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2025-12-21 09:13:58CHAPTER 19 — Liana
The courtroom felt smaller today, though the space hadn’t changed. The air was thick with anticipation, tension, and the quiet hum of lawyers moving about, preparing for the session. I gripped my notes tightly, my fingers brushing against the edge of the folder like it was a lifeline.Ethan was beside me, calm as ever, reviewing the case files with his characteristic meticulousness. He noticed my grip tighten and looked up, eyes sharp.“Deep breath,” he said softly. “Today is just another session. You know the material, you know the strategy. Focus.”“I know,” I whispered, but the flutter in my chest betrayed me.Evan was already in the courtroom when we arrived. He didn’t look at me at first, instead reviewing documents with the kind of intensity that had always unsettled me. Then, as if sensing my presence, his gaze flicked up — sharp, assessing, and inescapable.I squared my shoulders, remindi
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A Man in Distress 19
CHAPTER 19 — LianaThe courtroom felt smaller today, though the space hadn’t changed. The air was thick with anticipation, tension, and the quiet hum of lawyers moving about, preparing for the session. I gripped my notes tightly, my fingers brushing against the edge of the folder like it was a lifeline.Ethan was beside me, calm as ever, reviewing the case files with his characteristic meticulousness. He noticed my grip tighten and looked up, eyes sharp.“Deep breath,” he said softly. “Today is just another session. You know the material, you know the strategy. Focus.”“I know,” I whispered, but the flutter in my chest betrayed me.Evan was already in the courtroom when we arrived. He didn’t look at me at first, instead reviewing documents with the kind of intensity that had always unsettled me. Then, as if sensing my presence, his gaze flicked up — sharp, assessing, and inescapable.I squared my shoulders, remindi
A Man in Distress 18
CHAPTER 18 — LianaThe café smelled of freshly brewed coffee, sugar, and warm pastries, a comforting chaos that contrasted sharply with the rigid formality of the courtroom. I perched on a stool near the counter, reviewing my notes, trying to focus. But the moment I glanced up, I saw him.Damien Evan Ramos.Not in a suit, not behind a courtroom desk, not in his familiar environment of control and precision. Just… him. Leaning casually against the counter, dark hair slightly tousled, eyes scanning the menu, expression unreadable. For a fraction of a second, I felt the old pull — the one that made my chest tighten, my pulse accelerate, the one I had spent weeks convincing myself I could control.I turned back to my notes, fingers gripping the pen like a lifeline. Focus. Strategy. Composure. But even as I repeated it to myself, I couldn’t ignore the small, almost imperceptible smile he gave when he noticed me.Ethan’
A Man in Distress 17
CHAPTER 17 — LianaThe office was quiet, almost unnervingly so. Most of the attorneys had gone for the day, leaving only the faint hum of the air conditioning and the soft tapping of keyboards in the background. I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my temples, trying to shake the lingering tension from today’s courtroom session.I had faced Evan Ramos directly — not just professionally, but emotionally, though I’d convinced myself that I kept that separate. And yet, I couldn’t shake the pull of him. The way he observed me, the faint acknowledgment of respect or recognition… it unnerved me more than I cared to admit.Ethan appeared beside me, leaning casually against my desk. His presence, as always, grounded me.“You’re quiet again,” he said, tone light but perceptive.I frowned. “I’m just… thinking.”He raised an eyebrow. “About the case?”I shook my head. “Not just the case. About him. About… everything.”
A Man in Distress 16
CHAPTER 16 — LianaThe courtroom smelled of polished wood and old leather, the kind of smell that felt both grounding and suffocating at the same time. I adjusted my blazer, gripping my notes like a lifeline. Today’s session wasn’t just another hearing — it was critical. The evidence we’d been building, the strategies we’d painstakingly rehearsed, all converged now.And there he was. Damien Evan Ramos. Calm, precise, and impossibly self-assured. Sitting at the defense table, his dark eyes scanning the courtroom, then briefly flicking to me. That half-second glance sent a familiar shiver through me, a mix of irritation, unease, and something else I refused to name.I squared my shoulders. Focus. Strategy. Composure.Ethan was beside me, the reassuring weight of his presence grounding me. “Ready?” he murmured.“As I’ll ever be,” I whispered, though my voice caught slightly.He gave me a small, confident nod. “Go
A Man in Distress 15
CHAPTER 15 — LianaThe city smelled of rain and concrete as I walked toward the subway entrance, my briefcase swinging lightly at my side. The courthouse sessions were over for the day, but my mind was still tangled in contracts, precedents, and arguments. Every exchange with Evan felt like it had left a mark, a pressure I couldn’t shake.I needed air. I needed clarity. And I needed to convince myself that seeing him today — out of the courtroom, in the city, in my life — didn’t matter.I told myself that over and over as I descended the steps.---And then I saw him.Evan Ramos.Not behind a courtroom desk. Not in a sea of legal files and colleagues. He was sitting at a café, the one I’d passed countless times without noticing, his dark suit slightly loosened, tie undone at the top button. He was reading a tablet, lips twitching with the faintest smirk, the way he always did when analyzing something
A Man in Distress 14
CHAPTER 14 — LianaThe courtroom felt tighter today, more constrictive, as if every inch of space was charged with tension. I walked in, carrying my notes and my resolve, but my chest thumped in a way that reminded me how much seeing Evan still affected me.He was already there, seated with his team, reviewing files with that same calm precision that used to make my heart race in a way I refused to admit. His eyes flicked up, meeting mine for a fraction of a second, and I felt the old tug of recognition — familiarity, challenge, history.I squared my shoulders and focused. I wasn’t here for memories. I wasn’t here to fall into old patterns. I was here to win, strategically, professionally.Ethan was beside me, his presence a steady anchor. His hand brushed mine lightly — grounding, supportive, and silent reassurance.“Deep breath,” he murmured. “This is your arena. Take it.”I exhaled slowly, gripping my notes. “Ta
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