Lahat ng Kabanata ng His to Ruin, Hers to Reclaim.: Kabanata 41 - Kabanata 50

– Smoke & MirrorsThe lawyer smirked. “Ms. Valenti, would you describe your relationship with Mr. Blackwood?” I breathed sharply. “Complicated. Painful. Unfinished. But real.” The courtroom stilled. “He left me once,” I admitted, my voice calm though my throat burned. “He broke me in ways I thought I’d never recover from. And yet when danger came for my son, he was the one who bled for us. He was the one who stood between Lucas and death when no one else would.” The attorney tried to cut in. “So you’re saying” “I’m saying,” I snapped, fire breaking through, “that Ethan Blackwood may have demons, but he is no monster. He is Lucas’s father. And no title, no smear effort, no twisted half-truth changes that.” I turned toward the judge, my chest heaving. “If you want to punish someone for being reckless, punish me. I let Adrian into our lives. I trusted the wrong people. But don’t punish Lucas by taking away his father. He deserves both of us.” A mutter swept through the crowd again

– Blood in the ShadowsBut whose blood would it be? “You’re both playing with fire,” Naomi said, her voice striking through the air like a knife. “And you don’t even see the smoke curling around your necks.” Her warning still hung in the air of my office, thick and smothering. The city spread beneath the floor-to-ceiling glass, but I didn’t see the skylineI saw the change in Sonia’s eyes as she stood across from me, torn between fury and doubt. “What do you mean, Naomi?” Sonia demanded, her voice shaking despite the steel she tried to put over it. “Adrian’s dead. His empire fell with him. There’s nothing left to” Naomi’s laugh was dry, bitter, empty of humor. “You think Adrian was the head? No. He was a front. The one holding the strings is still out there. And he’s closer than either of you realize.” I stepped forward, my hands curling into fists. “Enough games. Who is it?” Her gaze flicked to me, sharp and disturbing. “Think, Ethan. Who stood to gain the most from Adrian’s dow

- The Boardroom Coup“What the hell?” I gasped, but his hand pressed against my shoulder, firm and steady despite the chaos. “Stay down,” he ordered, his voice deadly calm the sound of a man slipping into war mode. Adrenaline rushed through me, my pulse pounding as I clutched the carpet, trying to keep my breaths quiet. Shadows moved against the broken window, three, four invaders sweeping in like dogs. Ethan’s eyes found mine, angry and unwavering. “You trust me now?” he asked, low and sharp, as he pulled a gun from the holster at his back. I could barely breathe, but I nodded. Because at this moment, with death closing in, there was no one else I could trust more than him. He gave a curt nod, then turned out from behind the bed, firing two clean shots that dropped the first attacker before they even hit the floor. The others scattered, returning fire, bullets slicing the night. I scrambled for cover, my heart racing, my mind spinning. Who had found us? How? And then it hit me

- The Breaking PointNaomi swallowed hard, her shoulders shaking. “After Adrian died, his empire didn’t vanish. Pieces of it scattered men hungry for scraps, desperate for payback. They came to me. They said if I didn’t keep them informed, they’d target Lucas. You. Your child. They weren’t bluffing.” Her eyes flicked to me, then Ethan. “So I made a deal. I fed them nothing of valuejust crumbs, things they could’ve found out on their own. Enough to keep them happy. Enough to keep them from cutting into you.” I wanted to believe her. God, I wanted to. But the deep ache in my chest told me trust wasn’t safe anymore. Ethan’s face was cut in stone, his voice low and deadly. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? You’ve put every one of us under suspicion. Every word we’ve spoken in this house could already be in their hands.” Naomi’s eyes shone with unshed tears. “And if I hadn’t, they would’ve already burned this place down with us inside. You think I wanted this? You think I haven’t

– CrossroadsMy stomach twisted. “Then how do you know you can trust them at all?” No answer. Just the oppressive weight of their quiet. Sonia glanced at me, her eyes sharpening. “Ethan… what if the Shadow Player isn’t outside this room? What if they’re already inside?” The board strengthened. Suspicion sparked like flames. Eyes darted from face to face, paranoia spreading. Miranda shot up from her seat. “Don’t twist this! You’re just trying to cover his insecurity by creating conspiracies.” I leaned in close, my voice a whisper edged with threat. “Then prove me wrong. Open your books, your calls, your records. Unless, of course, you’re the one hiding teeth behind that smile.” Her face paled, but her mouth stayed locked. That was when the office door burst open. Naomi stumbled in, blood marking her sleeve, her breath ragged. Every head snapped toward her. My heart lurched. “What the hell?” I started, but she cut me off, her voice breaking. “They know.” Her gaze darted around