Semua Bab BILLIONAIRE'S LIES: Bab 321 - Bab 328

The acrid odor of antiseptics wafted on, sterile and heavy. It hung in well-lit passageways in St. Martin General Hospital, echoing off tiled floors scrubbed spotless. Nurses rushed through, their soft-sold footwear barely making any sound as they blazed through doors to a room, bringing medication and checking vital signs. There was a single passageway that differed.Two uniformed police officers stood outside Room 312 like granite statues, staring and unblinking. They loomed oppressively over the otherwise antiseptic air. Within, the man they were instructed to protect lay unconscious, strapped to monitors and IVs.William Harper was in no way the towering figure the world was used to having beforehand. He was pinched and gaunt to the face, lips dry and cracked, and a wide bandage across his forehead. There was the soft beep of the heart monitor, slow. He breathed, but little else.Detective Arthur Payne stepped into the room with a determined but even gait. His black overcoat moved

The courtroom hummed with anticipation, all the seats filled to capacity by witnesses whose mutters and papers shuffling created the atmosphere. The front bench symbolized the same justice most of them had arrived anticipating today's verdict to render.Eliana Thompson sat poised on the witness stand, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Nineteen years old, she was placed in a situation older than her years, but her eyes were steadfast, her voice unflappable.In the corner of the room, William Harper sat at the defense table, his face impassive. Paul Harper's son, a disgraced former board member of BMX Estates, William's presence was a harsh reminder of previous betrayals and the extremes to which revenge could propel a man.The prosecution lawyer, Delgado, walked up to the stand."Miss Thompson," Delgado started, "can you tell us about your relationship with the defendant?"Eliana nodded. "We went to the same university. Our encounters were brief—friendly nods, nothing more.""No ro

The courtroom was charged. Journalists slouched forward, pen tips hovered above notebooks. Cameras clicked quietly, capturing every concerned face. The air reeked with the scent of waxed wood and unspoken gravitas.Eliana sat on the plaintiffs' side of the bench, putting her hands over her lap. Bruises on both cheeks had lost their color, but the cuts from what she had endured were still pink and raw-looking. Her attorney, Margaret Lin, to her right, pored over papers with deliberate purpose.Across the aisle, William Harper sat, stone-faced. Leaning forward before him, whispering into his ear, was his attorney, Mitchell Crane. William remained silent. His eyes were on Eliana, a tempest brewing behind them.Judge Ramirez appeared, and the courtroom rose. She sat, gavel tapped once to bring the court to order."Be seated," she commanded.Margaret stood and pushed her glasses up. "Your Honor, the prosecution would like to bring Eliana Thompson forward as a witness."Eliana stood from he

The Thompson home glowed brightly in the setting sun, the tall glass panes reflecting its final rays of gold like sharp eyes on a lookout toward the horizon. Inside, the sitting room thrummed with the strain that adhered to the air like damp mist.Sabrina sat upon the highly polished marble floor, the clinking high heels echoing in harmony with her worried mind."Should be home by now," she repeated for the third time, her voice gritted with worry."She's with Nathaniel," Benedict said, sitting on the couch, trying to remain calm—but tension crept into his voice against his will. "He won't harm her.""That's the exact thing that scares me," responded Wendy Taylor in her armchair, pearl earrings bobbing slightly up and down as she swiveled around. "That boy is a Harper. He's cursed blood. That family lives on revenge.""He's not William," Sabrina said, halting. "He risked his life for Eliana. He nearly died for her.""He's a Harper anyway," Wendy replied calmly. "We don't even know Eli