บททั้งหมดของ Burning Desire: A Tale of Love and Betrayal : บทที่ 21 - บทที่ 30

Jacqueline’s POVI didn’t lift my head. I didn’t need to. The familiar scent, clean laundry and faint cinnamon, told me it was Calvin before I even heard his voice.“Jackie…”His tone was low, careful. Like I might break if he touched me the wrong way. And maybe I would.“The door was opened,” he added gently.I nodded once, barely. I didn’t even have the strength to pretend I minded.I heard his footsteps cross the room, slow and cautious. He lowered himself beside me, not touching me, just near. Giving me that quiet space he always knew I needed, even before I did.Neither of us spoke for a while. The silence between us was heavier than it used to be. Or maybe I was heavier now. With pain. With rage. With disappointment too deep to cry out anymore.Then, softly, like a breath, I whispered, “He’s married, Calvin.”His hand reached for mine.“Married,” I repeated, the word slicing through the air like broken glass. “And she’s pregnant. And… There's another woman too. He had a whole ot

Jacqueline’s POVAll eyes turned to me the moment I stepped into the office.My black leather mini skirt hugged my curves like a threat. My cropped jacket was tailored to perfection, and the mini shoulder handbag slung across my side made each of my steps echo with intent. My heels didn't click; they commanded. Instead of being seen as the pitiful woman whose fiancé abandoned her, I had become something else entirely.The abandoner.Mouths parted. Conversations stalled. The pity in their eyes turned to curiosity. Fear, even. I felt it with each step that sliced through the silence of the space I used to walk through invisibly."H-hi," a few of the braver ones stammered.And then there was Calvin.He stood frozen, his jaw slack, eyes wide and forehead wrinkled in disbelief as his gaze locked onto mine."I'm cutting all ties with Derek," I announced without a pause."Uhmm… good morning, Jackie," he said, like he was a substitute teacher reminding me about manners.I waved the greeting o

Jacqueline’s POVI didn’t expect to hear from him.Blackwood wasn’t the type to text at midnight with sweet nothings or cryptic emojis. He wasn’t the kind to send flowers or play games. His silence after that drink stung more than Derek’s loud betrayals ever did.But I got home, peeled off the dress, wiped the illusion of glamor from my face, and stood before the mirror again.This version of me… she didn’t chase.She chose.And now, I had a choice to make.To lean in, or to step back.I wrapped myself in silk pajamas, poured a glass of water, and that’s when I saw it.The envelope.White. Heavy. No postage. No name on the front.Just sitting there on the coffee table like it belonged.I opened it slowly, carefully. Inside was a single black card with clean white script:“Jacqueline,Not every courtroom needs witnesses.Tomorrow. 7:00 p.m.”My place.No pressure. No assumption.Just an invitation.A pulse fluttered in my throat. Heat rolled through me like a slow wave.Something insid

Jacqueline's POV The sun was setting behind the Phoenix Group building, staining the sky a burnt orange, like fire pressed behind clouds. I hated that it reminded me of Derek. He always did say I looked best in sunset light. Back then, I believed him. Now, I just saw shadows. I stepped out into the parking lot, heels tapping against the pavement, clutching my bag with one hand and my keys with the other. I had stayed later than usual, finishing up expense reports and finalizing the last phase of the internal audit Blackwood had requested. It was the kind of meticulous work I once buried myself in to forget everything else. But tonight, even numbers couldn’t quiet the tension prickling beneath my skin. I spotted the sleek black car before I saw him. Derek. He leaned against the driver’s side, hands tucked in his pockets, face too calm to be casual. His tie was undone, shirt sleeves rolled to his elbows—like he was trying to play the familiar card. Trying to wear the ver

Jacqueline’s POVThe ride home felt longer than it should have. Not because of traffic, but because every block I passed seemed to whisper something I couldn’t unhear.Scandal.Affair.Corruption.By the time I got home, my nerves were steel-wrapped in silk. I dropped my bag, kicked off my heels, and turned on the TV, mostly out of habit, partly for noise.I should’ve known better.It didn’t take long.“…the rising scandal involving Jacqueline McCall, an accountant in the Phoenix Group fraud case, and the presiding judge, Henson Blackwood,” the anchor said, calm and rehearsed. “Sources suggest a possible romantic entanglement that could compromise the ongoing investigation. While neither party has issued an official statement, photographs circulating online raise questions about their professional boundaries.”The screen changed.A photo of me and Blackwood at the bar.Then… one in the courthouse lobby.And finally, the grainy elevator still. The one from the anonymous envelope.My b