CHAPTER 230: NO TIME TO WAIT

As Jean and Logan tangled in sheets and sunlight, the sound of rain wrapped them in something that felt almost like peace.

The rain had eased to a gentle drizzle by the time both of them finally left the warmth of their room.

In the kitchen, the staff had already prepared breakfast, but Jean surprised Logan by insisting she wanted to do something herself. For him. Even if it was just pouring juice and toasting bread.

They sat across from each other at the long marble island, plates steaming with scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and a basket of warm pastries between them.

Logan, still half in awe of the night they’d shared, caught himself just watching her. The way her hair tumbled messily over one shoulder, how she crinkled her nose a little before taking a big bite of croissant.

"What?" Jean asked around a mouthful, cheeks faintly pink.

"Nothing," Logan said, his lips quirking into a grin. "Just... you seem to have quite the appetite this morning."

Jean paused, then laughed softly. "I guess I do. Surprised?"

"Pleasantly," he murmured, warmth in his gaze. "Eat as much as you want. Actually..." He nudged the pastry basket closer to her. "Eat more. You need the energy from now on."

Jean shook her head with an affectionate eye‑roll, but took another pastry anyway. "Energy for what?"

Logan smirked, "Energy for you know... our nightly duties in the bedroom."

"God! Mr Kingsley! I didn’t know you could be already looking forward to it." Jean blushed, hiding her flushed face behind her coffee mug. "What are you? An animal?"

Logan leaned forward, closing their distance. "You have no idea how much wilder our nights are going to be and for that I need you to get as much energy you can."

"I... I have enough energy to handle it." Jean wanted to look daring too but failed miserably.

"I’m sorry Mrs Kingsley but you can barely keep up."

Jean gasped, throwing a piece of beacon towards him. It felt easy. Homely. Almost painfully normal.

But before either of them could say more, Logan’s phone buzzed insistently on the table.

Logan glanced at the screen... his lawyer’s name flashing and his jaw tensed slightly. "Sorry," he muttered, answering the call.

Jean watched him, her smile slowly fading.

"Yes, Matthew?" Logan’s voice turned clipped, all the softness tucked away in an instant.

She saw the lawyer was speaking quickly... Logan’s brows knitting tighter, a muscle ticking in his jaw.

After a few moments, Logan’s expression darkened. "What do you mean he claimed it was stolen?"

He listened, his gaze hardening further, before finally ending the call and exhaling a slow breath.

"What happened?" Jean asked, her voice quiet.

Logan turned to her, eyes clouded. "Tyler told the police that his phone was stolen. He’s denying that he released the picture. Claims someone else must have done it."

Jean’s breath caught in her throat. Of course Tyler would do this... twisting the truth so he could keep his hands clean.

"Does that mean the charges won’t stick?" she asked, the tightness in her voice betraying her fear.

Logan’s gaze softened, but frustration still simmered beneath it. "For now, it complicates everything. He’s buying himself time, that’s all."

Jean dropped her gaze, her appetite forgotten, the warmth from before fading like morning mist.

Logan reached out, his hand closing gently over hers.

"Don’t lose faith," he said, quieter now. "Even if the law hesitates, I won’t."

Jean looked up, meeting his eyes... the sincerity in them steadying her heart, if only a little.

"I know," she whispered.

And for a moment, the storm between them felt a bit less heavy... Even outside, the drizzle still fell.

________________________

Jean sat silently at the breakfast table long after Logan had gone to take another call in the hallway.

The taste of cinnamon and butter was still on her tongue, but she barely noticed. All she could see was the memory of that photo... the raw humiliation, the fear it had stirred in her chest.

And Tyler’s name. Always Tyler, haunting her like a stain she couldn’t scrub off.

For years, she’d done exactly what everyone told her to do: stay quiet. Survive. Endure. But Logan’s words from earlier echoed in her head, mixing with something fierce rising inside her chest.

"Don’t lose faith... Even if the law hesitates, I won’t."

Jean’s eyes dropped to the half empty coffee cup in front of her. Her reflection stared back. Tired, still fragile but not powerless.

She curled her fingers around the cup, knuckles whitening.

"No," she whispered to herself. "I’m not waiting anymore."

Jean stood up, her chair scraping softly against the tiled floor.

She could feel the trembling in her body, but her steps felt steady. She walked into her office, the morning light spilling over the papers on her desk.

She opened her laptop, her gaze hardening as she pulled up emails, old files, anything that could give her leverage.

She wasn’t going to let Tyler Dominic write her story. And she definitely wasn’t going to let Darla or anyone else turn her life into a weapon against her.

If the law was slow, fine. If Logan was fighting one side, she’d fight from the other.

Jean’s heartbeat drummed louder as she drafted a message... to a trusted contact in the media, someone who still owed her a favor. Her fingers hovered a second, then pressed send.

If you’re going to threaten me with secrets, Tyler... let’s see how you handle your own truths being exposed.

The door behind her opened quietly... Logan’s voice calling her name, softer this time.

Jean shut the laptop and turned, her expression calm but her resolve was iron.

"Logan," she said, meeting his eyes. "I’ve decided. I’m not just going to wait for you or the lawyers to fix this."

Logan blinked, a mix of surprise and something close to pride warming his gaze.

"What are you planning to do?" he asked.

Jean drew in a breath, her shoulders straightening.

"Fight," she said. "In my own way."