Jenkins gave a curt nod of acknowledgment before turning back toward Serena, his expression softening ever so slightly into one of pity and regret.Alex’s face contorted in a twisted mask of anger, humiliation, and impotent rage as each fresh indiscretion, more damning photos and video snippets from his sordid affair was mercilessly exposed before the captive audience. Serena turned to see her stepsister Kylie on her feet, tears streaming down her flushed cheeks as the evidence of Alex's betrayal with her best friend Diana was paraded out for all to see. Her hands were balled into fists at her sides, her entire body trembling with a potent cocktail of anguish and fury.Alex opened his mouth as if to offer some pitiful excuse or justification but seemed to think better of it. Instead, he simply shrank back in the witness box, eyes downcast as he was forced to confront the consequences of his reprehensible actions."Your Honor, if I may?" Jenkins' voice rang out, calm yet resonant
The courtroom fell into a tense, heavy quiet as Serena's distinct voice, loaded with bitterness, rage, and the unmistakable slur of drunkenness erupted."I hate you, Alex! You arrogant, lying prick! You used me like a fool..." Her recorded self broke off in a bitter chuckle then, the sound grating and devoid of any joy. "Well, joke's on you in the end. Turns out I was betrothed from birth to someone else, so you'll never truly be my husband, you lying sack of shit..."Serena flinched and her eyes squeezed shut as she willed herself not to recoil from her own venomous words still ringing in her ears. The vitriol and pain in that voice cut like shards of broken glass, dredging up half-forgotten memories that she had clearly suppressed for her own sanity."Everyone had ulterior motives, even my own father is keeping secrets from me," her disembodied voice raged on with a cold bitterness. "You're no different from the rest, Alex. I'm done being your fool and your plaything."The rec
"Mr. Montgomery, I'm afraid there's been a grave mistake of some kind," came the voice of a woman - the county clerk. "Ms. Bolting's name is indeed registered with her parents listed as the official witnesses and guarantors for the marriage contract. However...there is no name listed whatsoever for her intended spouse. The other party's signature line is simply...blank."The clerk's voice trembled with a combination of confusion and outright curiosity as she continued. "I cannot simply add your name to that document. That would be highly unethical at best and very likely an illegal falsification of an official government record. I'm sorry, but I absolutely cannot do that under any circumstances."There was a pause that seemed to stretch on interminably before Alex's smooth, cultured tones came through the speakers. "Listen very closely, you pathetic little bureaucrat. You're going to find a way to make my marriage to Serena Bolting officially registered and legally binding, or I'l
Judge Grayson exited the courtroom through the private door reserved for officials, and burly bodyguards flanked him like stone sentries. A sleek, limited edition Bentley idled at the curb outside, its engine purring like a contented feline.He slipped into the backseat, and one of the bodyguards held the door open for him in a smooth, choreographed movement. Another hurriedly moved to take the driver's seat. His phone buzzed insistently in the inner pocket of his suit jacket. He fished it out with an irritated sigh, glancing at the caller ID before bringing it to his ear."Speak!" His terse response betrayed no hint of emotion, not even annoyance.There was a pause as the person at the other end of the line spoke. His expression remained utterly impassive and unreadable throughout, giving no clues as to the subject of the conversation."We'll discuss it at the office," he stated flatly before abruptly disconnecting the call.The face that had been disguised as the severe
The blacked-out Bentley glided past the seething mob gathered outside the imposing granite edifice of the courthouse, their raucous chants and shouts reduced to a dull, muffled roar behind the heavily tinted glass. Knox's steel-flinted gaze flickered momentarily toward the mayhem, catching a fleeting glimpse of Serena's slender figure beside her lawyer while a woman in a tailored suit barked out terse responses to the hungry media scrum swarming around them like flies drawn to rot. There she stood with her shoulders squared and chin raised in defiant poise as the incessant barrage of camera flashbulbs illuminated her delicate features in staccato bursts, casting her fine bone structure into stark relief one moment only to plunge her into inky shadow the next. Amid the incessant throng of curious onlookers and chattering parasites competing for their next juicy nugget of information to sell, Knox savored the sight of her regal and uncowed manner. Her full crimson lips parted
Knox allowed the faintest smirk to ghost across his lips at the thought and a sense of masculine pride swelled in his chest at her fearless defiance in the face of such unrelenting scrutiny.Just as swiftly as the vision of her had captured his roving attention, he forced his gaze away with an almost physical wrench of will. “Drive!” Knox spoke through the car com. “Roger that boss!” Came the driver’s response. Knox stared unseeingly through the tinted partition as the roar of the rabid crowd faded into the distance. A muscle ticked in his clenched jaw while he ruthlessly tamped down the warring impulses raging within like a tempest begging for release.The primal urge to shield her from their withering judgment and scathing condemnation battled with the bone-deep longing to gather her into his arms, to possess her fully as he'd dreamed of for so long. To claim her as his own in every sense of the word, damn the consequences. And simmering beneath it all like the molten co
~A little while earlier~Jenkins put a soft hand on Serena's shoulder, his touch comforting in the middle of all the craziness that had taken over their life. He guided her and Kate towards the black luxury car parked just a few steps away from the courthouse after the announcement of Serena's acquittal. The vehicle evoked a whirlwind of emotions within Jenkins – a tangible reminder of his harrowing brush with death and his first encounter with the enigmatic masked man... the devil himself, whose presence still lingered in his mind with dread.Jenkins turned to face Kate as they got closer to the car and offered to drop her off at her house, which was only a few blocks away. He didn't know when those dangerous people would come to claim Serena now that the court trial was over. Nor did he have a clue where to take Serena himself, as a safe haven seemed increasingly elusive. A lot had transpired in the past couple of days, and Jenkins wasn't sure when would be the right momen
Killian ended the call with a flick of his thumb and slid his phone back into the inner pocket of his impeccably tailored suit jacket. He turned his attention to the two figures approaching him, his sharp gaze missing nothing as he took in every detail with the scrutinizing eyes of a predator evaluating its prey. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips – a smile that held a hint of mischief.As Jenkins opened the rear door of the luxury sedan, revealing Serena, Killian's smile broadened into a genuine beam of excitement and anticipation, lighting up his chiseled features with an almost feral gleam. His eyes drank her in hungrily, devouring every inch of her delicate beauty as if committing her to memory.Serena felt her mind whirling in a dizzying vortex the instant her eyes landed on Killian for the first time. A flurry of questions and uncertainties raced through her thoughts like a hurricane, threatening to sweep her away in their turbulence. Was this the mysterious hus