Semua Bab Legally Bound : Bab 61 - Bab 70

Lily was trembling in Alex’s arms, her face buried in his chest, tears soaking into his shirt. Her breaths came out in thin, broken pulls, the kind that made Alex hold her tighter, as if he could hold her together while she unraveled. Gillian stayed on the edge of the bed, quiet but present, rubbing Lily’s back gently from the side. She already knew this story… but even she looked shaken seeing Lily break like this.When Lily finally lifted her head, her eyes were red and wet, her hair sticking to her damp cheeks. She tried to speak, but her voice cracked on the first breath.. “You deserve to know why I cut him off. Why I ran.”Alex cupped her face gently. “Only if you’re ready.”“I am,” she said, though her voice trembled. She took a shaky breath. “I’ll start from the beginning.”She closed her eyes and for a moment Alex thought she was too overwhelmed to continue until she spoke softly, her tone tinted with aching nostalgia.“My childhood was… perfect,” she whispered. “I mean truly

Silence hung in the bedroom like a thick blanket; heavy, unmoving, suffocating. Lily sat curled against Alex, her cheek pressed to his chest, tears sliding down her face in quiet, steady streams. Her breathing was shallow and uneven, and each small exhale trembled like her body didn’t know how to stop reliving the things she had endured.Even after everything she had already said, the memories kept clawing up her throat. She pressed her fingers to her face, trying to catch her breath, but her voice cracked as she whispered:“He used to shout at me for everything. Everything. Even when I didn’t do anything wrong…”Alex’s arms tightened around her instantly, one hand on the back of her head, the other gripping her waist gently, grounding her.Lily’s voice wavered. “Everyone thinks my father is this great businessman, this perfect gentleman. But he” Her breath hitched violently. “He used to make me feel so small. Like… like I was a burden. Like I ruined his life somehow.”That last sente

Lily stood there for a moment, watching him with her head tilted slightly, her eyes soft but searching. “Alex… what’s wrong?” she asked quietly as she took careful steps toward him. “What is it you wanted to tell me?”Her voice was gentle, too gentle, and it made the lump in his throat double. He could hear his own heartbeat, loud, fast, uneven. He’d rehearsed honesty. He’d rehearsed the truth. But now, standing in front of her, her hair loosely tied back, her face still tender from all the crying she’d done earlier, he felt the terror of losing her press against his chest like a tightening fist.He opened his mouth. The truth was right there, sitting on the edge of his tongue…But what came out instead was:“I love you,” he breathed out, voice trembling. “I love you so much I can’t imagine my life without you.”Lily blinked.Not the soft, dreamy blink of someone swooning.No.It was the confused blink of someone who is absolutely certain that is not what caused his face to look like

The flight touched down in Chicago a little after noon, sunlight spilling through the small airplane windows as passengers unbuckled their seatbelts. Lily stretched her legs, tired but grateful the journey was over. Gillian yawned loudly, while Wilson checked his watch and nudged them both toward the exit.The moment they stepped out of the airport, the chilly Chicago breeze hit their faces. Waiting right outside the arrivals terminal stood Alex’s trusted driver, Carlton, holding a small sign that read Cromwell Guests even though he already recognized them instantly.“Welcome back,” Carlton said with a respectful smile. “Mr. Cromwell asked me to bring you home safely.”Home.That word warmed Lily’s chest more than she wanted to admit.The ride to the penthouse was quiet but comfortable. Chicago’s tall buildings, the familiar city hum, and the distant sirens all wrapped around Lily like a blanket she didn’t know she missed. But the seat beside her felt painfully empty. She kept glancin

The air inside Cromwell & Partners felt different.Not chaotic. Not tense. Not afraid.For the first time in what felt like forever, the firm felt… steady.Alex stood in the glass-walled conference room with his jacket tossed over the back of the chair, sleeves rolled up, watching the younger associates move with precision and confidence. The restructuring had taken days of relentless planning ;reassigning departments, tightening protocols, introducing new layers of accountability but now it was paying off.The firm had just won a high-profile corporate litigation case that morning.He’d watched from the observation chairs as the senior team presented airtight arguments, shutting down the opposing counsel with facts so sharp they barely had room to breathe. The judge’s ruling had come swiftly.Victory.When the team exited the courtroom, there was no shouting. No loud celebration. Just quiet, collective relief and pride.This was what the firm was supposed to feel like.He exhaled slo