The morning sun should have brought peace, but for Elena, it only brought dread.
From her window, she saw them—reporters camped outside the mansion gates, their vans lined up like vultures waiting for carrion. Cameras glinted in the light, ready to capture her downfall.
Inside the mansion, the atmosphere was no less suffocating. The staff, once polite if distant, now looked at her with unveiled hostility. Whispers followed her wherever she went.
"She's the reason the King family's reputation is in shambles."
"A maid, imagine! The audacity."
"She won't last past today."
Elena kept her head down, clutching the hem of her plain dress. But their words still seeped in, poisoning her resolve.
Her only refuge came in the form of Adrian.
When she passed his study, the door stood slightly ajar, and she caught his voice—low, commanding, sharp as steel.
"File the countersuit immediately," he barked into the phone. "Victoria Blake wants war? She'll regret it. My lawyers are prepared."
There was a pause, and then, quieter: "And make it clear—I won't allow Elena Carter's name to be dragged through the mud. Protect her at all costs."
Her breath hitched. She shouldn't be listening, but she couldn't move. The conviction in his tone wrapped around her like a shield she hadn't asked for but desperately needed.
But protection came at a price.
By noon, Adrian appeared before her, his presence a storm wrapped in a tailored suit. "We're going to court," he said flatly.
Elena's eyes widened. "Court? Adrian, I can't—"
"You can," he interrupted, his gaze firm. "And you will. You won't face this alone."
Fear coiled in her stomach, but when his hand brushed hers in silent reassurance, she found herself nodding despite the terror clawing at her chest.
---
The courthouse was a circus.
Reporters swarmed the steps, microphones thrust out, cameras flashing. Security struggled to contain them as Adrian guided Elena through the chaos. His hand rested against the small of her back, steady and protective, but the heat of a thousand eyes still burned her skin.
"She looks so plain. What could he see in her?"
"Maybe she's blackmailing him."
"Gold-digger. Homewrecker."
Each word was a knife. Elena kept her eyes fixed on the ground, wishing she could disappear.
Inside, the courtroom was no better. Whispers buzzed like angry bees as the gallery filled with spectators hungry for scandal.
At the front, Victoria sat poised in a pristine white dress, her beauty polished, her smile razor-sharp. Her mother sat beside her, equally smug.
When Victoria's eyes met Elena's, triumph glittered in them.
Elena's knees nearly buckled, but Adrian's presence at her side held her up.
"Don't look at her," he murmured. "Look at me."
And for the first time that day, she did. His steady gaze anchored her in the storm.
---
The judge entered, and proceedings began. Victoria's lawyer rose first, his voice oozing with false civility.
"Your Honor, my client, Miss Victoria Blake, was publicly humiliated when her fiancé, Mr. Adrian King, terminated their engagement under scandalous circumstances. The root cause? A maid—Miss Elena Carter—who has exploited Mr. King's vulnerability for personal gain."
Gasps rippled through the room. Elena's face flamed as all eyes turned to her.
The lawyer continued, waving a stack of papers. "We have evidence of inappropriate behavior—photos, testimonies, and the undeniable fact that Miss Carter has received financial favors from Mr. King since their… involvement began."
Elena's heart stopped. Financial favors?
Adrian stood smoothly, his presence commanding silence. "Your Honor, those so-called 'favors' were medical expenses for Miss Carter's younger brother—expenses I paid as an employer ensuring the welfare of his staff. Nothing more."
He turned, his gaze cutting through the lawyer. "And if anyone in this room dares imply that helping a child is a scandal, they should question their own humanity first."
The gallery stirred, whispers spreading, some sympathetic, others skeptical.
Elena's chest ached. He hadn't needed to defend Liam, but he had.
The lawyer smirked. "Touching. But the fact remains—your engagement contract with Miss Blake clearly stated no fraternization with staff. By breaching this, you've caused irreparable damage to her reputation. We demand compensation."
Adrian's eyes narrowed. "Reputation? Miss Blake has used this scandal to parade herself across every media outlet. If anyone has damaged her name, it's her own greed for attention."
Victoria stiffened, but her smirk didn't falter. "You can't twist this, Adrian," she purred, rising from her seat. "Everyone can see what she is. A maid who thought she could play Cinderella. But fairytales don't end well in the real world."
Elena's throat closed. The cruel laughter that followed from Victoria's supporters burned in her ears.
Before she could crumble, Adrian moved.
He stepped closer to the bench, his voice firm, unshakable. "For the record, Your Honor, Miss Carter is not a fling. Not a scandal. And certainly not a mistake."
The room froze. Cameras clicked furiously from the press box.
Adrian's eyes locked on Elena's, his words ringing out like a vow.
"She is someone I value deeply. And I won't stand by while her name is dragged through filth to serve another's vanity."
Elena's breath caught. Her heart thundered so loudly she thought everyone could hear it.
The judge rapped his gavel for order, his expression unreadable. "Enough. I will not have this courtroom turned into a media circus. We will reconvene in one week after reviewing the evidence presented. Until then, both parties are advised to keep this matter out of the public eye."
The gavel struck again, dismissing the session.
But as the courtroom erupted in noise, Elena knew the damage was done. Adrian's words—bold, reckless, undeniable—would be splashed across every headline by morning.
"Billionaire Declares Love for Maid."
"Adrian King's Defiance: Protecting Elena Carter."
And while a part of her heart soared with dangerous hope, another part trembled with fear.
Because if the world hadn't been watching before… it certainly was now.
To be continued...
[This chapter gives you]
A hostile courtroom atmosphere (Victoria's side vs Adrian's).
Adrian's bold public declaration of valuing Elena.
Liam's involvement revealed to the court.
[Cliffhanger]: the world now sees Elena not as invisible, but as Adrian's chosen one—making her both more protected and more vulnerable.