Se connecterJason POV It hadn’t even been an hour. Not even an hour. I stood there— Amber still in my arms— And all I could think was— How much more? She couldn’t even breathe. Not for a second. Kidnapped. Rescued herself. Found a girl— Broken. Abused. Rescued two of them. Won the Heir trial. Made enemies. Walked into a courtroom— And dismantled everyone in her path. Won not one— But two cases. And now— This. A stalker. A free one. My jaw tightened. Hard enough it hurt. Because this— This wasn’t coincidence anymore. This was a pattern. And patterns? Patterns could be broken. I looked down at the tablet again. At the walls. At the pictures. At the one— Where my face had been crossed out. Something dark shifted inside me. “They didn’t like that I was.” My words echoed. Good. Let them not like it. Because now— They were going to learn exactly why. My arm tightened around Amber instinctively. Not enough to hurt her. But enough to anchor her, keep her at m
The courthouse doors opened— And the noise hit us instantly. Cameras. Voices. Questions overlapping one another. “Ms. Asher!” “Over here!” “Do you have a statement—” Jason’s hand found mine. Firm. Steady. Grounding. He moved slightly in front of me— Shielding. Not controlling. Never that. Just… Protecting. We kept walking. Until— “Ms. Asher!” One voice cut through the rest. Clear. Confident. We both paused. The reporter stepped forward. Smiling. Less aggressive than the others. “I just have one question.” Jason glanced at me. Checking. I nodded. The reporter’s grin widened. “My favorite moment…” He said. “…was when you asked the lawyer if she took the case out of revenge for you marrying Mr. Sun.” A few nearby reporters chuckled. “Brutal,” he added. “Absolutely brutal.” I smiled. “And I was wondering…” He leaned forward slightly. “What was your favorite moment?” A pause. I could feel Jason’s gaze on me. Warm. Curious. I smiled. Soft. Si
Victoria didn’t look at me again. Not once. “I’m done with this witness.” Her voice was tight. Controlled— But barely. “I call Oscar White to the stand.” A shift in the room. Subtle. But heavy. Oscar stood. Straightened his jacket. Walked forward like he still belonged there. He didn’t. He took the oath. Sat. Avoided my eyes. Victoria stepped closer. Gentler now. Careful. “Oscar.” Her tone softened. “What actions did Amber Asher take…” A pause. “…that led to her being removed from the company?” Oscar inhaled. Then spoke. “She was using outside resources…” His voice steady— But rehearsed. “To purchase properties.” A pause. “And those properties did not belong to White Real Estate.” Murmurs. Immediate. “We lost money because of it.” There it was. The accusation. Clean. Simple. Wrong. I didn’t react. Didn’t interrupt. Because this— This was exactly what I needed. Victoria nodded. Satisfied. “As a result—” “She was removed from her position.
The courtroom had gone quiet again. Not tense. Not chaotic. Certain. The judge adjusted his glasses, looking down at me. “Ms. Asher.” His voice carried authority— But also something else. Finality. “Are you planning to file a countersuit?” I didn’t hesitate. “Yes, Your Honor.” A murmur rippled through the room. Low. Anticipating. The judge nodded once. “As expected.” A brief pause. “Normally, a case of this nature would require additional time for deliberation.” He turned toward the jury. “But given the clarity of the testimony—” Another pause. Measured. “—I will ask the jury directly.” My heartbeat slowed. Not faster. Slower. “Members of the jury.” The room held its breath. “Have you reached a verdict?” A moment. Just one. Then— “Yes, Your Honor.” Every eye turned toward them. Every breath— Held. “On the charge of defamation—” The judge continued. “How do you find the defendant?” The foreperson didn’t hesitate. “Not guilty.” The courtroom er
I turned back toward Amelie. Calm. Precise. “Ms. White.” Her shoulders tensed again. “You stated earlier that your work was your own.” A pause. “That you were unfairly criticized.” She nodded. “Yes.” I tilted my head slightly. “Let’s clarify something.” The room quieted again. Sensing it. Feeling it. “Was the work you presented to Mr. White—” A deliberate pause. “as your own…” “…entirely written by you?” Silence. Amelie hesitated. Longer this time. Then— “No.” Murmurs. Immediate. Sharp. I didn’t react. Just continued. “And what part of that work did you complete?” She straightened slightly— Trying to recover. “I made the grammatical corrections.” A pause. “And everyone knows—” She added quickly. “That the last person correcting the work is the true owner of it.” That— That did it. The courtroom reacted instantly. Confusion. Disbelief. Even a few quiet scoffs. I let the silence stretch. Just enough. Then— I stepped closer. Slow. Controlle
The courtroom settled. Heavy. Expectant. The judge entered— Authority filling the room instantly. “Court is now in session.” We stood. Then sat. And just like that— It began. The judge adjusted his glasses— Looking directly at me. “Ms. Asher.” A pause. “Where is your legal representation?” Murmurs spread immediately. Curious. Judging. Waiting. I didn’t hesitate. “I will be representing myself, Your Honor.” Silence. Sharp. Immediate. Then— The reaction. Whispers. Surprise. Disbelief. Across the room— Victoria smiled. Slow. Satisfied. She leaned forward slightly. “Of course she is.” Her voice carried just enough to be heard. “Only someone guilty would be unable to secure a lawyer.” A few nods. Some agreement. Exactly what she wanted. I turned my head— Meeting her gaze. Unmoved. “Or,” I replied calmly, “someone innocent who has nothing to fear.” Silence. Again. But this time— Different. Not dismissive. Curious. Victoria’s smile faltered—
The most unlikely thing happened. An interview was released. Not a leak. Not a rumor. Not an anonymous blog post. A coordinated sit-down. Victoria. Adrian. Amelie. Oscar. All four of them seated si
I didn’t cry. I didn’t shake. I didn’t look back, or mourned the life and the years i will never get back, lost forever. I just went home, time to pack and say goodbye to my old life. The penthouse doors opened with biometric recognition the moment I stepped inside. Floor-to-ceiling glass. Marb
The applause softened. I allowed it. Then I lifted my hand slightly, reclaiming the room. “There is one more announcement.” Silence returned instantly. I glanced toward Jason. He stepped forward when I invited him with a subtle nod. Not ahead of me. Not behind me. Beside me. Intentional.
Marcus drove in silence. Neither Jason nor I were in any condition to drive. “Take us to my penthouse,” Jason instructed calmly. Marcus glanced back. “Yes, sir.” “It’s closer to the office. We have the conference in the morning.” The conference. I didn’t react immediately. But as the







