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Chapter 23

My office desk is piled high with papers and fabrics- designs galore due to my lack of work lately. I'm trying to sort through them when Viktor knocks softly on the glass, entering anyway.

"I got the info you asked for."

"So soon?"

"I'm that good," he answers, smirking, handing over a packet of papers. I open the manila folder and glance down at Constantine Water's hospital records for the past twenty years.

"This is a pretty weighty list," I utter, scanning the first page. "Which one is from the past five years?"

"Right there. It said she had a hairline fracture, internal bleeding, cuts, bruises- she was pretty banged up. The weird thing is... they named it as a accident. There is no mention of Stellan in these records at all."

"An accident?"

"Stairs."

And the hospital believed it? I roll my eyes and set down the papers. "This won't hold up in court. Why would he tell me about it?"

"To make you second guess Stellan, I'm guessing. It was the only route he had to go for."

"You're going to hate me but can you have Charles look into the night Stellan was admitted to the hospital?"

"Of course, baby."

"Stellan is at the lawyer's right now... I can barely think."

"He's got this, Iris. He's a smart man and thankfully, you have a lot of evidence against them."

"It's not enough. We need more. Viktor, if we lose this, Vance is coming after us. I know it. There can't be any buts."

"There won't be. I'll have Charles look deeper. In the meantime, I'm having your lunch brought here. The reporters are blocking the entrance way."

I glance up at the TV hung on the wall, details on the lawsuit scanning slowly in bold letters over the bottom of the screen. "Yes, well, I expected this. A major actress practically tortures lovers that aren't her husband- that's a pretty big thing."

"How's Stellan taking it all? The spotlight is definitely on him right now."

"He's quiet. I can tell he's thinking a lot- probably overthinking."

I stare ahead at the words on the screen as Viktor comes around the desk, sighing. "This is tricky business but- it had to be done."

"Yeah, well, I just hope he's not regretting coming back and having to do all of this."

"I think you're actually the one overthinking things... I highly doubt he is, Iris. Why don't you get out of here, go spend some time together- forget all this? I mean, you just reconnected after a year of being apart."

I cough into my hand softly. "There's reporters everywhere- where could we even go?"

"Out of state possibly?"

"At this time? No way, there's too much to do."

"Like what? Wait by the phone for Charles? News flash honey, he can ring you anywhere. We've got a while until the trial."

I silently shake my head, placing a pile of charcoal pencils into the drawer in my desk. I hear a sigh come from the body next to me but I ignore it, standing up.

"Want some coffee?"

"No, I'm good. I'm gonna go order your lunch. The usual?"

"Yes, please. Extra dressing this time."