All Chapters of A Man in Distress: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

CHAPTER 51 — LianaFriday arrived with a weight I couldn’t ignore. The week had been a tightrope: navigating Marcus’s warnings, Evan’s quiet presence, and Ethan’s absence. I’d spent hours in the office, shuffling documents, prepping motions, and meeting with associates, but the underlying tension clung to me like a second skin.By late morning, my phone buzzed again.Maya:Aunt Liana, can we go to the park after school? I miss you.A pang of warmth softened my chest. I typed back quickly:Me:Of course. I’ll pick you up at four.I didn’t notice my reflection in the glass as I hung up. I didn’t recognize the tired woman staring back at me—lines of worry etched deeper than they had a week ago, eyes shadowed by sleepless nights, but determination still alive in the way I held myself.At Delgado & Reyes, the firm moved at its usual relentless pace. But today felt different. People glance

CHAPTER 53 — LianaMonday at the firm always carried an edge of inevitability. The city outside was a haze of gray skies and honking taxis, but inside Delgado & Reyes, the air was crisp, calculated, and charged. Papers shuffled, phones rang incessantly, and I moved through it all like a ghost, present but not fully there.I didn’t notice Marcus approaching until he was right behind me in the hallway.“Liana,” he said, voice casual but firm.I stopped. “Yes?”He adjusted his tie, eyes flicking over the floor with that practiced measuring of mine and mine alone. “We need to talk.”I sighed inwardly. I knew.He led me to his office, gesturing for me to sit across from him. The walls were lined with awards, certificates, and framed photographs of smiling associates—a façade of success that barely masked the calculated ambition beneath.“You’re doing exceptionally well,” Marcus began, voice smooth. “Bu

CHAPTER 55 — LianaThe morning air felt unusually heavy, even for Manila. Rain threatened to fall, the clouds thick and gray, mirroring the tension that had settled over my life like an uninvited guest. I moved through the corridors of Delgado & Reyes with purpose, but the weight of yesterday’s revelations lingered. The press had blown the situation wide open: the insinuations about my connection to Evan Ramos weren’t just rumors anymore—they were questions, discussions, and speculation.I didn’t have time to dwell. Clients, filings, and meetings awaited, but the nagging anxiety in my chest refused to be ignored. I barely made it to my office before Ethan arrived, already scanning reports on his laptop.“You’ve seen it?” I asked, voice quiet.Ethan didn’t look up. “Yes. And it’s worse than we anticipated.”I sank into my chair, rubbing my face with my hands. “I can’t believe how fast it spread.”“It’s Marcus,”

CHAPTER 57 — EthanI didn’t see it coming. Not exactly. I knew Marcus played his games meticulously—subtle, precise, like a chess master moving pieces I didn’t even know existed. But what I hadn’t anticipated was how… raw it would feel, seeing Liana and Evan together, seeing the history between them, and realizing how much of her heart, whether she knew it or not, still belonged to him.I arrived at Delgado & Reyes that morning with the usual sense of purpose, the usual plan for controlling the narrative, for managing the fallout, for keeping Liana out of harm’s way. Marcus had escalated the press campaign overnight. Headlines were vicious, insinuations more pointed, and somewhere between corporate leaks and social media chatter, the world was questioning her professionalism, her judgment, her morality.I set my laptop on the table in our war room and exhaled sharply. Another day. Another battle. Another attempt to protect her from forces beyond her contro

CHAPTER 59 — LianaThe office felt like a war zone. Not literally, of course, but every glance at my phone, every email, every message from the PR team felt like a minefield. The headlines had escalated overnight. Marcus’s subtle manipulations had turned into a full-on campaign: questioning my professional integrity, insinuating inappropriate ties with Evan Ramos, painting me as emotionally compromised and unfit to lead the case.I sat at my desk, shoulders tense, coffee untouched, scrolling through the latest barrage.“Delgado & Reyes Lawyer Entangled with Rival Firm’s Evan Ramos?”“Liana’s Past Complicates Current Litigation”“Is the Firm Being Compromised by Personal History?”I groaned, burying my face in my hands. The words blurred, the panic and frustration coiling tightly in my chest.“Liana?” Ethan’s voice was soft but firm, slicing through the chaos like a lifeline. He appeared in the doorway