paper."
Melissa's voice went hard. "And if they forge my signature?"
Jessica answered flat. "Then we bury them legally."
Melissa paused—then said it like a vow. "Good."
The call ended.
For half a second, the office stayed silent.
Then Harvey spoke, grin returning like a shark smelling blood. "Okay. Now it's fun."
Jessica shot him a look. "Harvey."
He lifted both hands. "Fine. Not fun. Productive."
Maya leaned toward Hayden, low. "That was… impressively contained."
Hayden didn't smile. "Containment is the job."
Donna's phone buzzed immediately. She glanced down, then her eyes lifted.
"Speaking of containment," Donna said brightly, "Sunset just sent a follow-up email."
Jessica held out her hand without looking. Donna placed the phone in it.
Jessica read. Her expression didn't change—only her eyes hardened.
"They're requesting we confirm there is 'no personal relationship' between counsel and client," Jessica said, voice calm.
Harvey's grin vanished. "There it is."
Maya muttered, "Conflict angle."
Hayden nodded once. "And distraction."
Jessica looked at Hayden. "Response?"
Hayden answered without hesitation. "Short. Clinical. 'No conflict exists.' No emotion. Then we attach our discovery demands and note we'll seek expedited authentication."
Jessica nodded. "Done."
Donna smiled. "I love when you two speak in weapons-grade professionalism."
---
Back at the bullpen, the firm moved faster—because gossip was moving faster.
Associates whispered. Assistants pretended not to. Phones buzzed. Everyone suddenly cared about contract law because it had a famous name stapled to it.
Hayden sat at his desk and wrote the response in four sentences so clean it could've passed as sterile equipment.
No defensiveness. No denial theatrics. Just:
no conflict
all communications through the firm
authenticity verification demanded
expedited motion filed
Maya slid into the chair beside him, already typing her own piece—expedited discovery request, authentication scope, witness notice.
Donna appeared with a folder and a look that said I brought you something useful and mildly terrifying.
"Melissa sent receipts," Donna said.
Hayden looked up. "Already?"
Donna nodded. "She's disciplined when she's angry. That's rare."
She set the folder down and flipped it open.
Inside: a forwarded email chain—Sunset execs talking about "controlling the narrative" and "making her look unstable." Not a direct threat, but close enough to make a judge squint.
And then—one line that made Hayden's eyes go cold:
"…if she keeps pushing, remind her we can make this personal."
Maya stared. "That's… not subtle."
Donna smiled tightly. "It's Hollywood subtle. Which means it's basically a foghorn."
Hayden tapped the line once. "We use it."
Maya nodded. "How hard?"
Hayden's voice stayed even. "Hard enough that they regret writing it. Not hard enough that we look emotional."
Donna leaned in, delighted. "Controlled burn."
Hayden nodded. "Exactly."
---
Across the bullpen, Louis Litt watched from his office doorway.
Not staring.
Observing.
Like he was waiting for the moment Hayden made one mistake.
He eventually walked over, coffee in hand, expression sweet.
"You're busy," Louis said.
Hayden didn't look up. "Yes."
Louis smiled wider. "Celebrity cases can… invite scrutiny."
Hayden finally met his eyes—calm, polite. "Yes. Which is why we're being perfect."
Louis's smile tightened. "Perfect is hard for young associates."
Hayden's tone didn't change. "It's hard for insecure partners too."
Maya made a sound like she'd swallowed a pen cap.
Louis's eyes flashed. "Careful."
Hayden nodded once. "Always."
Louis leaned in slightly, voice low. "You think this is about Sunset?"
Hayden didn't blink. "It is."
Louis smiled thinly. "No. This is about whether Jessica is still the one running this firm… or whether she's letting new toys make decisions."
That was the real hook: make Hayden feel like he needed to prove something.
Old Hayden might've taken it. Gotten reckless. Gotten entertained.
New Hayden didn't.
He just said, calmly, "Jessica runs the firm. I run my assignments. You run your mouth."
Louis went very still.
Then he smiled again—slow. Dangerous.
"We'll see," Louis said.
And walked away.
Donna watched him go and muttered, "He's going to combust one day and I want to be there."
---
At 3:42 PM, Jessica summoned them again.
In her office: Jessica, Hayden, Maya, Donna—and Harvey, because of course.
Jessica held up the filing packet. "We file expedited discovery and request an emergency hearing. Tonight."
Harvey whistled softly. "Aggressive."
Jessica looked at him like he'd said something obvious. "Responsive."
Maya added, "We also have the 'make this personal' email line. Retaliation implication."
Harvey's eyes sharpened. "That's leverage."
Hayden nodded. "That's behavior."
Jessica gave one crisp nod. "And judges hate behavior."
Donna lifted her phone. "Also—small update."
Jessica's eyes narrowed slightly. "Donna."
Donna smiled. "Sunset's PR team is shopping a second story. This time the angle is… you."
Hayden didn't react outwardly.
Jessica did.
"Me?" she repeated.
Donna nodded. "They're floating that Pearson Hardman West is 'bullying a studio' and 'targeting employees' and that you're 'overreaching.'"
Harvey snorted. "They're trying to paint Jessica Pearson as a bully? Good luck."
Jessica's voice went colder. "They're not trying to win truth. They're trying to win time."
Hayden spoke calmly. "Then we take time away."
Jessica looked at him. "How."
Hayden didn't hesitate. "We request the assistant witness under oath. Fast. If Sunset stalls, we ask the judge why."
Maya nodded. "And if the witness cracks—"
Harvey grinned. "We own them."
Jessica cut him off. "No. We prove them. Ownership is ego. Proof is power."
Harvey's grin faded—respect. "Fair."
Jessica turned to Hayden. "And Harper—no more leaving the building without Donna knowing."
Hayden nodded. "Understood."
Donna smiled brightly. "I love being your parole officer."
---
That night, the Harper beach house was weirdly quiet.
Alan was at the table reading the finalized settlement terms like it was scripture. Charlie was pretending not to care, which meant he cared. Jake was watching TV, eating pizza, and living the dream of a child raised by chaos.
Hayden walked in, loosened his tie, and Alan immediately looked up.
"Judith signed," Alan blurted.
Hayden paused. "She signed?"
Alan nodded fast. "She signed. It's done. It's—Hayden, it's done."
Charlie blinked. "Wait… so Alan's not going to be financially murdered every month?"
Hayden exhaled once—relief, controlled. "He's still Alan. So… spiritually, yes. But financially, stabilized."
Alan laughed—real, stunned. "I can't believe it."
Charlie stared at Hayden. "Okay, you're officially the responsible Harper. I hate it."
Hayden nodded. "Get used to it."
Jake raised a slice of pizza. "Captain Lawyer saved Dad!"
Charlie pointed at Jake. "Stop calling him that. It makes me feel like I'm in a cartoon where I'm the villain."
Jake shrugged. "You kind of are."
Charlie opened his mouth to argue, then stopped—because… fair.
Hayden's phone buzzed.
Donna.
DONNA: Emergency hearing set. Tomorrow morning. Sunset's counsel is showing up angry.
Hayden stared at the message, then pocketed the phone.
Alan noticed. "Work?"
Hayden nodded. "Work."
Charlie smirked. "Let me guess. Another rich person is trying to ruin another rich person."
Hayden's voice stayed even. "This one's trying to ruin the truth."
Charlie raised his brows. "That's new."
"It's not," Hayden said. "It's just louder in Hollywood."
Alan swallowed. "Are you okay?"
Hayden looked at him—briefly softer. "I'm fine. I'm focused."
Jake grinned. "Focused is his superhero power."
Charlie snorted. "His superhero power is making everyone miserable until they behave."
Hayden nodded. "Also true."
---
Later, when the house finally settled and Hayden was alone in the kitchen, his phone buzzed again.
Unknown number.
A single text.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHO YOU'RE UP AGAINST. WALK AWAY.
Hayden stared at it.
No signature.
No context.
Just pressure.
Old Hayden would've felt the thrill. The pull of the game.
New Hayden felt something else.
Annoyance.
He typed one line, calm and cruelly practical:
HAYDEN: Stop texting me and put it in a filing.
He didn't wait for a response.
He forwarded the number to Donna.
Then he stood at the sink for a long second, looking out at the dark ocean.
Sunset had gone public.
They'd hinted at leaks.
They'd floated conflict accusations.
Now they were sending anonymous warnings.
Which meant tomorrow's hearing wasn't just about a contract.
It was about whether a judge believed paper… or believed noise.
And Hayden Harper only knew one way to handle noise.
He made it pay rent in a courtroom.