Chapter 34: Chapter 34

The following afternoon, Anna left the courthouse after a grueling day there. Anna's level of irritation with the judge's ruling was at an all-time high due to the fact that the defense was able to conceal damaging information that was supposed to be shown to the jury but instead distorted it.

Jerome was waiting for her, resting against the back wall and keeping a tight eye on her as she made her way toward the exit. He had his hair put back in a ponytail and wore black slacks, a black dress shirt, and a black tie. Even in business attire, he managed to convey an air of danger and allure, which was the primary reason why she detested him at the moment. It would be an understatement to say that she had a profound awareness of him, but she did. When she stared at him, her entire body seemed to be filled with an overwhelming desire to act on it. The feeling was unaffected by the anger and hurt that was felt. She was all for taking on challenges, for standing up for what she believed in, and for being the change she wanted to see in the world; but, she had mistakenly believed that she would not be doing this alone. She had erred in her judgment. And she wished she'd never had that feeling of being "together"; how can you miss something you don't even know exists?

When Jerome opened the door for her, for a split second, they locked eyes with one another. The uneasy feeling in her stomach caused her to hastily avert her gaze. Anna was on the verge of losing her composure by the time she climbed into the rear of an unmarked automobile alongside him, with their knees touching together. She didn't even realize she was doing it, but she was shaking with need and emotion.

Jerome signaled with his hand for the other agent to go to the opposite side of the backseat as he started to slide in. To put it another way, "go lost." They were pushed into the backseat after the agent nodded and followed the instructions to the letter. Alone. They were afforded seclusion from the driver thanks to the tinted glass window. She confronted him after being taken aback by his acts, unsure of what to anticipate from him. The trip was quick, taking only a couple of blocks to complete. However, she didn't have to speculate about his motivations for very long.

She found herself in his large, powerful arms in an instant, with warmth all about her, his lips slanting over hers, and his tongue into her mouth with a fierce fervor. She felt a wave of passion and emotion sweep over her, causing her to lose control of her breath.

When the kiss was over far too soon, Anna looked up at him, gazing into his dark eyes. She felt as though she could get lost in those eyes for the rest of her life. Eyes conveying the message that he cared. She sprung to her feet when she heard a knock on the window. The brief voyage had come to an end. No. They required a longer period of time.

"Just a second," Jerome said, his focus remaining fixed on Anna the entire time. "It is imperative that I learn that you are fine."

She didn't bother to find out why. Everything was communicated to her through the kiss, the look in his eyes, and the way she felt when she was in his arms. He had concern. He hadn't closed the door on her. "If that's the case, stay with me."

Before another knock was heard, a momentary softening of his eyes occurred. They were required to leave the building and act as if they had never met before, at least until the conclusion of the trial.

Jerome leaned in close to her and whispered her name while brushing his cheek against hers. Nothing more than that. The next thing she knew, the door was opening, and with some sadness, she followed Jerome out of the backseat after he had exited the vehicle. However, the distance is not nearly as great as it once was.

A few minutes later, she entered the hotel room, brimming with the comfort of the knowledge that she and Jerome were getting closer to one another. When they chose to order a pizza instead of room service, the shared glances that they exchanged were so steamy that she couldn't understand how the other agents could fail to notice the sizzle. But it didn't phase her at all. The trial was almost over, and the defendant, Pedro, was disliked by these individuals. They wouldn't aid her adversaries in any way. They were cheering for her to win in the courtroom.

While they were waiting for the pizza, she sat down on the couch and jotted down some notes for her closing arguments so that she and her team could go over them later. Poker was played on the desk by the two agents who were on duty. After taking a call from someone, Jerome went back to his room for a few minutes to converse, and then, to to her surprise, he returned, and he was no longer avoiding her. After claiming a chair in the area, he settled in to read the nightly security report that had been sent to him by Agent Phil.

Her stomach churned in an anxious manner just as there was a knock at the door. "Yes!" she exclaimed, as she put her papers down and made preparations to get a soda.

However, the representative did not come back with the pizza. Instead, he came back while wearing an uncomfortable expression on his face. He cast a quick look first at Jerome, then at Anna. He told her, "You have a visitor." She was aware of this. "Frank Parker. He is included on the list. He claims to be, uh, your husband."

"Ex-husband," she clarified while casting a glance at Jerome. He had already raised himself to his feet, tightened his jaw, and turned his gaze away from hers. This was awful in every way. It seemed to her that her heart had made its way down to her stomach.

The security guard asked, "Do you let him in?"

She appeared to have accepted her circumstances and gave the agent a knowing nod. "Let him in."

A few seconds later, Frank walked in while wearing a pair of luxury dress slacks and a button-down shirt that had been ironed. A few of the characteristics that he utilized to influence others, both inside and outside of the courtroom, were having blond hair, blue eyes, and a phony grin that was worth a million dollars and was reminiscent of prep school.

He gave her one of those smiles as he passed her by. "It's great to have you back, Anna." The phrases carried an undercurrent of flirtatious intent, which he seemed incapable of avoiding when speaking to a woman.

She did not extend an invitation for him to have a seat. She addressed her question to him in a chilly manner, saying, "What can I do for you, Frank?" The intention behind her icy demeanor was to drive him away. He never stopped regarding her as his property, and he made an effort to stake his claim to her at every opportunity that presented itself. Her greatest protection was to maintain some distance between them.

Frank's eyes drifted over her shoulder to the table where the two agents were playing cards, and then they settled there. Jerome stood there, a fleeting expression of unease appearing on his face; most people wouldn't notice, but she knew Frank better than she wanted to. She smiled to herself privately, relishing the look of bewilderment on his face.

Frank switched his focus back to Anna with a casual shrug and pretended that Jerome's actions had no impact on him. A falsehood. He was skilled in those areas. He addressed me by saying, "Watched you in court today." "You looked good." He gave her a sly smirk before looking at her wrist. "I hope the bracelet I gave you for good luck is still being worn by you."

The tension in the air made a crackling sound. Willpower, nothing more, was the only thing that stopped her from turning around and explaining what had happened. She wore the bracelet as a constant reminder of the person and attorney she never wanted to be again, and she did so because she did not want to be that person again. On the other hand, Jerome would hold a different opinion. It would give him the impression that she still cared about Frank, or even worse, her previous life.

She took a deep breath as she tried desperately to get rid of Frank and explain the situation to Jerome. "Let's get right down to business, Frank. What do you want?"

His lips turned upwards slightly. It was no surprise when he said, "Your father wanted me to talk to you." "So talk."

He cast another look over her shoulder before returning his attention to the person in front of him. "Can we do this on our own?"

She gave Frank the benefit of the doubt and chose to listen to what he had to say. "Fine," she responded as she pushed herself to her feet and made her way toward the bedroom, her attention fixed on Jerome as he made his way into his own space.

Frank followed her into her room and attempted to close the door after she had already left. She made a gesture toward it. "Oh, no. It remains available." He made a face, but he didn't say anything further.

Anna positioned her arms in a cross-pattern and turned her back to face him. "Now talk."

He was close, perhaps even too close, yet moving further away would give him the impression of success, as if he had managed to frighten her. Because he was let off for intimidating others, that would simply make this situation drag out even longer.

He made the announcement, "Your father did not send me." "I simply believed that it was about time that we spoke. You escaped after having some kind of crisis of conscience. I know that you thought you had no choice but to, but it's time to put an end to this emotional relay race that you've been running. You've gone and put your family in harm's way, haven't you? After he moved closer to her, she responded by taking a step in the opposite direction.

As he went on, an evil grin appeared on his lips in response to her actions, and he continued, You are going to prevail in this matter, and your victory is going to be a masterpiece. By sending Pedro to prison, you will make good on any obligation that you feel you have toward society. It is finished. You are welcome to visit at any time."

"The divorce is final!" She said, "And, my God, you must believe that I am an idiot." "You and Daddy planned this, didn't you? An endeavor to bring attention to the company through the press that I am receiving.

After that, he moved quickly and grabbed her before she could figure out what he was doing. While he was dragging her towards his body, he muttered, "You took the perfect life and tossed it in the trash." "You took the beautiful life and dumped it in the trash." "I am an employee of your father. It's official—you and I are engaged to be married. Have your own business, live your own life, but stop destroying the foundation of this family."

"Neither you nor I are the central figures in anything!" She pushed herself on his chest. "Get off of me or I will swear to all three of those agents that I will have them make you go," she said.

"There will only be one needed." When Jerome continued, Anna looked up at the sound of Jerome's voice, which was heavy with menace. Jerome's gaze was centered on Frank as he said, "You have no idea how badly I want to hurt you right now, so I suggest that you release go of her." "You have no clue how badly I want to hurt you right now."

In his response, Frank demonstrated possessiveness by not letting go of anything. "If you touch me, I will file a lawsuit."

"If you live."

Frank let go. He retreated as though he had been scorched. And Anna was not angry with him in the least. Something about Jerome's comments and the way he carried himself exuded an air of pure threat. "Leave," Jerome said.

Frank moved in the direction of the exit. Frank was able to squeeze by Jerome with just enough room to spare.

The two of them confronted each other. He continued, his voice tense, "You also have no clue how much I loathe the idea of that pencil-neck, preppy lowlife touching you." "You have no idea," he replied. But do you know what I detest an even greater amount? I despise the fact that you are wearing his bracelet.

Then he walked away, leaving her to stare after him with wide eyes. It was impossible for her to choose Frank over Jerome. Couldn’t. Wouldn’t. Frank was of little importance. Jerome was indispensable in every way. The name Jerome was... She had feelings for him. She had an incredible amount of love for him.

Anna did not think anymore; instead, she stormed out of her room, careless about the other agents observing her, and with one location in her sights. She did this because she had no more time to ponder. The bedroom that Jerome uses.

Before storming into Jerome's room, Anna didn't even bother to knock on the door. She slammed the door shut and then leaned against it, placing her hands in a relaxed position on the wooden surface behind her while her chest heaved with anxiousness.

Jerome was sitting on the bed with his head buried in his hands. He raised his eyes to gaze at her. "Get out of here, Anna. There is nothing that we can discuss at this time."

His remarks were as cutting as a blade, and they pierced right through her. "Frank has no significance in my life."

He felt his thigh with the palm of his hand. "I have no interest in listening to this." His remarks were riddled with anguish, despite his best efforts to maintain a cool demeanor, just like she had been with Frank.

She had no desire for Jerome to experience pain, but at least she knew he was concerned. She made a beeline for him at that point, collapsing to her knees in front of him, and placing her hands on his toned thighs. Touching him. The act of touching him felt natural. "I wear the bracelet as a constant reminder of the person I never want to revert back to being." To serve as a constant reminder that I am not like him, regardless of how difficult things get in court.

As a response, he moved away from her and there was no indication that he was reaching for her. His eyes were like ice in the dark. He murmured, "The fact that you require a reminder like that says everything." "Your history is what makes you who you are today."