Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 51 - Chapitre 60

The courtroom had fallen into a session of uneasy silence, the kind that pricked against the skin and made breaths seem shallow. Jessica sat on the witness stand, her knuckles white as she held on to its edges. Gregory Welsh adjusted his tie as he saw this, the perfect example of calculated confidence, his every move deliberate as he moved forward.“Ms. Williams,” he began, his voice still smooth but filled with accusation, “You have still given me an answer to my question.” Jessica’s throat tightened. Gregory’s gaze pinned her on her seat like a predator who finally caught its prey. He continued. “Why did you take Ethan’s unborn child abroad, raising her far from her biological father for five years?” Every eye in the courtroom was fixed on her, waiting to hear her answer, the same one that she hadn’t summoned the courage to give. She glanced at her later, Lois, who gave her a steady nod, urging her to remain calm and answer. But Jessica could feel the weight of judgement coming fr

Jessica sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the darkened window. The echoes of the courtroom still replayed in her mind. Avery’s eyes ran over with tears, Lois’s sharp words, and Ethan’s fixed gaze on her. She rubbed her eyes together, trying to push it all away, but the ache was relentless, carving deep into her chest.The apartment was painfully quiet, except for the humming coming from the city beyond her window. Avery had fallen asleep hours ago, holding on tightly to her stuffed bunny with a grip that mirrored Jessica’s own desperation. She thought about pouring herself a glass of wine but couldn’t summon the strength to do so. Instead, she sat in the silence, letting it swallow her whole.A soft knock broke through the stillness of the moment, pulling her from her own thoughts. She frowned, glancing at the clock on the wall. It was past eight. Who would be here by a time like this?She walked barefoot to the door and peered through the peephole to see Ethan standing there. He

“I hope you haven’t come here to waste my time, Ethan. You know I am really busy.”Ethan exhaled sharply, running his right hand down his face as he chose to sit just across from his grandfather in his office in the Mitchell building. The old man’s piercing grey eyes watched Ethan from his mahogany desk, the weight of his grandfather’s expectations pressing on him like a chain, causing him to keep drowning in a river.“I wouldn’t be here if this wasn’t important,” Ethan replied, his voice controlled but tight as he composed himself in front of his grandfather.His grandfather leaned back in his chair, giving his grandson a listening ear. “Then get straight to the point.”Ethan hesitated for a moment before speaking up. “I would like you to meet Avery.”His grandfather’s expression remained the same when he heard that statement, his eyes gave off no sign of emotions in them. “And why would I do that?”Ethan clenched his fists in disbelief that he was hearing a question like this. “Beca

FEW WEEKS LATER“You can’t be serious.”Jessica sighed, placing the phone on her other ear. “Dad, I know this looks right, but Avery wants me to be there.”She heard her father’s disapproving silence stretched for a moment before he finally spoke up. “Jessica, this is Ethan’s family we are talking about here. They will use every opportunity to remind you that you lost custody of your daughter. Even though it’s only temporary.”“I know,” she admitted, rubbing her eyes. “But this isn’t about me. It’s about Avery.”“She’s an only child. She doesn’t understand what this is doing to you.”Jessica swallowed the lump in her throat. She understood what her father was talking about. Every moment spent around Ethan, his world, and his family took something away from her, leaving her exposed.But her little girl wanted her to be present. That was all that mattered.A soft knock at her apartment door made her come back to reality. “I have to go, Dad. I’ll call you soon.”She hung up and pulled op

The rhythmic beep of the monitor was the only sound coming from the hospital room for a long while. Jessica sat next to Avery, her fingers brushing back the damp strands of her hair. She’d been humming, soft, quiet, just enough to soothe her little girl. The tune wavered here and there like her voice was on the edge of breaking forever.Ethan stood near the window, arms folded, watching both women.“She’s holding steady,” the doctor said to both parents, stepping into the room. “Her fever’s under control for now, but we want to keep her for observation. Her blood work shows signs of a viral infection, most likely the flu, but we won’t know more until the test results come back.”Jessica nodded, barely looking up at the doctor. “How many days?”“Two to three, minimum. She’ll need rest and fluids going into her. We’ll monitor for any secondary infections, just to be safe, so she doesn’t have to come back here.”“She’s going to be okay?” Ethan asked, his voice sounding tight.The