Semua Bab Beyond Reasonable Doubt (Full Series): Bab 1 - Bab 10

Chapter 2Jordan POVBy the time I got back to my office, the courthouse adrenaline had burned off and left that familiar aftertaste: stale coffee, cheap hallway air, and the subtle urge to scream into a pillow for exactly seven seconds.I didn’t do the pillow thing. I did the paperwork thing, which is basically the same coping mechanism but with more debt.My office was on the third floor of a building that had once tried to be “upscale professional” and had ended up more “dentist next to a tax prep.” The elevator always smelled like someone’s lunch, and the hallway carpet had survived at least three decades of bad decisions. But the rent was reasonable, the parking lot didn’t require blood sacrifice, and the walls were mine.I tossed my bag on my desk and kicked my heels off under it. There was a small bruise forming on the back of my foot because apparently my body liked to punish me for ambition.“Good morning to you too,” my paralegal, Nina, called without looking up from her com

Chapter 4Jordan POVThe building Mercer picked was the kind of downtown glass tower that made you feel underdressed even in a blazer. The lobby was all marble floors, soft lighting, and a front desk staffed by someone who looked like they’d been trained to smile without revealing personal feelings or blood type.I checked in with a receptionist whose hair was smooth enough to qualify as a brand partnership.“Jordan Carter,” I said. “I’m here for a twelve o’clock.”She didn’t ask who with. She already knew. That alone was a detail worth filing away.“Of course, Ms. Carter.” Her eyes flicked to a screen. “Conference Suite C. Take the elevator to the twenty-third floor. Someone will meet you.”“Thank you.” I smiled and made sure my voice stayed warm. Courtesy is a weapon when you know how to use it.The elevator ride was silent except for the soft music that plays in places where money is trying to convince you it’s classy. I watched the floor numbers climb and forced my breathing to st

Chapter 6Jordan POVWhitaker emailed the engagement packet before I even made it back to my office, which told me three things.One: Mercer moved fast when they wanted control.Two: they expected me to sign quietly.Three: they hadn’t met me.Nina was waiting at my desk with my heels in her hand like she was considering throwing them out the window for my own good.“You look determined,” she said.“I’m fine,” I replied.“That’s what you say right before you do something unhinged,” Nina said, dropping the heels onto my desk. “And based on the fact you look… satisfied, I’m guessing Mercer offered you an amount of money that would make my student loans pass out.”I set my bag down and pulled out the packet Whitaker had printed and messengered over—yes, messengered, because Mercer apparently lived in a world where time was something you purchased.“It’s substantial,” I admitted.Nina’s eyes widened. “Substantial like ‘new car’ or substantial like ‘new personality’?”“New personality,” I

Chapter 8Jordan POVRowan didn’t take me straight to wherever they planned to stash me.Of course he didn’t.He brought me back to the gatehouse first, like I was a package that needed to be scanned twice before it was allowed to exist on their land.The truck ride was quiet. Not awkward quiet—Rowan didn’t do awkward. This was intentional. The kind of silence people use when they don’t want to give you anything you can use later.I watched the road anyway. I watched where the cameras were, where the lights changed, where the fence line dipped and rose. I watched the way the trees were trimmed back near the asphalt so there was nothing to hide behind. I watched the way the shoulders were cleared and graded like someone had cared about tire tracks.Rowan drove like he wanted the trip over with. Smooth. Controlled. No music. No wasted motion. He didn’t look at me once, not directly. He didn’t need to. I could feel the awareness of me in every decision he made—how fast he went, when he s

Chapter 10Jordan POVRowan walked me through the packhouse like he was escorting a witness to court and didn’t want her to trip on the carpet and sue.He stayed half a step behind and to my left—close enough to grab, far enough to pretend he wasn’t hovering. He didn’t speak unless he had to. He didn’t look at the art on the walls or the framed photographs that tried to make this place feel like a home. His attention stayed on doorways, corners, and the people we passed.Most of those people looked human. Maybe they were. Maybe they weren’t. I didn’t know yet. What I did know was that they all watched me the same way you watched a stranger in your living room: polite, contained, curious, and a little tense.I didn’t blame them. I was the stranger. I was also the lawyer. And right now, those two titles had the same meaning: threat.Kane’s office was off the library.The library itself was the kind of room people built when they wanted to look thoughtful without actually reading much. D