Chapter 204
Chapter 204
When | finally got back home, after what felt like a never-ending day, | was more than ready to kick off my heels and rx.
But as soon as | walked through the front door, | was met with an unexpected sight. Aria and Lucas were sprawled out on the
couch, engrossed in some cheesy rom on the television. Theirughter filled the room, and the warm scent of freshly
popped popcorn wafted in the air.
Lucas looked up from the screen, his eyes bright with enthusiasm. “Hey, Eviel You’re just in time. We''re about to start a movie.
Want to join us?”
| hesitated for a moment, torn between the longing for a peaceful evening and the relentless business that seemed to follow me
like a shadow. “I appreciate the offer, Lucas, but | have a ton of work to catch
up
on.
Aria chimed in, her voice sweet and inviting. “Come on, Evie. You’ve been working yourself into the groundtely. Just one movie
won’t hurt, and then you can get back to your stuff.”
The tempting idea of just sinking into the couch and losing myself in a movie for a few hours was almost irresistible, but the voice
of responsibility was louder. “I wish | could, but I’ve got deadlines to meet, and | can’t afford any dys.”
Lucas sighed, and | could see a flicker of disappointment in his eyes. “Alright, but you know where to find us if you change your
mind.”
| gave them both a small smile and headed toward my home office, leaving them to their entertainment. As | walked into the
dimly lit room, | couldn’t help but feel a sense of istion that had be all too familiartely.
Sitting down at my desk, | powered up myputer, silently praying that Bruce hadn’tpromised it any further. | had locked
down my digital security as much as possible, but with him being one step ahead of me all the time, | couldn’t be too careful.
The desktop loaded, and | nervously clicked through my files, hoping to find no traces of unauthorized ess. To my relief,
everything seemed intact. Perhaps Bruce had grown bored for the time being, or maybe he was just watching from the shadows,
biding his time.
My fingers danced over the keyboard, and | opened my email client, curious about any messages that hade in while | was
away. What | found left me stunned.
4/4
LAST CALL
SEMANA
TUE SEU DURO USAED FOR MOVES
15 — 31/03/2014
VIVARA
Emergency calls only
#076%
My inbox was flooded with emails from anonymous senders. The subjects varied from expressions of congrattions to sneering
remarks about mypetence and reputation. Ste’s case had certainly made headlines, but the reactions ranged from
supportive to judgmental. | couldn’t help but be drawn to the most contentious messages.
One email caught my attention, and | opened it with a mix of trepidation and curiosity. The words that met my eyes were
venomous, and the anonymous sender clearly had an axe to grind.
11:13
“Evie, you may have won that battle against Ste, but don’t think for a second that anyone respects you in this town. You''re just
as corrupt as the rest of them.Erickson will eat you alive, and we''ll be here to watch.”
The message sent a shiver down my spine, but it was also oddly invigorating. These faceless detractors fueled at fire within me,
a stubborn determination to prove them wrong. | couldn’t let their disdain or threats deter me from the path I’d chosen.
Another email contained a more encouraging tone, albeit from a sender who didn’t want to be identified either.
“Evie, we''ve been following your journey, and we''re thrilled to see someone challenging the corrupt system. Stay strong, and
keep fighting for justice. The world needs more people like you.”
| couldn''t help but smile, feeling a swell of gratitude for the silent supporters who had my back. It was a reminder that not
everyone was against me, even if they couldn’t express it publicly.
As | read through more emails, the pattern became evident. My case against Erickson had already leaked, and the anticipation
was growing. It seemed that the battle lines were being drawn, with supporters and opponents aligning behind their chosen
champions.
| couldn''t deny that the pressure was mounting, but at the same time, it was exhrating to know that so many people believed in
me, even if they couldn’t say it in public. It was the kind of encouragement that fueled my determination and steeled my resolve.
While | had initially thought | would face this battle alone, | now understood that | had a silent. army of supporters who believed in
the fight for justice.
| couldn''t let them down.
The clock on myputer screen ticked away, and the outside world had long since plunged into darkness. The office lights cast
eerie shadows on the walls as | continued to sift through emails. Time seemed to blur as | got lost in the tumult of emotions
swirling within me.
SEMANA
VIVARA
X076% 11:13
[e)
+5
When | finally got back home, after what felt like a never-ending day, | was more than ready to kick off my heels and rx.
But as soon as | walked through the front door, | was met with an unexpected sight. Aria and Lucas were sprawled out on the
couch, engrossed in some cheesy rom on the television. Theirughter filled the room, and the warm scent of freshly
popped popcorn wafted in the air.
Lucas looked up from the screen, his eyes bright with enthusiasm. “Hey, Evie! You''re just in time. We''re about to start a movie.
Want to join us?”
| hesitated for a moment, torn between the longing for a peaceful evening and the relentless business that seemed to follow me
like a shadow. “I appreciate the offer, Lucas, but | have a ton of work to catch up on.”
Aria chimed in, her voice sweet and inviting. “Come on, Evie. You’ve been working yourself into the groundtely. Just one movie
won’t hurt, and then you can get back to your stuff.”
The tempting idea of just sinking into the couch and losing myself in a movie for a few hours was almost irresistible, but the voice
of responsibility was louder. “I wish | could, but I’ve got deadlines to meet, and | can’t afford any dys.
Lucas sighed, and | could see a flicker of disappointment in his eyes. “Alright, but you know where to find us if you change your
mind.”
| gave them both a small smile and headed toward my home office, leaving them to their entertainment. As | walked into the
dimly lit room, | couldn’t help but feel a sense of istion that had be all too familiartely.
Sitting down at my desk, | powered up myputer, silently praying that Bruce hadn’tpromised it any further. | had locked
down my digital security as much as possible, but with him being one step ahead of me all the time, | couldn’t be too careful.
The desktop loaded, and | nervously clicked through my files, hoping to find no traces of unauthorized ess. To my relief,
everything seemed intact. Perhaps Bruce had grown bored for the time being, or maybe he was just watching from the shadows,
biding his time.
My fingers danced over the keyboard, and | opened my email client, curious about any messages that hade in while | was
away. What | found left me stunned.
LAST CALL
SEMANA
Ox? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.
VIVARA
$2076% 11:13
Chapter 204
My inbox was flooded with emails from anonymous senders. The subjects varied from expressions of congrattions to sneering
remarks about mypetence and reputation. Ste’s case had certainly made headlines, but the reactions ranged from
supportive to judgmental. | couldn’t help but be drawn to the most contentious messages.
One email caught my attention, and | opened it with a mix of trepidation and curiosity. The words that met my eyes were
venomous, and the anonymous sender clearly had an axe to grind.
“Evie, you may have won that battle against Ste, but don’t think for a second that anyone respects you in this town. You''re just
as corrupt as the rest of them.Erickson will eat you alive, and we''ll be here to watch.”
The message sent a shiver down my spine, but it was also oddly invigorating. These faceless detractors fueled a fire within me,
a stubborn determination to prove them wrong. | couldn’t let their disdain or threats deter me from the path I’d chosen.
Another email contained a more encouraging tone, albeit from a sender who didn’t want to be identified either.
“Evie, we''ve been following your journey, and we''re thrilled to see someone challenging the corrupt system. Stay strong, and
keep fighting for justice. The world needs more people like you.”
| couldn''t help but smile, feeling a swell of gratitude for the silent supporters who had my back. It was a reminder that not
everyone was against me, even if they couldn’t express it publicly.
As | read through more emails, the pattern became evident. My case against Erickson had already leaked, and the anticipation
was growing. It seemed that the battle lines were being drawn, with supporters and opponents aligning behind their chosen
champions.
| couldn''t deny that the pressure was mounting, but at the same time, it was exhrating to know that so many people believed in
me, even if they couldn’t say it in public. It was the kind of encouragement that fueled my determination and steeled my resolve.
While | had initially thought | would face this battle alone, | now understood that | had a silent army of supporters who believed in
the fight for justice.
| couldn''t let them down.
The clock on myputer screen ticked away, and the outside world had long since plunged into darkness. The office lights cast
eerie shadows on the walls as | continued to sift through emails. Time seemed to blur as | got lost in the tumult of emotions
swirling within me.
LAST CALL
SEMANA
VIVARA
Emergency calls only
Chapter 204
SA76% 11.13
As my inbox finally started to dwindle, | closed myptop screen and leaned back in my chair. The darkness outside had
deepened, and the silence of the room was almost oppressive. The faint hum of theputer was the onlypany | had.
The next few hours were a blur of research, legal documents, and more emails. The summary judgment in the case against
Erickson was just around the corner, and | needed to be prepared. The courtroom battle loomedrge, with the hopes and
expectations of so many riding on the oue.
Hours ticked by as | poured over every detail of the case, my focus narrowing until the outside world ceased to exist. The silence
in the house was almost deafening, and the istion that came with my obsession for justice weighed on me like a heavy
shroud.
My eyes ached from staring at the screen, and my mind felt like it was slowly chugging to a halt. As | began to weed out the less
strenuous work, my mind began to wonder, | knew a lot of these people had grown fond of me through Timothy’s case, and that
kind of connection would never escape me.
| couldn''t get his thoughtful eyes out of my mind, a striking but warm hazelnut that seemed to regard me with an unrestrained
fondness. He was reeling me in at this point, ready to make the catch, and | found myself struggling less and less. | was starting
to imagine more of his kisses as he ced them on every inch of my body, iming every bit of skin as his own.
When that all-too-familiar feeling of thrill began to creep its way in and have my body breaking into a light sweat, | knew it was
time to call it a night.
Closing myptop, | stood up and stretched, feeling the knots in my shoulders and back slowly release. | made my way back to
the living room, where the warm, cozy glow of themps greeted me. Aria and Lucas were still on the couch, engrossed in a
conversation, their voices carryingughter and light-heartedness.
Lucas looked up and smiled when he saw me. “Hey, Evie! How''s the battle against the legal world going?”
| couldn''t help but grin at his attempt to lighten the mood. “It’s going, Lucas. I’m as ready as | can be for the summary judgment, |
think.”
Aria patted the empty space on the couch next to her, inviting me to join them. “Come rx for a bit, Evie. Pretty please?”
| hesitated, but their genuine concern won me over. With a grateful nod, | sank into the plush cushions, letting the exhaustion of
the day melt away. The TV was still on from their earlier movie, and Aria grabbed the remote to find something we could all enjoy
together.