C.J.'s Bottle of Water

C.J. grips her bottle of water—clear liquid sloshing within a chilled plastic or glass vessel—as tension mounts in the hallway. She lifts it mid-conversation, condensation beading on its surface, and takes a deliberate swig, the gulp echoing her physiological pause amid Ainsley's icy legal dissection. The simple prop anchors the moment, droplets tracing paths down the bottle while unspoken stakes simmer.