Semua Bab Condemned Wife's Compliance: Bab 141 - Bab 147

Her eyes skimmed the message preview:Judge requires your presence in court next week. Date set: Tuesday, 11am.Her stomach twisted. She was meant to be at the tournament. That date wasn’t optional.She unlocked the phone quickly, opening the full message and reading it twice to be certain she hadn’t misunderstood. No. It was clear. The judge wanted her there.“Damn it,” she whispered under her breath.Aris, who had just dropped into the armchair opposite, glanced up from loosening his cufflinks. “What’s wrong?”“Nothing,” she said too fast. Then, before he could press, she typed a reply to her lawyer.I can’t fly back then. I’ll still be at the tournament. Isn’t there any other option?The three blinking dots on her screen appeared almost instantly. Then, instead of another message, her phone lit up with an incoming call.Adrea hesitated a beat before swiping to answer. “Hello?”“Adrea,” her lawyer’s crisp voice came through, urgent but calm, “I thought I’d better call rather than sen

Rafael leaned back in his chair, his hand absentmindedly swirling the wine in his glass as Belinda talked about her first week at the hospital. They were seated at a quiet corner table of a bistro Belinda had chosen—a place that struck the balance between casual and refined, with soft music drifting under the low hum of conversation.Belinda’s eyes lit up as she spoke about her rotations. “I finally got into the emergency department, Rafael. It’s hectic, chaotic even, but I feel alive there. Every second, every decision counts. You can’t think too long, you have to act.”Her hands moved as she spoke, as though punctuating her words with invisible exclamation points. She always had that energy when she talked about her work—an intensity that matched her sharp mind.Rafael smiled faintly, though his attention kept drifting. She had ordered something unusual tonight—something he hadn’t expected. Belinda normally leaned toward seafood and delicate salads, but she had gone for a hearty lamb

The night after the team’s victory dinner wasn’t supposed to stretch any further. At least not for Adrea. She thought she’d retreat to her room, sit with her thoughts, and let the storm of triumph settle in her chest.Instead, Aris leaned close as the team spilled out of the glittering restaurant, their laughter carried on the night air. His hand brushed hers briefly, a whisper of contact only she would notice.“The night is not over just yet,” he murmured, “I’ve got something to show you.”Her brows lifted. “At this hour?”A crooked grin tugged at his lips. “Especially at this hour.”He didn’t give her time to argue, just got to his car and guided her into it with the ease of a man used to leading without question. The city lights blurred as they drove toward the water, and the closer they came, the sharper her heartbeat grew. The scent of salt reached her first, threading memories she hadn’t touched in years.And then she saw it: a yacht gleaming beneath the harbour lamps, its lines

The beach was almost empty, the tide rolling in with a steady rhythm that seemed to hush the world. The sinking sun cast orange streaks across the water, and Adrea’s feet sank into the cool sand as she walked beside Aris, their long shadows trailing like cloaks behind them. A little further down, Sofia had already abandoned her shoes and was darting toward the crashing waves, her laughter ringing out as she let the surf nip at her ankles.Adrea wasn’t watching the sea, though. Her phone glowed in her hand, Rafael’s message staring up at her.Congratulations on your progress. Your father would be proud of you.Her chest tightened, and she slowed her pace, letting the words turn over and over in her head like shells dragged in the tide.She was divorcing the man, for crying out loud. He had no right to intrude on her happiness now. And yet…And yet the mention of her father struck her in a place she rarely let herself go. Her father had always been proud of her—whether she was dealing ca