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I noticed Eva, sitting with her head high before I even reached my seat. For the first time since the proceedings began, she had arrived before me. She sat beside her legal team, looking composed and impeccably dressed. Her hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders, and her makeup was flawless. If I hadn’t known what she had done, I might have mistaken her for a woman who had never caused anyone harm. Then she looked up and our eyes met. Eva smiled. It was small enough that nobody else might have noticed it. But I did. There was no nervousness in her expression. No uncertainty, no trace of the desperation she had displayed when Hart’s testimony began unraveling her carefully constructed lies or when she had approached me with the hope that I could somehow convince Lucian to withdraw the charges. Today, she looked pleased with herself. Triumphant, even. My fingers curled around the strap of my bag. She did this. The thought came so suddenly that it felt li
I was reviewing the documents for the hearing when Nathaniel arrived. He didn’t knock before entering the Sinclair&co conference room. He simply appeared in the doorway, his gaze finding me immediately. “Claire.” I looked up. “Nathaniel?” He crossed the room without another word and pulled me into a brief hug. For a moment, I stood there, surprised by the gesture. Then I hugged him back. “What are you doing here?” “I heard what happened.” Of course he had. By now, I suspected half the city must have heard what happened. Nathaniel pulled away and studied my face for a few seconds. “How are you holding up?” I almost told him I was fine. The words were already forming in my mouth when I realized how ridiculous they would sound. “Terribly,” I admitted. His expression softened. “I’m sorry.” I swallowed. “I don’t understand why someone would do this.” “Have you identified the woman making the accusations?” “No. Apparently, she’s a former university friend
For one terrible second, the entire world seemed to go silent. Then the questions came faster. “Claire! Did you sleep with your professors?” “Were your academic achievements bought?” “Is that how you became a successful lawyer?” I watched them through the glass as the cameras continued flashing, and microphones crowded together. And every face seemed hungry for an answer. I didn’t understand. I had never slept with a professor. I had never traded anything for my grades. I had worked for every achievement I had, often while worrying about how I would pay my next bill. I had spent nights studying until my eyes burned and gone to classes exhausted. My career was one of the few things I had built entirely for myself. And now, strangers were shouting accusations about it as though my life were just another scandal they had been waiting to consume. My hands began to shake. “How do they know you’re leaving?” the driver muttered, more to himself than to me. Bu
The following morning, Lucian was already dressed when I came downstairs. He stood beside the dining table, speaking to one of his assistants on the phone while scanning something on his tablet. His expression was serious, his dark hair slightly disheveled in a way that suggested he had run his hand through it several times. When he noticed me, he mouthed a ‘good morning.’ “Good morning,” I smiled. Lucian ended the call as quickly as possible, then came toward me, bent down, and kissed my forehead.He stared at me for a couple of seconds. “Did you sleep well?” “Reasonably well.” “That’s not an answer.” “It’s the answer you’re getting.” His mouth twitched. “Have I mentioned how difficult you are?” “Several times. But it doesn’t matter because you’re annoying too.”“I’m glad we’re both aware of our flaws.” I laughed despite myself. He pulled out a chair for me, then sat beside me instead of across from me. “What’s your schedule like today?” “Sinclair & Co. fi
“What were you listening to, Hope?” Hope froze. For a moment, neither of us moved. I watched something flicker across her face. Fear, perhaps. Or surprise. Or both. But it was gone so quickly that I might have imagined it. Then she lowered her eyes. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Dhark.” I waited a couple more seconds for her to answer. “I was looking for Mrs. Camilla,” she explained. “I needed to ask her something about the kitchen, but I heard voices when I came down the hallway. I didn’t want to interrupt, so I thought I would wait until you finished speaking.” It was a reasonable explanation. Almost too reasonable. “Then why didn’t you knock?” I watched her closely for a reaction. All I saw was her fingers tighten around the small cloth she was holding. “Because I didn’t want to interrupt a private conversation,” she answered. Also reasonable. I studied her. Hope had worked at the Dhark mansion for years. She was quiet, efficient, and rarely drew attention to hers
She looked down at the envelope again. I knew she was interested. People could pretend to be principled all they wanted, but it didn’t change the fact that money made certain decisions easier. I leaned forward. “Tell me about Claire’s university years.” Caroline didn’t hesitate for long before she began talking. She told me how they had both been broke. How Claire had worked hard to earn her qualifications, and how determined she had been to succeed. Boring. All that useless information only made me more irritated by Claire. But I listened patiently regardless. Then I asked the most useful question—men. “Did Claire date anyone at university?” Caroline shrugged. “One or two.” “Only one or two?” “She wasn’t exactly a nun,” Caroline sneered. I smiled. “I’m relieved to hear it.” Caroline laughed. “She had a boyfriend in high school.” She paused to take a sip of her drink. “They were together for a long time, from what she told me. After that relationship ende







