Chapter 161 - He’s Not Home

The sound of tyres crunching on the gravel came from the quiet driveway as the Blackwood cars pulled up one after the other.High above the entrance, Tessa stood on the balcony outside her and Roman’s bedroom.She had been standing there for nearly twenty minutes, gripping the railing so tightly her fingers had begun to ache.Her eyes were fixed on the driveway. The first car door opened. Alec stepped out. Then Davin and the lawyer.In the second car, Nandini stepped out slowly, Lakshmi behind her, then Victor. Salima emerged last.Tessa leaned forward slightly, scanning the cars. Her heart began to pound. Roman didn’t get out.She waited. Another moment passed — still no Roman.Her stomach dropped. The front door opened downstairs and the family stepped inside.Tessa remained frozen on the balcony for a few seconds longer, staring at the empty driveway as the realisation slowly sank in.He wasn’t coming home — at least not today. Her chest tightened.Inside the house, the tension wa

Chapter 162 - I Can’t Forgive You

The clang of a metal door echoed through the corridor.Roman looked up from where he sat on the bench. He had now removed his suit jacket; his shirt was untucked and his buttons loose, revealing his toned chest.Footsteps followed, slow and steady, and a guard appeared outside the bars a moment later.“Sir,” the guard said. “You have a visitor.”Roman frowned slightly. “Who is it?”The guard glanced down at the clipboard in his hand.“Mrs Blackwood.”Roman’s brow furrowed. “My mother?”The guard shook his head. “No, sir. Your wife.”Roman’s face went blank.The guard stepped aside and a second pair of footsteps approached, slower this time.Then Tessa appeared.She stopped a few feet from the bars, her hands clasped together as if she wasn’t sure what to do with them.For a moment, neither of them spoke.Roman looked at her quietly. “What are you doing here?”Tessa shifted slightly under his gaze.“I just wanted to see how you were doing.”Roman didn’t respond.She hesitated, then add

Chapter 163 - His Decision

Tessa walked slowly along the empty road, her arms wrapped around herself as if she could somehow hold the pieces of her heart together. Her steps were uneven, her heels scraping the pavement more than walking on it.Roman’s voice wouldn’t leave her head.“There is no “us.””Her throat tightened when she remembered.“Hate requires emotion. What I feel for you now… is nothing.”A sob escaped her before she could stop it.Her eyes were swollen, her vision blurred with tears she couldn’t seem to stop. She wiped at them with shaking hands, but more kept falling.“Before I come home, I want you out of my house.”Tessa stumbled slightly, gripping onto a streetlight. Her breathing came out in broken bursts as the memory of his cold eyes replayed again and again.She kept walking. She didn’t even know where she was going.Then a car pulled up slowly beside the road ahead of her, its headlights cutting through the darkness. The engine idled quietly.Tessa didn’t notice.The driver’s door sudd

Chapter 164 - How Are You Here?

Salima sat at the head of the table, hands clasped tight.“How long until the lawyer gets here?” she asked for the sixth time in the past fifteen minutes.Victor glanced at his phone.“He said he’s on his way,” he replied calmly. “Traffic.”Salima exhaled slowly but didn’t relax.Across from her, Alec leaned back in his chair, staring down at the table.After some minutes, the front door opened somewhere down the hall.Footsteps approached quickly and a moment later the lawyer stepped into the dining room, loosening his tie.“Sorry I’m late,” Marcus said. “The courthouse held me longer than expected.”Salima leaned forward immediately. “Well?” she asked.The lawyer hesitated.Victor noticed it first. “What happened?”Marcus placed his briefcase on the table. “It’s not good news.”Alec straightened. “What kind of not good news?”“The judge denied the emergency review we requested tomorrow,” Marcus explained. “Roman’s next hearing stays where it is.”Salima frowned. “When is that?”Marc

Chapter 165 - Out Of Bound

“What? How’s this possible?” Eleanor asked, shocked. “What are you doing here?”Roman stood there — suit rumpled, jaw bruised, eyes blazing with quiet fury.His grip tightened around Eleanor’s wrist.“Let me go, you son of a bitch!” she growled, trying to pull free.“Don’t,” Roman said quietly.His voice was calm, but it carried a warning that made the room feel suddenly smaller.“Don’t you ever think you can lay a hand on my mother,” he continued, his eyes fixed on her. “Ever again.”For a moment, neither of them moved.Then Roman released her sharply.Eleanor jerked her arm back immediately, rubbing her wrist where his fingers had held it. Her eyes burned with fury as she stared at him.Salima still hadn’t moved.She stood there frozen, staring at Roman as if she wasn’t sure he was real.Roman turned to her.“Are you okay?” he asked quietly.Salima blinked, as if waking up from a dream.“Yes… I— I’m fine,” she said quickly. Her eyes scanned his face, lingering on the bruise on his

Chapter 166 - Unleash

Roman pulled the car to a stop in the hospital parking lot. “Stay here, Mom,” he said as he reached for the door.Salima turned toward him immediately. “Roman, what are you doing?”“I’m here to see Grayson,” he answered, already pushing the door open.Salima grabbed his arm.“No, you won’t,” she said firmly. “You just got out of jail. And you’re still angry. The last thing you need is more trouble.”Roman paused and looked at her. “I’ll be fine, Mom. I want to talk to him.”She searched his face, still worried.“I promise,” he added quietly. “Trust me.”Salima hesitated. Then she nodded slowly. “Okay… don’t stay long.”Roman gave a small nod and stepped out of the car.Inside the hospital, the air smelled faintly of antiseptic.Roman walked straight to the reception desk.“I’m here for Grayson Thorne.”The nurse checked her computer, then pointed toward the elevator. “Upstairs. Room 314.”Roman nodded once and headed down the hall.He got into the elevator and pushed the button to Gra