All Chapters of Legally Bound : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

“Objection, Your Honor. Counsel is leading the witness.”Lily’s voice carried through the courtroom, calm but firm, like a quiet command that couldn’t be ignored.The judge nodded. “Sustained.”The opposing counsel, a polished attorney with a smirk that had probably worked on others, adjusted his tie and offered her a smile. She didn’t return it. Instead, she turned back to her notes, her expression neutral, professional, untouchable.By the time she finished her cross-examination, the courtroom had fallen silent. The witness fumbled through his last words, and even the judge leaned forward slightly, visibly impressed.When the gavel struck, the ruling was in her favor. Motion granted.A small, satisfied smile curved her lips as she gathered her files. From the second row, Gillian grinned and mouthed, That’s my girl.As Lily walked toward the doors, the same opposing counsel hurried to catch up.“You really are something, Ms. Smith,” he said, half-laughing, half-charming. “Sharp mind,

The elevator doors closed with a soft chime, sealing Alex inside a silence that pressed against his thoughts.He leaned back, exhaling slowly. His pulse still hadn’t settled.Lily.He had found her.After months of chasing faint leads and quiet hopes, she’d walked into the room like some calm storm; changed, sharper, distant.And yet… still her.He ran a hand through his hair and unlocked his phone, tapping the screen until two familiar faces appeared; Eileen and Wilson.“Okay,” Eileen said the second the call connected, her tone suspiciously giddy. “You sound like someone who’s either seen a ghost or made a fortune. Which is it?”Wilson’s grin filled the other half of the screen. “I’m betting on the ghost. He looks too shaken for profit.”Alex sighed. “You’re both insufferable.”Eileen gasped. “It’s her, isn’t it?”He didn’t answer immediately. His silence said enough.Wilson leaned closer to his camera. “You found Lily?”Alex nodded. “Yeah. At Barton & Myers. She’s… she’s there. A j

Alex arrived thirty minutes early.Not ten.Not fifteen.Thirty.Café Aurelia always attracted the city’s best-dressed, busiest, chattiest people in the mornings but not today.Not if he could help it.He stood at the counter, scanning the room with lawyer-level precision.“Do you have any private spaces?” he asked.The manager blinked. “Private spaces? Uh, no sir, we’re an open-seating café.”Alex nodded once, then set his black card on the counter.“What’s the revenue for two hours?”The manager froze. “P-pardon?”“For the whole café. Add peak-hour rates.”A number was stuttered out. Alex didn’t flinch.“Charge me,” he said simply.“But..but sir, customers are already in, it will be unprofessional of us to send them away”“I’ll double it,” Alex said without flinchingWithin minutes, customers were redirected, chairs reset, lights adjusted.The doors were gently locked from inside.By 9:45, Alex sat alone in a warm, glowing café that echoed with the soft hum of the espresso machine a

Monday loomed like a silent countdown.Alex felt it in the air, in the restless way he paced his apartment the next morning, in the quiet hum beneath every thought. He’d been preparing his keynote for hours, but the words blurred every time he tried to rehearse them.His apartment,sleek glass walls, soft lighting, curated elegance felt more like a cage today. Crime reports and corporate legal codes lay open across his dining table; he had annotated half, abandoned the rest.He checked the clock.Only fifteen minutes had passed.He ran a hand through his hair and pushed himself away from the table, grabbing his gym bag as if movement could silence his thoughts.The fitness center downstairs was nearly empty, the city still waking up. The mirrored walls reflected his distraction back at him; sharp jaw, tired eyes, posture too tense for a Saturday morning.He stepped onto the treadmill, started running, faster and faster until his breath strained. Sweat dripped down his neck, but his tho

Monday morning arrived too quickly.Lily woke before her alarm, staring at the pale ceiling with a quiet heaviness in her chest. Today was the workshop. Her first speaking engagement. Her name was actually on a program. The thought made her stomach flutter.She dressed carefully in a navy blouse and fitted black trousers, every detail exact. She needed control today even if it was only over her outfit.Gillian appeared at the doorway with her handbag and files.“You ready?”Lily nodded, even though the answer was no.The car ride was quiet. Chicago’s traffic moved in slow waves, horns playing a restless rhythm. Gillian glanced her way once or twice before finally speaking.“You’re speaking today because you earned your place,I want you to understand that” she said softly. Lily exhaled slowly.“I do girl.”When they reached the venue, Gillian parked in the courthouse lot next door for her morning hearing, then walked Lily to the entrance.“You’ll kill it,” she said, squeezing her shou