บททั้งหมดของ Burning Desire: A Tale of Love and Betrayal : บทที่ 31 - บทที่ 40

Jacqueline's POVI hadn’t slept.Not really. I closed my eyes, sure. I pulled the blanket over my shoulders, tucked my knees to my chest, and pretended that if I stayed still long enough, the chaos outside my apartment would die down.But it didn’t.The internet was on fire. My name trended for all the wrong reasons. Hashtags, think pieces, side-by-side photos dissecting every look Judge Blackwood had given me in court. The same people who ignored me in the office were now dissecting my character like vultures over gossip roadkill.The part that hurt the most?Somewhere deep down, it was working.I was starting to doubt myself.I stared at my phone screen. Calvin’s message still sat there in the Phoenix Group WhatsApp group: "Let’s not crucify her. We don’t have the full story."It was the kind of thing a friend would say. Measured. Reasonable.But my stomach twisted.Calvin hadn’t returned my texts. He hadn’t answered when I called the night the news broke. And when he did show up, h

Jacqueline’s POVI was walking past Calvin’s office when I heard voices, too loud for comfort.Calvin never raised his voice.I slowed, just enough to catch the cadence. The deeper one was unmistakable, Derek.“You will do no such thing,” Derek barked.A chair scraped back hard. I slipped into my office before either of them could see me. Seconds later, Derek stormed out, his eyes locked straight ahead, jaw set so tight it looked painful. There was frustration there… and something sharper, something darker.I counted to five, then made my way into Calvin’s office.He was hunched over his desk, elbows braced, sweat beading along his hairline despite the air conditioner set to a brisk sixteen degrees.“You okay?” I asked.His head snapped up too quickly. “Yeah. Yeah, fine. Do you need something?”“What was that with Derek?”“Nothing, outside work.”The words were casual, but the outside work part caught in my mind like a burr.“I saw him walk out like he was ready to kill someone.”Calv

Jacqueline’s POVFor once, I didn’t want to think about Phoenix Group, or Derek, or the whispers that slithered through the office hallways like smoke looking for fire. I wanted one night where I could simply… exist. No pointed stares measuring my worth. No questions dressed up as concern. No unseen eyes tracking my every move.Blackwood’s invitation had arrived with that practiced blend of charm and authority he wore like a tailored suit. That voice, low, deliberate, made Come for a drink sound almost like a verdict. Not dinner. Not coffee. Just a drink. Short. Simple. Contained. A promise of low commitment, low risk.Except risk had been my shadow lately, and I wasn’t eager to let it tag along. I hesitated, picturing what could go wrong, and the list was embarrassingly long. Another ambush from the press? A run-in with one of Derek’s admirers looking to sharpen her claws on me? Or worse, the kind of unexpected hit that left you reeling for weeks.Allison had started calling me a “De

Jacqueline’s POV“I think I know who might be behind what happened,” I said quietly, the hospital room’s low hum filling the pause between us.Blackwood’s gaze sharpened instantly. “Who?”“Trisha,” I answered without hesitation. “A few nights ago, at the club, she cornered me. At first, it was the usual, little digs, warnings about how I should stay away from you. But then…” I exhaled sharply. “She poured an entire glass of whiskey over me. Right there in front of everyone.”His expression darkened, jaw flexing like he was holding back more than just words.“She leaned in,” I continued, “and told me I ‘didn’t belong in your world’… that if I didn’t walk away from you, I’d regret it. She wasn’t bluffing, Henson. She was calm, deliberate, like she already had something planned.”His voice dropped, low and dangerous. “And you think the incident with your drink was her follow-through.”“Yes,” I said firmly. “It fits. She’s obsessed, territorial, and she wants me gone. I’m sure of it.”His

Jacqueline’s POVComing home from the weekend felt almost surreal. My head was still full of sunlight, the roar of engines, and the way Blackwood’s laugh had sounded freer out there, away from courtrooms and city noise. I’d left behind the heaviness of the past few weeks, like shedding an old coat.That feeling lasted exactly thirty seconds.Kimberly was still here.Her designer suitcase sat in the hallway like it had sprouted roots, her shoes scattered as if my apartment were a showroom. She barely looked up from her phone as Blackwood carried my bag inside.He kissed my temple before heading out, promising he’d call later. I went straight to the bathroom, desperate for a shower to wash off the road.I turned on the faucet, and instantly hissed in pain as scalding water blasted against my hand. I yanked it back, my skin flushing red from the burn. The steam was so thick it clouded the mirror.My heart thudded. I knew that heater. It had a safety valve, one I’d never touch, one you’d