EllaA sharp jolt of realization pulled me out of my sleep. The luminescent glow of dawn was already seeping through the window blinds. How long had we been asleep?Frantic, I scrambled upright, inadvertently knocking a few papers off the cluttered desk.“Logan!” I shook his shoulder, urgency lacing my voice. “Wake up. We overslept!”His eyelids fluttered open, his usually sharp eyes clouded with confusion. “Ella? What time is it?”My fingers flew to my wristwatch, and a gasp escaped my lips. “God, it’s nearly time for the court session! We have minutes, Logan, minutes!”His eyes widened as he registered the severity of the situation. “Damn,” he cursed, running a hand through his disheveled hair.“Come on!” I urged, grabbing my files and purse, doing my best to appear somewhat professional. Looking at my reflection in a nearby window, I grimaced at the mascara smudged under my eyes and the crease lines imprinted on my cheek from the papers.As Logan and I dashed through the halls of t

 Ella The golden chandeliers of the courtroom seemed to dim as Judge Milton beckoned Mr. Westbrook and me to his private chambers. The anticipation was suffocating, every step echoing with a gravity that felt overwhelming. The grandeur of the courtroom gave way to the more intimate confines of Judge Milton’s chambers—a room steeped in history, with dark wooden panels, shelves lined with

 Ella Sobs shook my body and tears blurred my vision as I cradled my chafed wrists, the ropes having left their brutal imprint. Each throb was a piercing reminder of the dark ordeal I had just survived. God, why did I take the subway tonight? Why didn’t I call an Uber, or even call Logan to take me home after the work party?

 Ella In Logan’s embrace, the world felt distant. All the fears and anxieties seemed momentarily shrouded by the warmth of his presence. But as we separated, the weight of the spilled wine on the hardwood floor brought a sudden, albeit misplaced, urgency to the atmosphere. The dark liquid spread lazily between the shards of glass, forming an ominous pool that mirrored my tumultuous emotions.

Logan The air in the room was thick with tension as I strode in, my gaze fixated on the man I had trusted the most—James, my chief bodyguard and the one person who I put in charge of keeping an eye on Ella all those weeks ago when I found out about the men who harassed her in the park. There were moments in life where words weren’t required to convey the depth of one’s anger, and this was one of those moments. My face, I knew, was an open book of seething fury.