Emma walked out of the room briskly, her footsteps echoing lightly as she made her way downstairs. The rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee and waffles with honey wafted up to meet her. As she reached the dining room, she saw the Sinclairs chatting animatedly around the table. The moment Emma appeared in the doorway, the chatter ceased abruptly. All eyes turned towards her, and a smirk settled on Mrs. Sinclair's face, a knowing smile playing on her lips."Well, look who's awake," Mrs. Sinclair drawled, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "I definitely wasn't expecting you to be up so early after the busy night you had." Emma flushed a deep crimson, her cheeks burning as she stood there with a sheepish smile.Lucas, sitting at the far end of the table, glanced at his mother. "Don't tease her, Mother," he said, his tone half-joking, as he chuckled. "I had to endure all those years of your loud love making with father. Just one night shouldn't give you the right to torment us like this." H

Emma inhaled sharply, not expecting what she had just heard. "Does the phone contain information that could help?" She asked and the woman nodded.Emma glanced at Lucas, whose eyes were distant and unfocused, lost in thought.Lucas suddenly stood up from the worn-out couch, his expression resolute. "This is what we're going to do," he said, his voice steady. He ran a hand through his tousled hair, a sign of the stress they were under.Emma watched as he began to pace. "I'm going to call the police, and you're going to speak to them," he continued, "They'll come here and find everything exactly as it is. But this time, we'll take pictures and leak them to the public. That way, they can't cover anything up, especially with the FBI involved." He glanced at the woman, whose eyes widened slightly, a mix of fear in her gaze."We need to make sure they can't hide this," Lucas explained. "You're going to tell them you've been attacked and that you have information they need. When they're clos

Upstairs, Lucas leaned back in his leather chair, the phone pressed to his ear. Morgan's voice echoed through the line, breaking the silence."We need to see Lucas. It's urgent," Morgan's tone was urgent.Lucas frowned, his brow furrowing. "See me for what?" he asked, his voice guarded.There was a brief pause on the other end of the line before Morgan replied, "About Ethan Maddox. There's been a breakthrough, and I thought you should know."Lucas's grip tightened on the phone. Ethan Maddox. He inhaled sharply."Why are you trying to help me?" Lucas's voice was low, contemplative. "It feels like there's more to this than just the case."A soft chuckle came through the line, warm and unexpectedly genuine. "Yes, Lucas," Morgan admitted, her tone unguarded. "I have my reasons. I want you to warm up to me, and if helping with this case will achieve that, then I'm willing to take the risk. I'm really sorry about yesterday, I shouldn't have done that. It's been years, and I should have allo

"Cookies or a sandwich?" Emma asked.Tina picked cookies without hesitation. Emma retrieved a pack from the pantry and placed a few on a plate, setting it on the counter next to where they would soon sit with their hot drinks.The kettle began to whistle, steam escaping from its spout as Emma poured the hot water into two waiting mugs filled with cocoa mix. The rich aroma of chocolate filled the air.They sat down at the kitchen table, the silence heavy between them as they sipped their drinks. The warmth of the hot chocolate seeped through Emma's fingers, temporarily soothing her senses.After they finished their drinks and Tina left, Emma returned to the living room. The fatigue of the day washed over her, and she settled onto the couch, her thoughts wandering to Lucas.Hours later, the sound of the front door opening roused Emma from her doze. She blinked sleepily, glancing at the clock—it was a little past seven. Lucas entered the room.He settled beside her on the couch, leaning

Emma slowly sat back down in a chair. She took a deep breath and opened the file. Inside, she found a set of documents. As she scanned the pages, her eyes landed on the title: "Dissolution of Betrothal Contract." Her heart pounded as she saw Morgan’s signature at the bottom.Her mind reeled. Why had Morgan changed her mind? What had prompted this sudden shift? Emma leaned back, staring at the papers, her thoughts a whirlwind of confusion and curiosity. But her relief was unmistakable."What had changed her mind?" Emma whispered to herself, the question lingering as she stepped out of the courtroom.**One month later**Emma stepped out of the hospital with Tina, who had just finished her antenatal check-up. The setting evening sun glinted off the hospital’s glass facade, casting long shadows on the pavement.Emma got into the driver’s seat and started the engine. “Feeling okay?” she asked as she navigated the car through the parking lot.Tina chuckled, resting a hand on her baby bump.