LOGIN“We could renovate.” I said quietly. Lucian looked at me. “I mean the Dhark mansion.” I wiped another tear from my cheek. “We could change things.” He didn’t interrupt. “I know what that house means to you. Memories of your mother, your childhood...” He nodded. “All the beautiful memories you have there there.” I squeezed his hand. “I don’t want you to lose that because of me.” Lucian stared at me for a moment, then he smiled. “You’re the one who taught me that my mother’s memories aren’t trapped inside those walls,” he said. “You told me that on my birthday, remember?” He placed my hand on his chest. “You reminded me that she lives in my heart.” My eyes filled with tears again as I nodded. “She does.” “I know.” He glanced around the room. “And that’s why I don’t need the mansion to keep her.” I stayed silent. Lucian continued. “The truth is, Claire, the mansion isn’t only filled with good memories for me either.” I watched his jaw clench. That’s how I kne
I eventually realized we weren’t heading back toward the mansion. “Where are we going?” I asked as I looked out the window. Lucian kept his eyes on the road. “You’ll see.”I sighed. “I don’t like it when you’re being mysterious.”He chuckled. “I think you’ll survive.”“That depends on where you’re taking me.” He didn’t say anything to that. A few minutes later, we turned onto a road I didn’t recognize. Then another. And finally, we approached a set of enormous black gates. I sat upright, alert. I had never been here before.Were we visiting someone? Surely Lucian would have told me if that was the case. The gates opened automatically, and Lucian drove through. The property was huge, but it didn’t have the intimidating grandeur of the Dhark mansion. It was different.Newer. Cleaner. More modern. The immaculate landscaping was one of the first things that caught my attention. Tall trees lined the driveway. The perfectly maintained lawn stretched across both sides
We had barely made it three minutes down the road before I remembered something important. I immediately turned toward Lucian. “You shouldn’t be driving.” His hands remained steady on the steering wheel. “I can drive.” “You were shot.” “I know.” “And stabbed.” “I remember that too.” He retorted. “Your wounds aren’t completely healed.” He glanced at me. “Claire.” “What?” “I am not made of glass.” “Yeah, but you don’t need to act like you’re indestructible.” “I feel fine.” “You were in a hospital for weeks.” “And then I spent days recovering at home.” “Exactly.” He smiled, still focused on the road. I narrowed my eyes at him. “You think this is funny?” “A little.” I shook my head, then turned toward the window, trying not to smile. For a few moments, neither of us spoke. The events of the courthouse were still lingering in my mind. Hart’s testimony, Eva’s stare, the messages, my encounter with Eva in the bathroom… And that unsettling certa
The court session resumed with the presentation of the messages recovered from Hart’s phone. I sat beside Margot and Jonathan, my files arranged neatly in front of me. My hands were steady now—at least they looked steady. The first message appeared on the screen. Then another, then another. Dates were presented. Times, instructions and responses. I stood. “Your Honor, the prosecution would like to draw the court’s attention to the communication between the defendant and Mr. Sullivan.” The judge nodded for me to continue. I turned toward the screen. “These messages presented before this court today, establish direct communication between Ms. Sterling and Mr. Sullivan during the period in which several of the incidents discussed before this court occurred.” The defense attorney rose. “Objection. The prosecution is interpreting the messages rather than allowing the evidence to speak for itself.” I looked at the judge. “Your Honor, we are not asking the court
“Congratulations, Claire.” Eva’s voice stayed with me long after her footsteps disappeared. I remained standing there, one hand pressed against my stomach. My heart was still beating too fast. Not because Eva had threatened me, but because now I was certain she knew. She knew about my pregnancy, even though I had never told her. I had to keep reminding myself that I had only told four people: Lucian, Camilla, Margot and Nathaniel. People I trusted with my life. And somehow, Eva had now found out. I took a slow breath and forced myself to stand, checking my reflection in the mirror before leaving the bathroom. God, I looked pale as a ghost. I fixed a few strands of hair, and straightened my jacket. I was a lawyer. I couldn’t walk back into that courtroom looking like Eva had won something. I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of knowing that I still cared—or worse, still feared what she could do. So I walked back in. Margot looked at me the moment I appro
The courtroom remained silent for several seconds after Hart’s answer.His last words hung in the air:“But I’m testifying because what she did was never mine alone.” For the first time since this trial began, it felt like the man speaking wasn’t just a dirty criminal, but I someone who had finally stopped running from his own actions. He had admitted to hurting Lucian without instructions from Eva. He had admitted to attacking Margot.He had admitted to carrying out all of Eva’s instructions. He hadn’t tried to make himself look innocent or tried to make people believe that every terrible thing he’d done was someone else’s fault. He had simply told the truth. And somehow, that made the truth about Eva even harder to ignore. The defense attorney remained standing. He was looking at Hart with a mixture of irritation and disbelief.“Do you truly expect this court to believe that you were merely a tool?” “No.” Hart answered immediately. The attorney frowned. “Yet you just







