After the Fall A Leap into a Stranger's Arms novel Chapter 361

Alice’s mind was spinning. What? Shirley, her always proud and accomplished daughter, had only gotten where she was by riding Catherine’s luck? And now Catherine was taking her to court?

“That awful girl. Is she just trying to get back at us?” Alice snapped, her voice sharp with frustration.

Shirley’s hands shook as she bit down on her lip, barely holding it together. “And Waldo... he’s done with me too. As soon as this lawsuit is over, he’s going to divorce me. I won’t get a single penny, and no one in tech will touch me. My life is basically over.”

Alice hurried to reassure her. “Don’t panic. Nestor still thinks of you as his own daughter. He’ll help you. Catherine can’t just do whatever she wants. You’re still part of the Blair family.”

She forced a smile, trying to sound hopeful. “Even if things with Waldo don’t work out, we still have the Blair family’s money. And now that Nestor’s with Nexus Dynamics, the family’s going to do just fine. We still have a safety net.”

But Shirley’s eyes flashed with resentment. “I called him ‘Dad’ for ten years. That company should have been mine.”

Alice tried to keep her voice light. “With Catherine running Nexus Dynamics, she probably won’t even care about the Blair fortune. She won’t fight you for it. Let’s just go home for now. I’ll talk to Catherine myself and ask her not to go overboard.”

She shot Shirley a worried glance. Disappointed as she was, this was still her daughter. She’d just have to grit her teeth and deal with it.

The two of them hurried back to the airport.

***

By nine that night, Catherine and Lawrence finally made it home. Their parents were settled, and at last, it was just the two of them.

In the bathroom, Catherine let out a little gasp. Lawrence rushed in, instantly concerned. “What happened? Are you okay?”

Catherine pointed at the mark on her neck, cheeks burning. “Why didn’t you tell me this was here?”

Lawrence blinked, then grinned and slipped his arms around her waist from behind. He kissed the spot on her skin, his voice low and apologetic. “Sorry about that.”

***

The next morning, the media swarmed the courthouse like sharks drawn to blood. Since dawn, reporters and photographers had crowded the steps, massive cameras at the ready.

Everyone wanted a front-row seat for the intellectual property showdown between Nexus Dynamics and The James Group.

What made it even juicier? The two people facing off were sisters from the Blair family.

And standing behind both women were the Blair family’s dream sons-in-law, each a star in his own right.

All of it was perfect gossip fodder, and the whole city was buzzing.

Around eight thirty, a sleek black Rolls-Royce pulled up at the courthouse entrance. A bodyguard stepped out and opened the door.