Hi dear reader! if you have reached this chapter, thank you so much. I hope you can also take the time to read my second and SPICIEST novel yet: TRAPPED WITH MY DAD'S BESTFRIEND. it's also daily updated with 2 chapters. also, I'd like to take this chance to dedicate this chapter to my reader IVA, I made you part of this novel because of the nice comments you always leave in my chapters. I just want you to know that it was giving me the inspiration. I hope you look forward to Prosecutor Iva's role in Leon and Margarette's lives.
When Iva finally arrived, I couldn’t help but feel the pit of jealousy deepen. My intuition was right. She was…well, exactly what I feared. Voluptuous curves, a statuesque figure, legs that went on for days, and those eyes—bright, striking green like shards of emeralds. The kind of eyes that demanded attention and never went unnoticed. And her chest? God, I could barely keep myself from glaring at the way her blouse hugged her chest. They were massive. It was ridiculous.‘This’… I thought to myself, feeling a flush creep into my cheeks, ‘this is the kind of woman Leon befriends?’“Prosecutor Iva, thanks for coming.” The moment Leon mentioned her name—Prosecutor Iva Delgado—I felt it.It was like a knot tightening in my stomach, an unspoken tension I couldn't shake off. Why did he say it with that tone, like there was something more? I tried to dismiss the creeping feelings, reminding myself that this was about strategy, not emotions. But when Leon looked me in the eyes and reassu
As Leon held me close, the tension between us remained, unspoken but tangible. I could feel the warmth of his body against mine, his steady heartbeat reverberating through my chest. And yet, the doubt clung to me, whispering insecurities that I couldn’t quite silence. Was I being irrational? Maybe. But rationality had never been a strong suit when emotions were involved.Leon pulled back slightly, his eyes searching mine. “You sure you’re okay?” His voice was gentle, almost cautious.I forced another smile, trying to bury the jealousy that was clawing its way to the surface. “Yeah. Just a lot on my mind, I guess.”He nodded, but I could see the flicker of doubt in his gaze. He knew me too well. Still, he didn’t press further, instead offering a soft kiss on my forehead before stepping away. “We should head back inside. There’s still a lot to go over with Iva.”There it was again—her name, like a needle pricking my skin. I nodded, unable to trust myself to speak without betraying my em
After the meeting that night, Leon retreated to his study with Iva to finalize some details, and I could hear the low hum of their voices through the door. Alexa had gone to bed earlier.My body was restless, my thoughts loud and chaotic but sleep was the furthest thing from my mind. The door to Leon’s study creaked open, and I quickly straightened up, trying to appear as though I hadn’t been obsessing over whatever they had talked about. Leon stepped out first, rubbing the back of his neck, looking tired. Iva followed close behind, her sharp eyes landing on me briefly before flickering away.“We’ve made some progress,” Leon said, his voice a little hoarse from hours of talking. “Iva’s going to meet with the judge tomorrow to present our case.”Iva gave me a quick, tight smile. “It’s a long shot, but if we can push the timeline forward, we might be able to stop Justin from making any advantages against you regarding the lawsuit.”Leon’s eyes were on me, watching for a reaction. I nod
The courtroom had an oppressive air, thick with tension as I stepped inside. The scent of polished wood and the low murmur of voices filled the space. I adjusted my blazer, feeling its tightness around my shoulders—a physical reminder of the weight I carried today. Attorney Jack Sanchez greeted me with a firm handshake, his presence calm but commanding. He was tall, with salt-and-pepper hair and sharp eyes that held a glint of reassurance. I had never met him before today, but knowing that Leon trusted him enough to volunteer for my case gave me some comfort."Margarette," Jack said, his voice steady. "Leon’s told me a lot about you. We’re going to get through this. I’ve looked over the evidence, and we have a strong case.""Thank you," I managed, my throat tight with nerves. "I appreciate you being here."He smiled, but it was professional—a man who knew the battle we were walking into. As Jack headed inside the courtroom to get things ready, I felt a presence beside me. Iva, who ha
As the day wore on, I could feel the weight of the courtroom pressing down on me. The courtroom felt like a war zone—each word a bullet, each testimony a weapon drawn. I could feel every breath, every heartbeat echoing in the heavy silence as Justin sat on the witness stand, still smug despite the damning evidence we had. The smell of leather and old wood filled my nose, and the harsh fluorescent lights above cast long shadows across the room.Iva sat next to me, a quiet but strong presence, her green eyes sharp as she watched every move Justin made. Despite her support, I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that gnawed at me, that sense of doubt and jealousy from before. But right now, I had to bury that. This wasn’t about Iva or my insecurities. This was about justice—for me, for my family and the people who had been affected by it.Justin leaned back in his chair, casually, as if this was just another day at his office, not a court case that could send him to prison. His arrogance
The courtroom buzzed with tension as the judge called for a recess. I stood, my legs shaky beneath me, and made my way toward the hallway. I needed air. I needed space to think.As I pushed through the doors, I felt a hand on my arm. I turned, expecting to see Leon, but instead found Iva standing there, her expression unreadable."Margarette," she said softly, her voice cutting through the chaos of my thoughts, "you did great today."I nodded, though I wasn’t sure if I believed her. “It’s not over yet.”“No,” she agreed, “but you held your own. That’s what matters.”I forced a smile, trying to push the jealousy down again. “Thanks, Iva.”She hesitated, as if she wanted to say something more, but before she could, the doors swung open and Jack emerged, his face grim.“We need to talk, Ms. Margarette” he said, his voice low. “There’s been a development.”I stared at Jack, his expression heavy with something more than just the weariness of the courtroom. My heart picked up speed, my mind
The courtroom air was thick with tension as Laura Oviedo took the stand. I could already feel the anger bubbling up in my chest before she even opened her mouth. She was Justin's last-ditch effort, his final weapon to tear me down. I had known it was coming, but nothing could have prepared me for the lies that were about to spill from her mouth.Laura sat there, calm and collected, a perfect picture of false sincerity. Her eyes flicked toward me, cold and calculating, and then she began to speak."Miss Margarette was never satisfied with the life Justin provided for her," Laura said, her voice steady and dripping with false concern. "She was always spending money on extravagant things, taking trips, buying expensive clothes. And... well, she often took items from Madam Victoria’s personal collection. Jewelry, mostly."My fists clenched so hard my nails bit into my palms. Jewelry? She was accusing me of stealing jewelry? I could barely process the absurdity of it. But it wasn’t just th
As we walked out of the infirmary and back toward the courtroom, all eyes turned toward me. Justin’s smirk faltered for just a second, and I knew—he wasn’t expecting me to come back this strong.My steps slow and deliberate, my pulse steadying with every breath. The noise of the crowd hushed as they noticed me return. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me, but I kept mine focused on the front. Justin, still seated confidently, glanced my way, but this time there was something different in his eyes—something uneasy. He didn’t expect me to come back after that.Good. Let him doubt.I sat back down beside Jack, feeling the heat of Iva’s reassuring presence next to me. Jack gave me a quick nod as the judge re-entered, signaling that the recess was over. The courtroom slowly fell silent again, and it was time for Laura’s testimony to continue."Ms. Oviedo," Jack said, standing and approaching the witness stand with a calmness that made me feel stronger just watching him, "We’ve heard your v
The rain was falling again.It always did on days like this—days that felt like endings.I stood on the edge of the cliffs overlooking the stormy waters of Anacortes, my coat pulled tightly around me, the hood shielding my face from the wind that carried the scent of salt and something older—something like goodbye.Leon stood behind me. I didn’t have to turn around to feel him there. His presence was familiar now, carved into my skin like muscle memory. He’d been my gravity, my storm, my salvation, and my ruin—sometimes all at once.“It’s really over, isn’t it?” I whispered, more to the wind than to him.He didn’t answer right away. His silence was as heavy as the stormclouds above us.“I wanted to fix everything for you,” he said finally, his voice hoarse, like it had been dragged across a battlefield. “I wanted to give you a life that didn’t hurt.”I closed my eyes. The ache in my chest pulsed with every beat of my heart. “You did,” I said. “For a while, you did.”I heard the crunch
I took a deep breath, steadying myself. “I’m not the same person I was before,” I said, my voice firm, unwavering. “And I’m not walking away this time.”The man’s eyes flickered with a moment of doubt, just enough for me to catch. And then, before I could even register what had happened, Leon moved.Faster than I could blink, Leon was in front of me, his hand grabbing the gun and twisting it out of the man’s grasp. The force of it sent the man stumbling back, but he didn’t go down easily. His bodyguards rushed in, but Leon was already a step ahead, disarming one of them with a swift, calculated move.I stood frozen for a moment, trying to process what I was witnessing. Leon—always so calm, always so careful—was ruthless. He was like a force of nature, determined to protect me at all costs.But the fight wasn’t over yet. The man recovered, his eyes burning with rage. “You really think you’ve won?” he spat, his voice dripping with venom. “You’re nothing but a pawn in a game you can’t ev
The sound of boots drew closer, pounding the floor with an urgency that echoed through the cavernous halls of the estate. My heart raced as the reality of what I had just heard crashed into me like a tidal wave. The man who had once been a part of my life—my family’s betrayer, the one who had orchestrated their deaths—stood there, calmly, as if this was just another night for him.Leon’s grip on my hand tightened, but I didn’t let him pull me away. I could feel the air thickening with tension, the walls pressing in as everything I thought I knew began to crumble.The intruders were only moments away.The man—he—smirked, watching us. “You think this will end well? You’ve no idea what you’re up against. My people are everywhere.”I took a step forward, ignoring Leon’s silent plea to retreat. “You killed them. And you thought I would be the next one to fall in line?” My voice was a whisper, but it held a power I hadn’t realized I had. “You were wrong.”The man’s face faltered, just for a
Next Morning at the Estate Archives. The basement was cold and damp, and the air smelled of mildew and secrets. Old boxes lined the walls, labeled in my father’s tidy script. Financial records. Land deeds. Correspondence.Leon sifted through a crate of documents while I dug through another.Then something caught my eye.A faded folder labeled: Project Thornfield.I opened it slowly.Inside were blueprints—plans for development across coastal land that was supposed to be protected forest. There were signatures from multiple board members, including names I recognized.And then, one I didn’t.N. Vallis.Leon leaned over. “You know that name?”I shook my head. “No. But look here—he signed off on the project two weeks before my parents died.”Leon pulled out his phone. “I’ll run a background check.”I kept flipping through the documents—and found something that made my blood run cold.An aerial photo.Of the cliffside. Our property.With a giant red X drawn over the coordinates where my p
THREE WEEKS LATER...The investigation moved faster than I’d expected. With the board fully on our side now, the paper trail unraveled like a thread pulled from an old sweater—each piece of evidence exposing the next. Shell companies. Forged contracts. Witnesses who had remained silent out of fear but were finally coming forward.Still, no one had seen him since the day of the summit. He had vanished without a trace. No flights. No offshore activity. No messages. It was like he’d disappeared into smoke.But Dorian didn’t believe in ghosts. “He’s hiding,” he said as he handed me a thick folder. “And this—this will force him out.”I flipped through the documents. Bank records. A property registered under an alias. Hidden deep in the woods outside of Anacortes. I felt my stomach twist.Leon stepped up behind me, his hand grazing my shoulder. “Let’s pay him a visit.”The cabin was barely more than a shadow tucked between trees. No lights. No car. Just silence and the thrum of insects in t
Sunlight crept cautiously through the cracks in the blinds, casting golden slivers across the hardwood floor of the safe house bedroom. I sat curled up on the edge of the bed, a blanket draped around my shoulders and the journal heavy in my lap. The cover was cracked, worn with age and secrets. My fingers hovered over the first page for what felt like an eternity.Leon was nearby—he hadn’t slept much, either. He stood at the window with a mug of black coffee, watching the world outside with quiet alertness. When I finally opened the journal, he turned slightly but didn’t speak. He knew I needed silence for this.The first entry was dated nearly two decades ago.July 14th. We signed the contract today. Two families, one future. The woman from Delmar Holdings is more cunning than I expected. She knows we’re desperate—and she used it. I told Mariana to trust me. That this was the only way. God help me, I hope I’m right.My breath hitched. Mariana—that was my mother’s name.I flipped thro
MARGARETTE'S POVBefore we could react, the door behind us burst open.Three armed men rushed in, dressed in black, their movements precise and rehearsed. Leon shoved me behind him, drawing his gun up in an instant. Dorian, who had been lingering near the entrance, took cover behind a cabinet, gun already out.“Elise’s father wasn’t bluffing,” I breathed, my heart hammering. “He had backup ready.”Leon fired the first shot, catching one of the intruders in the shoulder and sending him crashing to the floor. Chaos erupted. Dorian ducked low and returned fire, narrowly missing another attacker who retaliated with a spray of bullets that shattered the windows.I crouched behind an overturned table, the sound of gunfire drowning out my thoughts. The locket in my palm dug into my skin, its edges sharp—a painful reminder that I couldn’t afford to lose control now.“Elise’s father!” I shouted to Leon. “He’s escaping!”Through the haze of smoke and broken glass, I saw the man slinking toward
The sound of footsteps pounding in the hallway was the last thing I heard before the door slammed open.I barely had time to react before a rush of armed men poured into the room, their eyes scanning every corner, landing finally on me. There was no mistaking the intent behind their cold stares.“Get down!” Leon’s voice crackled through the earpiece again, but there was no time to obey. I couldn’t allow myself to hesitate—not now, not when the truth was within reach.I raised my gun, my hands steady despite the chaos unfolding around me. I wasn’t going down without a fight, not after everything I had lost. Not after everything Elise’s father had taken from me.Before the first man could react, I fired. The sound of the shot echoed in the confined space, the bullet finding its mark in the man’s chest. His body crumpled to the ground with a sickening thud, but the others didn’t hesitate. They moved in faster, their guns drawn, but I was ready.I ducked behind the desk, using it as cover
Dawn came in silver slivers through the cracks in the window. I hadn’t slept—not really. My mind was too loud, looping the footage over and over like a broken reel.Leon sat across from me at the table, sipping his coffee like it was the only thing keeping him grounded. Neither of us had said much since the footage. We didn’t need to. The truth had cut so deep, it didn’t leave room for small talk.But I had questions.And I needed answers.“How long do you think he’s known I survived?” I finally asked, voice hoarse.Leon didn’t look away from his mug. “Long enough to start covering his tracks. But he didn’t expect the locket to resurface.”My hand instinctively reached for it. The locket was warm now, like it had absorbed my grief and fury. Inside was a picture of my mother and me—her arm around my tiny shoulders, her smile soft but tired. A photo I hadn’t even remembered until last night.“He killed her,” I whispered. “He killed my father. For what? A project?”“Not just a project,”