Roman could not believe it, but the courtroom gave him a little more comfort than his own house today. Of course he was tense, but it was way better than feeling like he was the villain who played two sisters. Roman sat in the same seat where he always sat for every hearing, just beside Martin. Martin leaned in and whispered, “Stay steady.”Roman nodded. He wasn't quite sure what staying steady had to do with losing or winning here, but he just nodded because he didn't want to upset Martin. As usual, the Valey brothers were confident. Ezra, in contrast, was super focused. The courtroom quieted when Judge Hauser entered.She started. “We’ve heard enough conflicting narratives for this phase of the case,” she paused. “And at this point, the credibility of both submitted documents has been brought into question, not just by the attorneys, but by inconsistencies noted during cross-examination.”She paused again. “Therefore,” the judge continued, “this court is ordering an independent

Now that he has sorted out his emotional mess, he felt better going to the court. Annabel even followed him this time. The court itself was fuller today. Word had gotten around that something big was coming. Some media men had managed to sneak in quietly under the guise of legal observers. Roman sat beside Martin again. “Are you ready?” Martin asked.Roman nodded once. “Ready.”There was no need for Roman to look at the Valeys to see the looks on their faces. He ignored them totally this time. He was more confident in his defense.Soon, the side door opened, and Judge Hauser entered with her usual calm stride. “Good morning,” she said to the crowd as she sat down. The courtroom settled instantly.“We are here to address the final ruling in the case of Valey Holdings vs. Roman Averne.”Everyone leaned forward, even the Valeys who were pretending not to be concerned.The judge looked down at her files, then paused and lifted her head.“But before we get to the results,” she said.

The morning light filtered into Roman’s bedroom slowly. It was quiet except for the sound of birds through the open windows, and the low hum of the coffee machine. Somebody was already up. Annabel stood in the kitchen in one of Roman’s T-shirts, with her hair packed into a loose bun, as she was trying to flip a pancake.Roman walked in just in time to see the pancake land. He smiled. “Not bad.”Annabel grinned. “That was skill.”He came up behind her, and rested his chin on her shoulder. “Mmm, it was impressive. Almost.”She leaned into him slightly. “You do better, then.”“Oh no. I’m just here for support.”“And coffee.”“And that.”She reached over, poured two mugs, and handed him one. “Peace offering for the way I probably ruined your pan.”“I’ll allow it,” he said, kissing her cheek.They moved around the kitchen like two old couples who had been doing it for years. It was the perfect little life — a little burnt toast, too much syrup, and eggs that were a little too runny — but

Janice's house was quiet. She stood by the kitchen sink to stare out of the window. She was busy rinsing a glass that was already clean. The weather outside was pale and dull too. She had been wearing her robe all morning.Her living room was neat in a way that came from someone cleaning things they didn’t care about just to feel like they were in control of something.Her television was off, her radio was off, and even her phone was lying untouched on the counter. This was one of those mornings where she didn’t want noise.She kept the glass down on the drying rack and dried her hands with slow movements. Her eyes went across the room like an inspector. Everything was in place. Everything was still.It had been weeks since Freya walked out, and Janice was still angry about it. She had put so much time into building Freya up, and shaping her into someone who could get close to Roman. It was supposed to be clean and simple. But no, Freya had decided to go soft. She started thinking for

Annabel stood in front of the mirror. She was squinting at her reflection.“Roman,” she called from the bedroom, “is this too much for just going to a sandwich shop?”Roman’s voice came from the living room. “You could wear a bathrobe and they’d still give us free cookies.”“I’m serious!”He peeked around the corner, took one look at her and angled his head. “Okay. First, you look amazing. Second, what sandwich place are we going to where you’re trying to seduce the owner?”Annabel narrowed her eyes. “I don’t try to seduce people. I just exist.”Roman laughed and stepped in, then he brushed his hands across her waist. “Then I’ll be the guy standing next to you, existing harder.”“You’re ridiculous.”“And you’re beautiful.”She tried not to smile, but her face betrayed her. “Ugh. Stop saying things that make me forgive your nonsense.”He kissed her cheek. “Too late. You’re already soft.”Roman himself got ready and they left for the sandwich shop. The sandwich shop was small and tucke