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I woke before my alarm even went off. For several seconds, I simply stared at the ceiling, still half asleep. Then everything came rushing back. Hart Sullivan. The phone. The two-week delay. I reached for my phone on the nightstand before I had even properly opened my eyes. Nothing. No notifications, no messages, no missed calls. I checked again, even though I knew there was nothing there. Still nothing from Hart. I sighed and dropped the phone back onto the mattress. The court had given the defense two weeks before proceedings continued. Two weeks was enough time for Eva to do almost anything. The only reason this case was in court is because Eva had already spent years manipulating people, destroying reputations and turning other people’s weaknesses into weapons. What could she do with fourteen days? Probably anything and everything. I didn’t know. And that was the problem— I hated not knowing. I got out of bed and headed for the bathroom. By
I stayed with Lucian for another hour. We talked about the most insignificant things— The food he’d complained about, the doctor who said he believed Lucian was incapable of following instructions, and the ridiculous number of messages Tessa had sent him, subtly reminding him not to work. Just months ago, I could have sworn I loathed Lucian. Yet now, somehow, his company had become what I looked forward to the most. His laughter always forced a smile out of me. His touch made my heart flutter, and presence brought me genuine comfort. Lucian Dhark now felt like home. But eventually, I had to leave. I stood beside his bed, adjusting the blanket that didn’t actually need adjusting. I was just stalling. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He looked up at me. “You’ll come earlier?” I shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “Maybe.” “That’s not an answer.” “It’s the only one you’re getting.” He smiled. I leaned down and kissed his forehead. “Get some rest.” He nodde
I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to convince myself that two weeks wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. But it was difficult to believe. Every time I looked at the calendar, I saw the same thing. Fourteen days. Fourteen days for Eva’s lawyers to prepare. Fourteen days for Hart Sullivan to decide whether he was really going to testify— and whom he would testify for. Fourteen days for Eva to find another way to manipulate him. I hated how much power that woman still seemed to have over everyone around her. The thought of her manipulating Hart brought back old, ugly memories from my last days in the Dhark mansion. By the time I left the office, I had developed a slight headache. It got worse while I drove to the hospital. I needed to see Lucian. Maybe it was immature , but every time I saw him, the chaos in my head seemed to quiet down. I stopped in my tracks when I walked into his room. He was sitting upright— actually sitting. Today, he wasn’t slumped
The messages weren’t even always dramatic. That was what disturbed me most. She could ask him to investigate someone in the same tone another person might use to ask their assistant to book a restaurant. And Hart would do it. No hesitation, no questions. One particular message caught my eye. “I need you to deal with this before it reaches Lucian. Hart’s response came minutes later. “So what if it reaches the douchebag?“ Then he added, “But consider it handled.” I stared at the words. “Margot…” “I know.” The corners of my mouth lifted. “This could win this whole case.” “It could.” Margot affirmed carefully. But something was still not adding up. “Why would he give you this?” Margot slowly locked the phone. “I think he was giving us something.” “Or Eva is giving us something.” I added. Margot raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?” “I mean Hart might still be working for her.” I reasoned. Judging by all the information we had gathered, Hart was fana
By the time I arrived at Sinclair & Co. the next morning, I had barely gotten any sleep. Margot’s phone call had kept me awake for most of the night. It wasn’t because Hart wanted to testify for Eva— that part had been bad enough. But what really bothered me was the uncertainty. Somehow, I knew something had happened between Margot and Hart— something she had deliberately refused to tell me over the phone. And now I was determined to find out what. I barely acknowledged the receptionist as I walked through the lobby. “Good morning, Ms. Moreau.” “Morning.” My heels clicked against the marble floor as I headed toward the elevators. I reached Margot’s floor less than a minute later. Her office door was already open. I didn’t bother knocking. “Margot?” I called as I walked in. She looked up from her desk. “Good morning, Claire.” I stopped. Something immediately felt wrong. Margot looked tired— more than tired. There were faint shadows beneath her eyes
By the time I got home, I was too tired to think. Absentminded, I dropped my handbag on the sofa and stood in the middle of my apartment for a few seconds, simply enjoying the silence. Being in the courtroom had always been my dream job. But sometimes, I didn’t want to deal with lawyers. With reporters shouting questions. With a judge asking me to explain another piece of evidence. Right now, I needed the silence. I exhaled slowly. For the first time in what felt like months, I allowed myself to believe that this nightmare might actually have an ending. Maybe not an easy one— not after everything that had happened— but an ending regardless. I went straight to the bathroom. The hot water felt therapeutic against my skin. I stood beneath the shower for longer than I intended, letting the day’s exhaustion slowly drain out of me. My mind still wandered back to Hart Sullivan. To Margot who was probably currently interrogating him. She believed there was a chance







