Belle's POV
I stayed later than I should have, long after most of the staff had left for the evening. The office had fallen into that peculiar hush where the hum of the air conditioner and the faint buzz of the city outside were the only reminders that time was still moving.
My desk lamp cast a soft glow across the polished wood, catching the silver frame of Jasper's photo once again. That smile , the same one that had charmed investors, reporters, and even me stared back at me with a steadiness that made my chest ache.
I pulled my laptop closer. If I was going to survive another sleepless night wondering what the lawyers weren't telling me, I needed to see for myself. Numbers, headlines, records I trusted data more than I trusted any reassuring voice.
The cursor blinked impatiently in the search bar. "Vale Industries lawsuit."
Dozens of articles spilled onto the screen instantly, each headline a sharp hook.
