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 soft hum of the car engine blended into the quiet evening as Leon and I drove home from the courthouse.My thoughts, however, were far from the comforting sound of the engine. I kept replaying the courtroom drama in my head—Laura’s false testimony, Justin’s smug face, the looming fear of what might happen next. My heart felt like it was trapped in a vice, and no matter how much I tried to calm myself, the anxiety just keeps on consuming me slowly making me sunk deep within this web.It wasn’t until Leon abruptly altered our rought, I suppose he must have noticed. His fingers tapped lightly on the steering wheel, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw him glance over at me several times, before he unexpectedly turn away from the main road.I blinked, startled out of my thoughts."Where are we going?" I asked, realizing that we were no longer heading toward our house.Leon didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he pulled into a small parking lot and stopped in front of a brightly lit