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CHAPTER 171WHEN YOUR WORLD CRUMBLESISABELLAThe days after the gala blended into one another. I just stopped counting, stopped looking at the clock and stopped caring whether it was morning or night. Time had become meaningless, it was just an endless loop of headlines, whispers, and the echo of Camille's voice cracking when she said my name."I trusted you."The words played in my head on repeat. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face. I’ve never seen a pale, betrayed and broken face like that.I tried to call her. The first day, I called seventeen times and she didn't answer. The second day, she blocked my number. hAnd on the third day, I stood outside her door for an hour, knocking softly, whispering her name and begging for her to hear me out."You're not going to give up, are you?" Camille's voice came through the wood in a flat and exhausted tone. "Please," I said. "Just let me explain.""I don't want to hear it, Isabella."Ouch! It's been like a hundred years since she

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CHAPTER 172TURNING THE TIDE ALEXANDERGrasually, I withdrew into silence. Silence that bore hours and hours of strategies. The house was emptier now. Julien was gone, Cmille stayed in her room, speaking to no one and Isabella laid in the hospital, recovering from starvation and exhaustion. Each time I visited, her eyes were more vacant. I spent my days in the study with the door closed and my phone pressed to my ear most of the time. Bernard came and went, Private investigators came and went while lawyers filed motions, submitted evidence and prepared statements. I barely slept, ate or rested. And then finally, the first crack appeared on the tenth day. Bernard walked into my study with a flash drive in his hand and a grim smile on his face."The forensic team finished analyzing the footage," he said. "The videos were recorded using hidden cameras while others were taken by secret photographers. The cameras that were installed without consent in private areas of the beach hous

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CHAPTER 173A MONTH OF SILENCEISABELLAParis was gloomy when I returned… Or maybe it was just me. The moment I stepped into my apartment, it felt smaller than I remembered. The walls were closer, the ceilings were lower and the light through the windows was dimmer. Well… I'm just coming from a house that has times 2 the equivalent of a penthouse. A small smile touched my lips as I took in the space. I left this place months ago, excited for an escape, for sun, sea and freedom. And now, I was back. But none of those things followed me back. Not even my happiness and peace. Letting out a deep breath, I unpacked my bag. I hung my dresses in the closet, placed my toothbrush in the bathroom holder. I was going through the motions because that was what you did when you didn't know what else to do. Thankfully, my paid leave wasn't over, so I stayed home. Days and days went by with just me sleeping, eating and trying to live on my mental health. And yes, I called Camille on most days

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CHAPTER 174THE OFFERINGIsabellaI arrived at the café thirty minutes early.The rain had stopped, but the pavement was still wet, reflecting the gray sky. I stood across the street for a while, watching the door, watching the people come and go. My hands were cold. My heart was pounding. I had rehearsed a hundred apologies on the walk over, and now I couldn't remember a single one.The café looked the same. The same red awning. The same small tables. The same window where Camille and I used to sit, sharing a plate of pastries and pretending we didn't have deadlines.I crossed the street. Pushed open the door. The bell chimed, exactly the way it always had.She wasn't there yet.I chose our table—the one in the corner, by the window—and sat down. The waiter came. I ordered coffee I didn't want.I waited.The door chimed again.Camille walked in.She was thinner. Her hair was shorter, cut to her shoulders. There were shadows under her eyes that hadn't been there before. She looked tir

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Chapter 175 EPILOGUEONE YEAR LATERThird PersonThe courtroom was silent as the verdict was read.Élise Moreau stood at the defendant's table, her hands clasped in front of her, her face a mask of composure that fooled no one. Her lawyer had done everything possible—challenged evidence, questioned witnesses, cast doubt on every piece of the prosecution's case. But in the end, the truth was too heavy to bury.The judge's voice echoed off the walls. "On the charges of invasion of privacy, the court finds the defendant guilty. On the charges of conspiracy to commit fraud, the court finds the defendant guilty. On the charges of tampering with evidence, the court finds the defendant guilty."Élise's mask cracked. Just slightly. Her jaw tightened. Her eyes flickered to the gallery, where Camille sat beside Alexander, her face pale but steady.Camille did not look away.The sentencing would come later. The lawyers would argue. The appeals would be filed. But the verdict was the same one th

All Chapters of His Forbidden Obsession: Tempting The Devil I Can't Have: Chapter 171 - Chapter 175

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