Page 82 of Double Standards

I stare at my reflection. Mascara smudged slightly beneath one eye. A hairline crack in the lipstick I reapplied before the verdict. My blouse is still crisp, blazer tailored, every inch of me the image of the composed, victorious defense attorney.

But my eyes betray me.

They look hollow. Aching. Like I’m mourning something I was never allowed to claim in the first place.

Axel.

The way he looked at me before I left, that quiet devastation, buried beneath all his practiced calm, it’s burned into me now. He didn’t stop me. Didn’t say anything at all. And yet I felt it. The pull. The ache. The unspoken goodbye.

I press the heels of my hands into my eyes, willing the sting away.

This wasn’t supposed to happen.

We were never supposed to get this close. I was supposed to defend him, win, and walk away clean. Untouched. But Axel Bonanno doesn’t just touch people—he brands them.

Maybe he was right after all, I belong to The Five, in more ways than one.

I exhale sharply and reach for a paper towel, dabbing at the mascara without ruining what’s left of my dignity.

This can’t be the end.

And it sure as hell can’t be the beginning either.

So what is it? A pause. A fracture in reality. A moment suspended between choices I haven’t dared make.

Splashing cold water onto my neck, I try to soothe the sticky heat clinging to my skin. I let out a long, weary sigh. My reflection shows a flustered mess; hair tousled, eyes rimmed with exhaustion. Through the faint hum of the bathroom tiles, I can hear the chaos of reporters just beyond the doors, their voices rising in anticipation. But I shut it all out. Instead, my mind drifts deeper than I expected, circling relentlessly around Axel and what comes next.

My thoughts coil and twist relentlessly in my mind. Was I nothing more than a distraction to him? A conquest—marked and claimed—only to be discarded now that the trial was over? The possibility settles like a stone in my chest, dragging me down with that familiar, sharp sting of disappointment.

But I have to fight those dark spirals. I can’t afford to think like that. This was just a job, a case I didn’t choose, but one I had to take. Now it’s done. The courtroom doors have closed behind us both, and for the first time in a long time, I’m free. Maybe that freedom is all either of us can hold onto right now.

Snapping myself out of it, I remind myself that pining after a dangerous man like Axel is a fool’s game. I don’t have the luxuryof heartbreak. My eyes lock onto my reflection, searching for some sign of strength beneath the fatigue.

I straighten up, roll my shoulders back, and take one final look at myself. I’ve worn a thousand masks in my life. One more won’t kill me. But walking away from him just might.

Taking a steadying breath, I push open the bathroom door—and immediately run into a solid wall.Aiden Daniels.

“You just can’t help yourself, can you?” he sneers, stepping deliberately into my path. That smug, infuriating grin curls on his lips like he’s savoring every second of this—like it’s a game only he knows how to win. “It’s like you thrive on tearing this city apart. Fucking over the good guys while acting like you’re the savior.”

I meet his gaze, cold and steady. “And you think you’re one of the ‘good guys,’ huh?”

He shrugs, unbothered.

“At least I have the guts to admit when I’m coloring outside the lines,” he sneers “Unlike you, always pretending there are rules you don’t break.”

His words sting, but I refuse to show it. This isn’t about him or me, it’s the war we’re both caught in. Neither of us is innocent.

He steps closer, invading my space, and I suck in a sharp breath. My eyes dart down the empty corridor, but there’s no one else around to witness this.

“Daniels, the trial is over. Save your mind games for another day,” I snap, irritation sharp in my voice. I’m drained, and the last thing I need is his venom pressed against me. I try to sidestep, but he matches my move, blocking me again.

He leans in, breath hot and sour against my cheek. I wince instinctively as he snarls, “Mark my words, Caruthers. He’ll get his comeuppance.”

For a heartbeat, we stand frozen, his words sinking into me like poison. I know Daniels doesn’t have shit on Axel, but evenwith that in the forefront of my mind, I’m still left with the gnawing unease that this isn’t over.

Satisfied, he spins on his heel and disappears down the hall.

I finally exhale, letting my shoulders drop. Today is over. For now.