<h4>Chapter 203: ying the game...</h4>


    <strong>Charis</strong>


    Kael’s hand tightened slightly around the steering wheel as he watched the man who had just stepped out of Isolde’s car.


    The stranger looked ordinary, maybe in his mid-thirties. He was in a crisp grey suit and dark sunsses.


    "Are you sure that’s him?" I asked Kael.


    "Yeah," Kael nodded. "I never forget faces, and that’s the man.


    "Great," I turned to him. "So, what do you suggest we do?"


    He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, his eyes followed the man as he crossed the other side of the court parking lot and stopped to speak to someone by a parked motorcycle.


    "I’ll go after him," Kael finally said, "If he’s connected to Isolde, I can probably get information from that end. You should go ahead to the courthouse. I’ll join you once I know where he’s going or figure out why he came out of Isolde’s car."


    I frowned. "Are you sure you’ll be fine on your own?"


    He nced at me, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "You worry too much, Charis. Have you forgotten who I am? I know this is not the right time to brag, but one time, I fought off about thirty high-level Elite warriors before my backup arrived. That man doesn’t look. Like he can throw a punch, rx."


    "Well, forgive me for not being calm. I’m still not used to believing that someone like you is capable of all those things."


    "I am darling, and even more," he said cheekily. "Plus, this could be important. He might be one of Isolde’s associates. If I can find out who he is and what he does, it might give us a clue about what she’s nning."


    I nodded slowly, then said. "Okay, but first, let’s wait to see who elsees out of the car."


    As if on cue, the back door opened.


    Isolde stepped out with the poise of a queen, looking as stunning as always. Her outfit was a cream colored zer over a silk blouse and tailored pants. She paired it off with gold jewellery, catching the sunlight. Her hair was swept back into a sleek bun, and her lips were painted a daring crimson.


    All of this was paired with her signature wide-brimmed hat to hide the scars on her face. Even from a distance, I could feel the shift in the air as Isolde moved like someone who owned the world.


    She nced briefly at her reflection in the car window, adjusted her sunsses and started walking toward the courthouse gates.


    Kael cursed under his breath. "Perfect timing."


    He leaned toward me suddenly. "I need to go after that man before I lose him. He’s heading the other way," he added.


    Before I could say anything else, he reached across the seat and caught my face between his hands. His eyes were dark and filled with a strange softness and a worldless apoloty I couldn’t quite understand.


    Then he pulled me into a kiss.


    The world outside faded as his lips moved against mine. It wasn’t a gentle kiss; it was a desperate, passionate longing full of everything we couldn’t say out loud. It was as if he wanted to memorise the shape of my mouth, the way my breath caught and the faint tremor in my fingers when I reached for his shirt.


    His thumb brushed my cheek, and I melted into him before I could think twice.


    I kissed him back just as hard, my fingers tangling in his hair. The kisssted longer than it should have, and I almost forgot why I was parked at the parking lot of the courthouse. One of his hands slid to my breast as the other supported the back of my neck, and for a moment, I wanted to stay there forever, suspended in this realm where nothing else mattered.


    When we finally broke apart, we were both breathing hard.


    "Be careful," I whispered.


    "Of course, I will. I always want toe back to you," he murmured. Then he kissed me once more, fiercely than the first kiss. "Go. Don’t bete."


    He brushed his thumb across my lips once more, then opened the door and slipped out.


    I took a deep breath to steady myself before stepping out of the car. My lips felt swollen, and my face was flushed. I watched as Kael pulled away, heading in the direction the mysterious man had gone.


    Then I turned and hurried toward the courthouse.


    The morning air felt brighter and charged as if that kiss had set something alive inside me.


    Ahead, I spotted Isolde already halfway up the stone steps. I quickened my pace until I caught up, slipping my hand through hers.


    She jumped slightly, startled, then turned, and her face broke into a wide smile.


    "Charis!


    "She pulled me into a tight hug, squeezing me so hard I could barely breathe. Her perfume wrapped around me like smoke. When she pulled back, her expression was a mix of relief and concern.


    "Where have you been?" she demanded. "I’ve been trying to reach you for days! Your phone kept going straight to voicemail. I was starting to worry something had happened to you."


    Iughed nervously, slipping easily into the role of Isolde’s adopted teenage daughter. "I’m sorry. I’ve been at Rhett’s pack house. There’s been so much drama—his mother showed up out of nowhere, his stepmom went wild, there was fighting and screaming. It was like watching a reality TV show. I was so entertained Ipletely forgot my phone battery had died."


    Isolde’s eyes widened. "Wait, his biological mother? The one who abandoned him twenty years ago?"


    "The very same."


    "Oh my god." Isolde linked her arm through mine as we walked. "Tell me everything. What happened?"


    I grinned. "Actually, before anything else, before I unpack the whole drama, we need to make an appointment."


    "An appointment for what?"


    "With a gynaecologist."


    Isolde stopped walking and then turned around to face me fully, her eyes searching mine. We stared at each other for a moment, and I watched with glee as understanding slowly dawned on her and a smile spread across her lips.


    "You didn’t," she said.


    "I smiled back, and we both started squealing like teenagers. A few people walking past us turned to stare, so we forced ourselves to quiet down, giggling behind our hands like conspirators.


    Isolde leaned in close, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "So, how was it?"


    I bit my lip, half-embarrassed, half-giddy. "It was...Perfect," I admitted. "I lost count of how many times I—" I cleared my throat and leaned closer. "...of how many times I had an orgasm."


    She pped a hand over her mouth to stifle another squeal. "Oh, my goddess. You didn’t!"


    Iughed, covering my face. "I did."


    "Lost count? Girl, you’re living the dream."


    "I know that too," I said, unable to keep the smile off my face.


    "Wait." Isolde’s grin turned wicked. "All three of them? At once?"


    I shook my head, my cheeks burning. "Not yet. They’re still figuring that part out. You know, Baby steps."


    "Baby steps," she repeated,ughing. "Oh, honey, you’re in for a wild ride when you do work it out."


    By this time, we’d reached the entrance to the courthouse. A group of people in suits stood waiting; they were Isolde’s legal team. I knew because I recognised one of them, the one who interviewed me a while ago. There were five of them, all looking professional, carrying stacks of files and coffee cups.


    When they saw us, they all greeted us with polite smiles and small bows.


    The leadwyer stepped forward.


    "Ms Knox," she said with a slight nod. "Ms Greye. Are you both ready?"


    Isolde chuckled. "I was born ready."


    Thewyer’s expression didn’t change, but something in her eyes suggested amusement. "Very well. Let’s review the situation one more time before we go inside."


    She pulled out a tablet and began reviewing the details. The case was about me being discovered as a girl in an all-boys academy. The Academy administration wanted me expelled and possibly charged with fraud for falsifying my enrollment documents. Isolde’s legal team argued that the Academy’s all-male policy was discriminatory and that I had every right to be there, since they’ve now merged both Ebonvale and Ravenshore into one.


    "The judge today is Magistrate Helena Pierce," thewyer continued. "She’s known for being fair but strict. She doesn’t tolerate theatrics or emotional appeals. Stick to the facts."


    "Understood," I said.


    "Your father has also filed a petition to have you remanded to his custody," thewyer added, looking at me over her tablet. "He’s iming you’re a runaway minor in need of parental supervision."


    My stomach dropped. "What?"


    "Don’t worry," Isolde said immediately. "That’s not going to happen. Mywyers will make sure of it."


    The leadwyer nodded. "We’ve prepared a counter-argument. We have documentation of your father’s abusive behaviour, including witness statements fromst night’s incident at the Thatcher pack house. Several people saw him attempt to strangle you."


    "H-How did you know about that?" I asked, surprised.