Alle Kapitel von NAKED LIES OF THE BILLIONAIRE: Kapitel 121 – Kapitel 130

I arrived at the courthouse a little before nine, the morning air crisp with the faint bite of early fall and the smell of wet leaves from last night’s rain. I had chosen my outfit the night before with careful intention, charcoal gray blazer, tailored white blouse tucked into slim black trousers, low black heels that clicked with quiet authority rather than nerves. My hair was pulled into a sleek, low bun, secured with pins that felt like small anchors. Makeup was minimal: foundation to even out the shadows under my eyes, a touch of concealer, nude lipstick. Nothing dramatic. Just enough to look composed. Just enough to look like I wasn’t hollow inside.The courthouse building was the same as always, gray stone steps worn smooth by decades of footsteps, brass doors that caught the pale sunlight, the faint echo of voices bouncing off marble floors. I walked through security, bag scanned, shoes off, arms raised, then followed the signs to the family court division. A clerk at the count

They hadn’t called us yet.The courtroom clock ticked past 9:40, each second stretching longer than the last. The clerk had worked through three other cases already, quick dissolutions, uncontested agreements, couples who looked relieved or numb or both as they walked out. None of them had taken more than ten minutes. Ours was still pending, listed somewhere near the bottom of the docket, and every time the clerk’s voice rose with a new number, my pulse jumped, then settled again when it wasn’t ours.Mr Okon , had texted me eight minutes ago:‘ Stuck in traffic on the bridge. ETA 10-12 minutes. Hold steady. Do NOT speak to opposing counsel or the petitioner without me present. ‘I stared at the message again, thumb hovering over the screen, then locked the phone and slipped it back into my bag. I had contemplated going to talk to Daniel. The thought kept circling. Some hours passed and, then finally doors opened behind me and I caught the familiar footsteps of Mr Okons shoes. I le

I didn’t flinch. Didn’t snap back. Just kept my gaze down, breathing slow and even, letting the words hang there between us like smoke. “Can you let me through, Daniel,” I said, voice low but firm, trying to step past him toward the exit doors.He didn’t move. Instead he shifted sideways, planting himself directly in my path again, broad shoulders blocking the way, arms loose at his sides but tense enough that I could see the muscles flexing under his suit jacket.“Where are you going?” he asked, stepping closer so I had to tilt my head up to meet his gaze. “I’m talking to you.” I took a deep breath, slow, through my nose, letting it fill my lungs before I released it. Then I stepped back, creating a small space between us, enough to feel like I could breathe again. “Can you let me be, Daniel…” I said quietly. The words weren’t loud. They weren’t angry. They were tired-bone-deep tired of carrying all this weight of confusion, his need to have the last word even now. I had nothing le

As soon as I said that, Daniel turned his back on me.No final glance, no lingering pause, no attempt to soften the moment with one last word. Just the sharp pivot of his shoulders, the stiff set of his neck, the way his suit jacket pulled tight across his back as he started walking. His lawyer fell into step beside him without missing a beat, phone already in hand, briefcase swinging lightly, murmuring something low and urgent into his ear. He didn’t respond to her. He just kept moving, stride long and deliberate, like he was trying to outrun the conversation we’d just had.I watched him step out through the heavy glass doors,light catching the polished leather of his shoes as he crossed the threshold. The doors swung shut behind him with a soft pneumatic sigh, muffling the sound of his footsteps on the concrete outside. I trailed behind, much slower. My heels clicked against the floor , a measured rhythm, each step quieter than the last, as if my body had decided it no longer needed

As soon as I walked in, the door clicking shut behind me with that familiar soft thud, my heart skipped a beat.Clara was seated in the living room. legs crossed at the knee, one ankle resting lightly on the other. She held a tall glass of orange juice in her right hand, the same juice I’d watched Adrian squeeze two nights ago after a late dinner, the pulp still faintly visible against the glass. Her left hand rested on the armrest, fingers drumming once, twice, before stilling.She looked completely at home, casual in a cream silk blouse and slim black trousers, hair pulled into a low, effortless knot, the kind of effortless that took effort.Her eyes followed me across the room, slow ,unblinking, as I walked to the couch opposite her and dropped my bag onto the cushion beside me. “I didn’t know you were coming over today,” I said, keeping my voice even, polite, the way you speak to someone you’re still trying to figure out whether to trust.Clara took a slow sip of the juice, lips