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The Courthouse Steps
Last Updated:
2025-08-08 16:50:27
Latest chapter
Surrendered Desires The Courthouse Steps
Ariana’s POVI hadn’t planned to speak. The hearing was supposed to be procedural — a follow-up to Luca’s testimony. Quiet. Legal. Controlled. But when we stepped outside, the courthouse plaza was already full.Cameras. Reporters. People holding signs.Some read: “Believe Her.”Others: “Luxe Lies.”And then I saw one that stopped me cold:“What if it was your daughter?” That did it.I tightened my coat, lowered my sunglasses, and tried to pass through quietly. But someone shouted. “Ms. Cole! Are the rumors true? Did Daniel pay to bury your miscarriage?”“Is it true Luca fled the country under threats?”“Why now, Ariana? Why speak now?”Vanessa whispered beside me, “Don’t stop.”But I did. I turned. Took the sunglasses off. Stepped in front of the cameras. And said:“Record this.” They fell silent. Phones lifted. Mics extended. I took a deep breath.“My name is Ariana Cole. I am the woman you’ve heard a thousand versions of. The wife. The mistress. The strategist. The unstable one. Th
Surrendered Desires The Stand
Luca’s POVThe courtroom was colder than I remembered. Not physically — just in energy. Marble walls. Wooden benches. Whispered judgments curled around corners like smoke. I sat outside the chamber door for ten minutes before they called me in. Vanessa had told me to breathe. To answer only what was asked. To stay composed. But how do you stay composed when you’re about to walk into the room where the woman you love had been broken—slowly, silently, strategically—by the man she once trusted most?I stood when they called my name. The court officer gestured toward the witness chair. I didn’t look at Daniel. Didn’t need to. I felt his presence like a shadow across the floor.“State your name for the record.”“Luca Moretti.”“Do you swear to tell the truth—”“I do.”The attorney, one of Vanessa’s sharpest partners, approached.“Mr. Moretti, how long have you known Mrs. Ariana Cole?”I looked at Ariana briefly. Then back to the front.“Thirteen years. We met when we were both twenty-one.
Surrendered Desires The Statement That Changed Everything
Ariana’s POVI woke up before dawn. Luca was still asleep, his arm wrapped around me like a promise he wouldn’t break. Outside, the sky was bruised — that blue-gray stretch before sunrise. Quiet. Heavy. Waiting. I slipped out of bed without waking him and stepped into the living room. Vanessa’s message blinked on my phone.> “Daniel just filed a motion. Claims you’ve incited ‘trial bias through media weaponization.’ He’s using the Brielle interview and the therapist’s leaked summary to claim defamation.”I sat down slowly. It was so on-brand for him. Twist my pain. My truth. My healing.Make it seem like an attack. Make it seem like I was the one lighting matches while he played the victim of the flames. But I’d had enough of reacting. This time, I would set the tone. I messaged Vanessa. > “Call Brielle. Tell her we’re going on record. No anonymous sources. No whispers. My face. My name. My story. Full clarity.”A few seconds later:> “You sure?”> “Yes. I’m done hiding.”Two days la
Surrendered Desires The Silence Clause
Ariana’s POVThe invitation came in a cream-colored envelope, slid under my apartment door like it was from a wedding planner instead of a man trying to erase me.Inside was a short letter:> “Ms. Cole — You are invited to a private negotiation session regarding settlement of divorce proceedings and all associated public allegations. The terms will include full financial release, luxury property rights, and brand equity return. In return, a confidentiality agreement will be expected.Kindly confirm your attendance.— D.C.”No lawyer’s name. No signature. Just Daniel. So neat. So polished. So desperate to rewrite the ending before the truth exploded. I showed it to Vanessa. She didn’t laugh.She just arched a brow and said, “They’re scared.”“Of what?”“You. Your voice. Your evidence. And now that therapist’s report? They’re trying to wrap this up before you ignite the entire system.”I folded the paper once. Then again. Then tore it down the center and said, “Let’s go.”The hotel suit
Surrendered Desires The Session
Ariana’s POVI stared at the building’s plaque for a long time before stepping inside. Judicial Review Therapist – Independent Evaluator: Dr. M. Ravelin, neutral space, neutral title, but nothing about this felt neutral.It wasn’t therapy. It was assessment. A report that could be filed into a court document. Scrutinized. Twisted. Weaponized. I was walking into a room where I had to prove I wasn’t broken. But I wasn’t here to beg for validation.I was here to reclaim the story. The receptionist led me down a hallway painted in soft tones and quiet lighting. I sat down in the chair opposite Dr. Ravelin — an older woman, sharp-eyed, silver hair in a tight bun, dressed in gray.She didn’t offer a smile. Just lifted a tablet.“I’ve reviewed the background,” she said, voice clipped and neutral. “This is a 90-minute voluntary evaluation, correct?”“Yes.”“Do you understand this session may be referenced in your ongoing divorce proceedings?”“Yes.”She set the tablet down. And finally looked
Surrendered Desires The Anonymous Letter
Ariana’s POVThe envelope was plain. No return address. No signature. Just my name — typed. Slid under my apartment door like a ghost leaving a confession. At first, I thought it was more hate mail. Since the media began twisting the story, I’d received a parade of both sympathy and venom. People loved to choose sides, even when they didn’t know the full script. But when I opened it…Something in my gut shifted. Inside was a single sheet of paper. Typed. No flair. No flourish. Just truth.> “Ms. Cole — I used to work for the Luxe division’s PR department. I was part of the team Daniel secretly used to leak fabricated rumors about your leadership last year — that you were mentally unstable, unfit to manage a creative team, and suffering from post-traumatic episodes in meetings.”> “He used those rumors to push a temporary suspension of your access to the luxury contract, then spun the situation to make it seem like it was your idea to step back. You were painted as ‘burnt out’ so they
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