LOGINThe words cut. I stared at her. Lucy didn't flinch. Didn't look away. Just held my gaze. "You want to know what I think?" she said quietly. "Not particularly. But I have a feeling you're going to tell me anyway." "I think you're stuck." She pushed off the desk. Walked toward me. "You can't move
I was at the window when Lucy walked in. "Working hard?" her voice came through the speakers. I watched myself set the report down. Turn. "Lucy. What brings you by?" "Your mother asked me to check on you." She glanced at my desk. At the scattered reports. "Looks like you're drowning." "I'm mana
Edward's POV Judge Harmon nodded. "You may call your witness." The side door opened. Clara Reyes moved to the stand. I had called her Tuesday. She had listened without asking unnecessary questions, pulled the footage logs, verified the chain of custody, and told me what she would say if asked. Sh
"And the contract was withdrawn shortly after." "Yes." "How did you interpret that?" "She followed through." Cole objected. Speculation. Sustained. "Ms. Holloway. Across three years of events. How would you describe Alicia Valentine's manner?" "Controlled. Always controlled. She was never visi
Her smile faltering. A shadow passing across it. "Because I want you to understand—" "No." A step closer. "You are here because you are terrified. Because despite everything. Despite the photo. Despite Edward sleeping with you. Despite wearing his grandmother's necklace. You're still not his wife.
Alicia's POV The screen came on. The photography gallery. Museum lighting. Artwork on the walls. I was already there when Lucy walked in. I watched myself from across a courtroom. The navy gown. Hair up. Standing in front of a photograph of a woman whose face was half in shadow. Lucy stopped be
Edward’s POV The elevator doors opened with a soft chime. I stepped onto the marble floor, shoes hitting with unhurried precision. Heads lifted. Pens stopped mid-stroke. Phones went still. Recognition. Routine. Expected. Monday night's silence still clung to me. The empty mansion. The trace of he
I turned the key. The engine came alive under my hands. I didn’t think about where I was going. I just drove. The city moved past me. Buildings. Traffic lights. People crossing streets as if their lives weren’t falling apart. Mine was. I just wasn’t ready to admit it. My phone sat dark in the cup
"I know! Isn't it brilliant?" Elena made a noise from her desk. Something between a laugh and a groan. "Brilliant is not the word I'd use," I said. "You just don't get avant-garde marketing." He said it seriously. Like this was a real tragedy. "You're absolutely right. I don't." He grinned. "Th
Edward’s POV The revolving doors of Valentine Tower spun behind me as I stepped into the lobby. Marble. Glass. The low hum of controlled efficiency. The investor meeting had run long. Three hours of posturing, reassurances, and carefully worded commitments. But it was done. The deal was locked. M







