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Chapter 41: THE FALSE PROOFS
publish date:
2026-07-13 21:03:53
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Divorced, Desired, Dangerous Chapter 43: AWAY FROM HIM
NILAHThe yellow taxi cab pulled up to the security gates of my father's estate, I paid the driver with the last remaining hundred-dollar bill in my wallet, stepped out onto the asphalt driveway, and lifted my suitcase out of the trunk. The night air was humid and dead, carrying the smell of wet grass and car exhaust."Who is it at this hour?" the voice of the night guard came through the speaker."It is Nilah," I said directly into the metal grill. "Open the gate."There was a five-second pause before the mechanical gears engaged, and the heavy iron structures began to slide backward into the stone walls.The front door of the brick mansion opened before I reached the welcome mat. My father, Arthur Mariel, stood in the threshold, wearing a dark blue silk robe over his trousers. His gray hair was uncombed, and his face was set in an expression of intense agitation. He did not step forward to help me with the heavy bag. He simply watched me climb the steps, his arms crossed tightly ove
Divorced, Desired, Dangerous Chapter 42: AN ACT OF BETRAYAL
NILAHThe digital clock on the dashboard of the hired sedan read past eleven as the vehicle pulled up to the side entrance of the Grand Carlyle Hotel.I paid the driver in cash, stepped out into the humid night air, and pulled my dark trench coat tightly around my waist. My phone sat dead in my purse; Darien had canceled our ten o'clock dinner via a two-word text from his assistant citing an "emergency share block vote." He had not called since.Elena’s parting words at the penthouse had replayed in my mind until my anxiety became a physical necessity to see the truth for myself. I walked past the bellhop through the lower residential entrance, avoiding the main lobby entirely.I knew the Castellano Group kept a permanent executive suite on the top floor of this building—the same suite Elena’s printed logs had listed.The elevator ride to the penthouse suite was fast and completely silent. When the doors slid open, the corridor was lined with thick, sound-absorbing blue carpeting. I
Divorced, Desired, Dangerous Chapter 41: THE FALSE PROOFS
NILAHThe penthouse felt too large. I sat on the living room sofa, my leather folder placed on the glass coffee table in front of me. The panoramic windows showed the city lights flickering as evening set in, but the high view did not give me any sense of comfort. I kept looking at the silent residential elevator doors, waiting for the floor indicator to light up.A sharp, rhythmic buzzing from the wall intercom broke the silence. I stood up, smoothing down my dress, and walked over to the security panel near the entry."Ms. Mariel," the guard’s voice came through the speaker, sounding hesitant. "Elena Vance is downstairs in the lobby. She states she has urgent corporate documentation that requires your immediate personal receipt before Mr. Castellano returns from the airfield."My chest tightened instantly. I did not want to see her, but the mention of Darien and the corporate documents made it impossible to turn her away. "Let her up," I said, my voice tight.I stood back as the ele
Divorced, Desired, Dangerous Chapter 40: HIS SIDE PIECE
NILAHThe morning sun cut through the courthouse. I walked down the wide, sterile corridor toward the secure witness waiting rooms, the heels of my black shoes clicking loudly against the stone surface.I held the black leather folder containing the copies of the decrypted server logs tightly against my ribs, my fingers digging into the stiff material until my knuckles turned white. My grand jury testimony was scheduled for exactly ten o'clock, and the district attorney's team had instructed me to arrive thirty minutes early to review the final cross-examination procedures with the state prosecutors.Darien had left our penthouse two hours before me, dressed in his charcoal corporate suit, to meet with the senior legal counsel regarding the immediate restructuring of the Castellano share blocks following Adrian's arrest.We had barely spoken a word to each other over breakfast, the lingering adrenaline from the previous night's boardroom takedown still hanging heavily in the air betw
Divorced, Desired, Dangerous Chapter 39: HIS FIRST CHOICE
NILAHThe grand jury room was silent as the state prosecutor filed the final bundle of decrypted server logs into the record."The panel has reviewed the submission, Ms. Mariel," the lead prosecutor announced, closing his laptop with a loud, echoey click that made me flinch slightly. "The formal indictment against Adrian Castellano will be processed by the clerk's office before the afternoon recess. Your presence is no longer required for today's session."I stood up immediately, my knees slightly shaky beneath the hem of my black dress. I smoothed down the front of the dark fabric, trying to regain my balance as I walked down the center aisle of the courtroom. The tense anxiety in my chest had not lessened since the morning encounter in the hallway.Darien stepped forward to meet me as I reached the exit threshold, his large frame instantly blocking the view of the remaining gallery members. He reached down, his fingers catching my elbow to guide me toward the private corridor. His g
Divorced, Desired, Dangerous Chapter 38: SAFE WITH ME
NILAHThe heavy steel door slammed shut behind him, cutting off his voice completely.The office went dead silent. The three-year war that had quietly destroyed my marriage, caused my accident, and threatened my life was officially over. The hidden strings had been completely cut, and Adrian was never coming back.I let out a long, slow breath, the heavy tightness in my chest finally vanishing. Darien turned to face me, his grey eyes clear and completely soft for the first time all day. He reached out, his large hand wrapping firmly over mine, squeezing my fingers with absolute possession."It is finished, Nilah," Darien whispered, his voice low and steady. "He is gone."I looked down at our joined hands, feeling the solid warmth of his skin against my cold fingers. The physical evidence was secure inside my handbag, and the police were already executing the search warrants on the lower floors of the tower.Marcus remained near the open threshold of the office doorway, his hands shove
Divorced, Desired, Dangerous Chapter 5— Impending chaos
NILAHThe silence in the grand ballroom was loud, it felt heavier than the rain that had ruined my car hours ago, making my head spin as I tried to process what my father had just blurted out from the podium.Hundreds of eyes shifted from my father, following his proud gaze, until they locked direc
Divorced, Desired, Dangerous Chapter 4: The Gala Where Everything Changed
Nilah povAt exactly five the dress arrived.I stood in my childhood bedroom staring at it for a full minute before I even dared to touch it.Midnight blue, floor length with a neckline that dipped just low enough to say ‘I know exactly what I’m doing’ and a slit that climbed too high up on one thi
Divorced, Desired, Dangerous Chapter 3: Returning as an Heiress
Nilah’s povWhat the hell had I done?I sat in my car, staring at the mansion I had once called home, the perfectly trimmed garden stretched towards a fountain. Everything was just as I had remembered.Beautiful, warm, and inviting.My phone buzzed with a text from a number I didn't recognize. “The
Divorced, Desired, Dangerous Chapter 2: The Billionaire I Crashed Into
Darien’s povThe Bentley’s engine purred as I drove through the rain-slicked street, and my phone buzzed for the umpteenth time in less than five minutes. I knew it was my mother no doubt, definitely calling to remind me about her ‘wonderful opportunity’ dinner she had arranged next week.“Don’t th
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