All Chapters of MARRIED TO MY EX-FIANCE'S RUTHLESS UNCLE: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

A week passed.The media frenzy died down. Elena and Damien were denied bail. The trial date was set for three months out.Life in the penthouse shifted into something new. Something undefined.Kael worked from home most days.He said he would be there for me if I needed anything. But I actually think he was scared I would leave while he was gone.I didn't go. But I did think about it.Every morning, I woke up and considered packing a bag. Finding my own place. Starting over somewhere he'd never controlled.And every morning I stayed.Not because I had to. Because I wanted to understand what this was. What we were. What we could be.Kael found me in the living room on Friday afternoon. I have something for you. He gave me an envelope.Inside were keys. And an address."What's this?""The apartment you had. Before everything. Your landlord sold the building. But I tracked down your belongings. Everything that was put in storage. It's all at that address. Waiting for you."I stared at t

My first day at the Martinez Gallery began at 9 a.m.My alarm woke Kael up before I did. He had made coffee. Toast. He set it all up like he was sending a youngster to their first day of school. He asked, "Are you nervous?" Very scared. You will be great. He gave me coffee. "Just be you."I put on my clothes. Businesslike. Able. Me.He was waiting at the elevator when I came out. "I thought you weren't going to hover," I said. I'm not hovering. "I'm." He stopped. "Okay, I'm floating. I can't help it. Nervousness on the first day. For both of us."You're not the one who is starting a new job. But I'm the one who sees you take your life back. That seems crucial.I gave him a kiss on the cheek. Fast. Not serious. "I'll be okay." I know you will.When I got to the gallery, everything was silent. Elena was in her office looking over some papers. Aria. Just the right time. The coffee is fresh. "Let me show you around the right way."She led me through the back rooms. Storage. Space for an o

Sophie arrived at noon carrying flowers and a bag of bagels. "I come bearing gifts!" She hugged me tight. "God, I missed you." "Missed you too." I pulled back. "You didn't have to bring anything." "Are you kidding?I'm meeting your husband properly. Of course I brought things." She looked around the penthouse. "Wow. This place is gorgeous." Kael emerged from his office."Sophie. Good to see you again." She sized him up. No smile. Just assessment. "Kael. Thanks for having me." The tension was thick.Sophie remembered the visits under supervision. the command. Kael remarked, "I'll leave you two alone." "If you need anything, I'll be in my office."He left. Giving us space. Like he'd promised. Sophie waited until his door closed. "Okay. What the hell is happening? Last time I was here, he wouldn't let us talk alone. Now he's giving us privacy?" "A lot has changed.""I can see that. You look different. Happier. Less" She paused. "Less trapped." We sat on the couch. I told her everything.

The prosecutor called me to the stand first.I walked past Elena and Damien. Neither looked at me. Cowards."Please state your name for the record.""Aria Laurent.""Ms. Laurent, can you tell us about your relationship with the defendants?"I took a breath. Started from the beginning.Meeting Damien at a charity event. Dating for two years. The engagement. How Elena befriended me six months before everything happened."She seemed kind. Interested in my life. We'd have coffee. She'd ask about Damien. About the wedding." I paused."I believed she was my friend." What happened in March of last year? People said I was spying on a business. Damien's relatives believed I had been giving away firm secrets.They had evidence. Bank accounts. Security footage. All with my name on it.""And was this evidence real?""No. It was all fabricated. By Elena. With Damien's help.""How do you know?""The forensic analysis. The IP addresses traced back to Elena's laptop. The timestamps matched when she w

The piece came out two weeks after the ruling.Rachel had named it "Rising from Ruins: One Woman's Journey from Victim to Survivor."I read that at the art show. Elena had printed a copy."This is powerful," she said. "You should be proud."The article laid out everything. The frame-up. The imprisonment. The complicated love story that emerged from trauma.Rachel had written it beautifully. Honestly. Without making me sound like a victim or Kael like a monster.Just two broken people finding their way to something real.My phone exploded with messages. Old friends. Colleagues. People I hadn't heard from in years.All supportive. All kinds.Sophie called, crying. "I'm so proud of you. So proud."Kael's reaction was quieter. He read it alone in his office. When he emerged, his eyes were red."You okay?" I asked."She wrote about how much you suffered. Because of me. Reading it—seeing it in print—" His voice broke. "I'm sorry. I know I've said it before but"I kissed him. "I know. And I'