The behavior of the gallery was starting to get under Kaelen’s skin in a way that nothing ever had. It was one thing for Riley to lie through her teeth, but watching a room full of strangers swallow those lies like they were gospel was just too much. The murmuring, the judging stares, the soft boos—it was all going out of hand, spiraling into a mess that had nothing to do with justice and everything to do with a staged performance. The air in the courtroom felt like it was vibrating with collective hate, and Kaelen felt the heat of a rare, genuine anger rising from his chest to his jaw.Luckily, the judge had seen enough. He slammed his gavel down three times, the sound echoing like gunshots against the high ceiling. "Order! I will have order in this courtroom or I will clear the gallery immediately!" The judge’s voice was like a bucket of cold water, bringing the chaos to a temporary halt. The murmurs died down into a thick, expectant silence as the judge adjusted his glasses and

When they finally reached the parking area, Riley was already fuming. She had spent the last fifteen minutes dodging microphones and putting on a brave face for the cameras, playing the role of the heartbroken victim to perfection. But the second she was away from the prying eyes of the media, her mask shattered. She marched toward her luxury sedan, her heels clicking aggressively against the asphalt.Razr Fischer was walking a few paces ahead of her, his hands shoved into his pockets, looking as relaxed as if he’d just come from a spa day rather than a disastrous court hearing."Hey! I’m talking to you!" Riley snapped, her voice high and haughty. "What was that back there? You’re supposed to be the best. You’re supposed to be a shark. Why weren't we able to make Kaelen lose the case right then and there? You let him walk all over us!"Razr didn’t even slow down. He kept heading toward his own matte-black sports car, his silence acting like fuel on the fire of Riley’s temper."Did you

After leaving the boiling group of reporters behind, the atmosphere inside the SUV was heavy, though the air conditioning worked overtime to cool the physical heat of the day. Kaelen sat in the back, his gaze fixed on the passing city skyline, his mind a whirlwind of legal strategies and the look on Riley’s face when he’d dropped that final truth bomb. He leaned forward, tapping Jonah on the shoulder."Jonah, I’m not heading into the office today. Drop me and Arianna off, then head back. I need you to attend to some duties there—keep an eye on the internal chatter after that stunt I just pulled with the press. They’re going to be looking for a reaction from the board."Jonah nodded, his expression serious as he gripped the steering wheel. "Understood, Boss. I’ll make sure the PR team is on standby. Julian, you coming with me?"The lawyer sighed, rubbing his temples as if he had a migraine that could kill a horse. "Yeah, I need to get back to the firm and s

Riley stared at her phone screen, her eyes bulging as she watched the interview clip of Kaelen at the courthouse entrance. The reporter’s questions were pointed, but Kaelen’s answers were even sharper. He spoke with a level of calm and sophistication that made the accusations against him look ridiculous. Worst of all, the narrative in the comments and the news crawl at the bottom of the screen was shifting.The words "Gold-digger" and "Extortion" were being tossed around by viewers, and they weren't aimed at Kaelen. They were aimed at her."No," Riley whispered, her voice cracking. "This is not how this was supposed to go. I am the victim here."She felt a cold sweat break out on her forehead. The plan had been to drag Kaelen’s name through the mud until he was forced to settle for whatever amount she demanded just to make the noise stop. Instead, she was the one being dragged. The public was starting to see her as a woman who had married for money and was now trying to squeeze more o

The night air was cool as Kaelen pulled away from Arianna’s residence. It was already late in the evening, and the streetlights cast long, flickering shadows across the pavement. Kaelen gripped the steering wheel tightly, his mind racing with the information he had just received. The conversation with Arianna had shocked him thoroughly. He had gone there expecting a simple discussion, but he had left with a heavy burden of secrets.Arianna had explained the history between her and her sister. She told him about how close they were and the bond they shared as friends and family. Then, the tone of the conversation had shifted into something much darker. She spoke about her sister’s disappearance. At first, Arianna had been reluctant to share the details. She held back, her voice trembling as she avoided eye contact.However, everything changed when Kaelen mentioned Darren. He told her exactly who Darren was and what he was capable of. As soon as the name left his lips, Arianna’s face ha