Semua Bab Touched by the Billionaire, Owned by the Devil: Bab 111 - Bab 120

Lena caught me before I could reach the end of the corridor. "Adeline." My hand was still around the folder I had been carrying. She stood a few steps away, watching me with an expression I couldn't immediately place, and for a second neither of us moved. "What?" She came closer, lowering her voice as someone passed behind us. "Are you okay?" The question landed harder than it should have, and I looked down at the folder. "I'm fine." Lena didn't answer. I finally looked back at her. "I mean it. Are you okay?" I opened my mouth, and nothing came out. There were too many possible answers, and none of them seemed small enough to give her in a hallway. The legal case was no longer something I could leave at the edge of my day. It followed me into rooms, into conversations, into every quiet moment when I had nothing else to concentrate on. Even when I wasn't reading documents, I was thinking about them. Even when I was surrounded by people, there were moments when the whole situation s

The phone buzzed before I could find the other sleeve. I left it on the table and shook the shirt loose, then folded it once and set it on the pile. The basket was almost empty now, and the house had that particular stillness that only happened when everyone else was gone. My mother had left after lunch, her parting words still warm in the air, and Gideon and Elias were still with David. I hadn't asked for details because the details were already sitting in my head, sorted into neat stacks I didn't want to touch. The phone buzzed again. I picked it up and found Elias's name on the screen. 'Trial date set. Three weeks.' - Elias Three weeks. The words sat there, small and impossible. I read them twice, then typed back before I could think too much. 'Are you scared?' - Me 'Yes.' - Elias I looked at the word for a long moment. No joke. No deflection. Just the truth, and it steadied me more than any reassurance would have. 'Me too.' - Me The three dots appeared. I waited. 'We wi

The phone rang while I was still standing in the kitchen with the kettle in my hand. David’s name lit up the screen. "It's done. The test proceeds." I set the kettle down. "Sealed?" "Government-certified. Shane's lawyer can't touch the lab anymore." He sounded tired, but there was something lighter underneath. "They'll call to schedule. Could be next week." "Okay." "Get some rest, Adeline. We move forward from here." The line clicked. I stayed where I was, one hand braced against the counter. The faintness I'd been fighting all day rolled through me, but I forced myself to stand straight. Gideon came through the doorway with his phone against his ear. He finished the call and slipped it into his pocket. "Security is set. Escorts for the lab and the parking lot." "David said it's sealed." "He called me too." Gideon stopped near the table. "Sit down before you fall down." I gave him a look. "I'm fine." "Sure you are." He nodded toward the sofa. "Sit anyway." Elias appeared be

The nurse checked the label on the tube before sliding it into the clear evidence bag. “Please confirm your name.” “Adeline Bennett.” “Date of birth?” I answered. She compared my words with the form, and the second staff member stepped closer to check the label. Elias remained beside the collection chair, his hand warm around mine. The seal closed with a firm click. “Your representative will receive the report,” the nurse said. “It will remain sealed until then.” Elias took the aftercare sheet from her. “I’ll keep this.” “It’s a piece of paper,” I said. “It has instructions.” “I can read.” “I know. I’m still keeping it.” The nurse gave him a brief look, then returned her attention to me. “Keep the bandage on for a few hours.” “Thank you.” Elias helped me from the chair without making a production of it. My knees held, so he let his hand fall away. Through the open door, I saw Gideon rise from the waiting-room chair. My mother stood beside him, her handbag ho

“The report is released. Certified. Elias is listed. I’m filing sealed copies this afternoon. Shane’s side will be notified by end of day.” David’s voice rang from the phone. I stayed at the counter, phone still raised. “They’ll challenge it,” he said. “Chain of custody or a demand to retest. We’re ready for both. I’ll call the moment their filing lands. Until then, no one else.” The call ended. Gideon set down the knife he had been using and wiped his hands. “So it begins.” Elias closed the brochure without looking at the cover. “He’ll move fast. Delay is the only tool he has left that still costs us time.” “He’ll do more than delay,” I said. “He’ll make it loud.” Gideon leaned his weight against the counter. “Then we keep the noise from becoming the story.” “You say that like we control the volume.” “We control what we answer.” Elias pulled out a chair and sat, forearms on the table. “David will keep the filing procedural. Shane will try to make it personal. The personal v