The Billionaire's Legal Wife 의 모든 챕터: 챕터 51 - 챕터 60

“Miss Larsen, one last question before you leave the stage,”the host said with a cheerful tone, unaware of the storm about to break. Ashley forced a polite smile and stepped closer to the mic. Cameras were pointed at her from every angle, the audience glowing with anticipation. Her collection had been a massive success. Tonight was supposed to be her moment—her triumph, her clean slate. But she felt that strange pressure again. That unsettling ripple in the room. The same heavy presence she thought she imagined earlier. “Ashley,”a voice called from the crowd. Her entire world stopped. Duke Austen stepped out from the shadows, walking toward the stage with slow, steady steps that made every heartbeat in the room echo. The crowd reacted instantly—gasps, whispers, reporters scrambling to focus their lenses. “Is that Duke Austen?” “Why is he here?” “Are they connected? I thought his wife died—wait, wasn’t that her name?” “Is that the designer he keeps being linked to?” Ashley fe

“Let’s move this rack a little closer to the window,” Ashley’s brother said with forced brightness, clapping his hands lightly. “The light here is killing the texture.”“It’s fine where it is,” Ashley replied without looking up from the sketch tablet. Ashley’s brother blinked, then smiled again. “Right. Of course. Just suggesting.”Duke stood across the table, arms folded, watching the room he pretended was neutral territory. Temporary office. Temporary arrangement. Nothing about it felt temporary. It felt like being sealed inside a room with words neither of them were allowed to say.“The cut of the bodice is too conservative,” he said carefully. “The Valencrest line is known for risk.”Ashley did not look at him. “And it’s also known for precision. Risk without intention is laziness.”Ashley’s brother let out a small laugh. “Wow. Okay. No pressure in this room at all.”Silence followed.Duke shifted. “I wasn’t implying laziness.”“I know what you imply and what you don’t,” Ashley a

“Step aside,”Alexandra snapped as the glass doors of Austen Holdings slid open behind her.“I said move. Now!" The lobby froze. Assistants, executives, visitors all stopped mid step as her heels struck. Ashley had just finished signing in when the voice reached her. “So it’s really you,”Alexandra continued, laughing harshly.“I thought it was just gossip. I didn’t think they’d actually let you walk in here again!" Ashley slowly turned to face her. “Good morning,”she said calmly.“If you’re going to cause a scene, at least match it with decent lighting. This lobby deserves better drama.” A few people shifted uncomfortably. Alexandra’s smile tightened. “You still talk like you belong,”she said.“You don’t. You never did.” “I beg to differ,”Ashley replied.“I built more here than you ever noticed.” Alexandra stepped closer, eyes scanning Ashley from head to toe.“Look at you. Playing successful now. Pretending the past didn’t happen.” “I don’t pretend,”Ashley said.“I survived it.” “O

“Ashley, I…” Duke’s voice cracked before he could finish. Rainwater dripped from his hair onto the wooden floor, soaking the hem of his jacket, pooling slightly at his shoes. He held a small velvet box between trembling fingers. “I can’t… I can’t hold this anymore.” Ashley looked up from the couch where she had been curled under a blanket, the city lights reflecting off the wet streets outside. “You shouldn’t be here,” she said softly, voice steady but her pulse picking up. “It’s late. You’re drenched. You’ll catch a cold.” “I don’t care about that,” he replied quickly, stepping closer, boots leaving faint wet prints on the floor. “I care about this.” He held the box out to her, almost reverently, as if it contained the sum of their entire past. “I can’t keep it anymore. I can’t keep pretending it doesn’t exist, pretending I don’t remember. Pretending you don’t matter. It belongs to you.” Ashley’s hand hovered above the box, then fell to her side. She didn’t take it immediatel

“He destroyed himself for you,”her assistant said quietly, holding the tablet with both hands. “Ashley… you need to see this now.” “Read it,”Ashley replied, not looking up from her sketchpad. “If it’s another headline twisting my name, I don’t want it summarized.” The assistant swallowed. “No. This time, he’s the one being torn apart.” Ashley’s pencil paused mid line. She lifted her head slowly. “What do you mean?" The tablet was placed in front of her. Breaking News. Duke Austen Admits to Manipulative Contract Marriage. Claims Designer Ashley Larsen Was Forced. Her breath hitched. “He gave an interview this morning,”the assistant continued softly. “Three media outlets. No lawyers. No conditions.” Ashley stared at the screen. The words blurred for a second before sharpening cruelly into focus. “I coerced her,”Duke’s quoted voice read. “I was desperate and selfish. Ashley Larsen never needed my name or money. I was the one clinging to her.” Ashley’s fingers curled against the