All Chapters of What the Heart didn't Know: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

(Amelia's POV) "They made us look like a lie, Adrian. We have to make them wrong."I stripped out of my expensive, constricting suit, the silk feeling like a mockery after the brutal failure in court. The judge was worried about the chaos. He was worried about the violence and the scandal Abigail Anderson had so effectively weaponized.I walked into the living room of the penthouse. Adrian was there, staring out at the cityscape, his shoulders tense. He was still in his own formal wear, his tie loosened, a shadow of defeat clinging to him. We had just come from a dinner with Julius, where the consensus was grim: the fight was legitimate, but the public image was a disaster."We almost lost, didn't we?" I said, my voice barely a whisper. "Abigail used every insecurity I have. She used the contract, the money, the age—everything."Adrian turned, his eyes tired and haunted. "She used the fact that we've been running on performance instead of foundation. We can talk about love all day, b

(Amelia's POV)"It's a poisoned gift, Julius. And I don't know if I can afford to refuse it."I leaned across the sleek, mahogany table in Julius Anderson’s office, the tension in the room thick enough to choke on. Adrian stood behind me, his hands resting lightly on my shoulders, a silent promise of support. Lyra’s final, desperate offer the ultimate piece of blackmail against Abigail Anderson, lay illuminated on Julius's screen."Lyra is offering to trade Abigail's humiliation for her own parole hearing, Amelia," Julius confirmed, his voice coolly analytical. "She knows that exposing Abigail's past will instantly discredit her entire testimony against you. It's a clean, legal win.""A clean win bought with Lyra's dirt," I countered, the ethical dilemma crushing me. "We beat Branwyn and the traitor with integrity. We can't win the final battle with a backroom deal.""We're fighting for a child, Amelia," Adrian interjected, his voice low and firm. "We're fighting a system that sees th

(Dual POV)"The court is prepared to deliver its final, definitive ruling regarding the permanent custody of the minor child, Lucia Hayes."The judge’s voice, though calm, felt like thunder in the silent room. Every sound—the rustle of Julius’s papers, the creak of the bench—was amplified a thousand times. The weight of the last two years, the fear, the running, the fighting, all boiled down to this single moment.Part I: Adrian (The Verdict)I locked eyes with Amelia. Her hand gripped mine so tightly I could feel the blood draining from my fingers, but neither of us let go. We had laid out our lives bare: the lies, the violence, the deep, flawed, honest love. We had thrown away every legal advantage by not using Lyra's blackmail. Now, we waited for judgment."The court has reviewed the exhaustive evidence," the judge stated, adjusting his glasses. "The initial instability, the criminal chaos surrounding the plaintiffs, and the transactional nature of the early marriage are acknowled

(Adrian's POV)"Lyra’s empire ends today, Julius. Hit every account."I stood in Julius Anderson's private operations room, the tension replaced by cold, absolute focus. The final court ruling had given us peace, but the corporate war wasn't finished. Lyra, even in prison, still controlled the intricate network of shell corporations—the Aegis Acquisitions Group—that held the stolen Hayes assets."We have the authorization, Adrian," Julius confirmed, tapping his screen. "The court's final ruling, combined with the criminal evidence we collected from Brandon and the traitor, grants us a complete asset recovery mandate. I'm initiating the freeze and seizure on three continents simultaneously.""We need to guarantee nothing leaks," I stated, watching the screens. "Lyra and her lawyers are desperate. They'll try a last-minute wire transfer.""The moment I hit the command, every bank is notified, and every key account is locked. This is airtight. We are dismantling Aegis, not just freezing

(Adrian's POV) "You're quiet, Mr. Cole. The world is safe, but you look like you're still fighting."Amelia's voice, soft and knowing, pulled me from the dark loop in my head. We were sitting on the terrace of our penthouse, the quiet of the night a stark contrast to the chaos of the past year. Lucia was asleep, the company was stable, and the legal battles were over. Yet, the adrenaline in my veins refused to dissipate."I am still fighting it," I admitted, turning to look at her. "I'm fighting the memory of the rage."The Weight of the ViolenceI had to tell her the rest of it, the part I still carried like a physical wound."You know I broke that man's arm to protect you," I continued, my voice low and heavy. "But you don't know the feeling, Amelia. The absolute necessity of the violence. It was cold, immediate, and utterly efficient. When I broke that arm, I felt nothing but a dark satisfaction. And that scares me, because that's what Branwyn and the others felt all the time.""Y