Alle Kapitel von DANGEROUS ADDICTION: The Woman He Couldn't Replace : Kapitel 41 – Kapitel 50

Marcus began with a search. Not through criminal databases or private security networks, but through professional directories, employment records, and recruitment platforms where qualified people left ordinary trails behind them. He needed someone who could enter a correctional facility without looking like they had been sent there. Someone whose résumé would explain his presence before anyone thought to question it. Marcus leaned closer to his screen as another profile disappeared from the list. Too much disciplinary history. Next, a former security consultant, too suspicious. He kept going. The person had to satisfy several requirements at once. The right qualification. A clean professional history. Experience around correctional environments. A personality that wouldn't attract unnecessary attention. Most importantly, the person needed to be comfortable listening. Marcus opened another database. The search became narrower. Behavioral health specialists, clinical psychologists, co

Elliot Shaw walked through the correctional facility gates with a temporary identification badge clipped neatly to his jacket. He didn't look nervous, and he didn't look excited either. Elliot simply looked like a professional beginning another assignment. A corrections officer checked his identification, compared it with the authorization on the tablet, then opened the inner door.“Behavioral health?”“Yes.”“Administrative wing is through there. Someone from the department should meet you.”“Thank you.”The door closed behind him. He continued down the corridor, keeping his pace steady while taking in his surroundings without appearing to study them. The movement of officers, the placement of cameras, the controlled doors and the steady rhythm of scheduled activity all registered in his mind.At the behavioral health office, a woman named Dr. Miriam Cole looked up from her desk when he approached.“Elliot Shaw?”“Yes.”She stood and offered her hand.“Miriam Cole. I supervise behavi

Regina closed the folder in front of her and reached for the next one.“Send the revised proposal to Maya.”She marked two pages before looking at the tablet propped against the coffee table. Maya was waiting on the other side of the video call, surrounded by samples, drawings, and folders from Reine Studio.“And tell the team I want the lighting changed before anything goes to the client,” Regina added.Maya nodded. “I’ve already told them.”“Good.”“And before you ask, yes, I made sure everyone knows you're working from home.”Regina raised an eyebrow. “I'm not hiding.”Maya smiled. “I said you're pregnant, and your husband has made it very clear that you're not supposed to be running around the studio.”Regina glanced toward the doorway.“He doesn't control me.”Maya laughed. “I was thinking that Alexander would probably send a security team if you tried to sneak into the studio.”“He wouldn't dare.”“Regina, this is the same man who calls to ask whether you've eaten.”“That is com

Across town, Evelyn sat in the small room where she had been waiting for Marcus Hale. The door opened, and her attorney entered with a folder before taking the chair opposite her. “There has been movement in your case.” Evelyn looked up. “What kind?” “Your legal team has been reviewing the evidence and the statements already on record. You have options.” Evelyn folded her hands. “Such as?” “You can continue fighting every allegation, or you can decide whether there is anything you are willing to acknowledge.” Evelyn stared at the table. For weeks, she had told herself that silence was protection. Now she wasn't sure. “What happens if I cooperate?” “That depends on what you provide and whether it can be verified.” Evelyn looked toward the narrow window. She thought about Andrew. She thought about the people who had followed his instructions because they were afraid of what would happen if they didn't. Then she looked back at her lawyer. “I won't make a decision today.” He

By ten in the morning, Regina had rejected three nursery designs. Maya stood beside the dining table, holding the fourth sample board patiently. "This one?" "No." "The previous one?" "Too bright." "The one before that?" "Too serious." Maya lowered the board. "You are designing a nursery, not a corporate headquarters." Regina smiled. "Our daughter deserves better than beige walls and furniture that looks like it belongs in a hotel." "Your daughter has not been born yet, and she already has expensive taste." "She gets that from her father." Maya laughed. Regina looked down at the sketches spread across the table. Designing the nursery had become impossible to resist. Every choice made the baby feel more real. The little crib. The reading chair. The shelves waiting for books nobody had bought yet. She touched one of the drawings. "I want the room to grow with her." Maya leaned closer. "So no childish decorations?" "Not too many. Something she won't outgrow in two years.