We spent the rest of the afternoon in crisis mode.
Nash got a recommendation for a family attorney named Heather Stone—apparently the most ruthless custody lawyer in Manhattan whose tagline ‘Your win is set in Stone’ was not an exaggeration.We had an appointment with her first thing Monday morning.
Then Nash called his own lawyer to arrange the committee meeting.He said he'd push for later this week, that the committee members were usually available on short notice.
Through it all, I felt numb, like I was watching this happen to someone else.
Mia woke up from her nap oblivious, asking for a snack and wanting to watch her favorite show.I sat with her on the couch, holding her close, breathing in her little-girl smell of strawberry shampoo and sunshine.
I couldn't lose her.I couldn't.
Nash ordered dinner and we ate mostly in silence, lost in our thoughts, save for the preschooler questions that peppered the dinner.Do dragons lay eggs?What’s Naff favorite color?We go to school tomorrow?
After we put Mia to bed, Nash poured us both generous glasses of wine and we sat on the couch, the custody papers spread out on the coffee table.Just looking at them ruined any semblance of a good mood I’d cobbled together.
"So what do we think the committee meeting will be like?"I asked finally.“Did your lawyer give you any idea?”
Nash set his wine glass aside, pulling something up on his phone."He sent me this document.But it’s not super helpful.Apparently, there are five committee members—my grandfather's former business partners, his lawyer, and a family friend.It says here that questions can cover a wide range of topics."
"A wide range?"I scoffed.“Great.”
"I’m not worried.They want to know we're legitimate.And we are."
"And what if they don't believe us?"
"They will.We've been married for going on two months.We're living together.We have documentation—photos, witnesses, the whole thing."
He made it sound so simple.But I was so nervous.I couldn’t tell if the twist in my gut was from the custody paperwork, this committee meeting, or both."When do you think the committee meeting will be?"
"The lawyer will call tomorrow with options.I’m hoping it’s soon."He rubbed his face, exhaustion evident."I'm sorry, babe.I know this is a lot.The lawsuit, the committee, now this custody thing—"
"It's not your fault Preston filed."
"No, but the timing..."He trailed off, jaw tight."Everything's happening at once.The Gideon project is in legal limbo.We're fighting the city.We’re fighting Sebastian.Now we’ll be fighting Preston.”When his electric blue gaze swung my way, I saw how heavy this was for him."We need something resolved.Just one thing.I can't keep spinning plates waiting for them all to crash."
I'd never seen him like this—stressed, short-tempered, on edge.It made my chest tight with worry.And it made something else creep in—guilt.
Half of his problems were from me, and I wasn’t dumb enough to miss that.
"Nash—"
"I’m sorry."He ran his hands through his hair."I'm just—there's a lot riding on this.The Gideon Hotel deal is worth hundreds of millions.It’s our cash cow for the fiscal year.It keeps the lights on, you know?If we lose that lawsuit, if the city wins..."He shook his head."Every hotelier will think twice before working with us.The inheritance needs to come through, because everything hinges on it more than ever.The legal fights.The Queens properties.Everything."
"But you and Archer are doing well financially."
"We are.But we’re fighting on multiple fronts now.It adds up fast.That inheritance would give us the capital we need to outlast Cross."He turned to look at me."Which is why we can't fuck up the committee meeting.We get one shot at this."
The pressure of it all bore down on me.
"What if I mess it up?"I asked quietly."I could say one wrong thing that they latch onto and…"
"You won't mess it up."Nash knelt in front of me at the couch."Clara, listen to me.You're so smart.You can handle anything.And you’re genuine.That's all that matters."
I gnawed on my lip, one last worry surfacing."And what if Preston's lawyers somehow find out about our contract?"I couldn’t even say the words out loud, but the fear was banging around inside me.If they find out about the contract, they’ll have all the proof they need to take Mia.
"They won't.Only four people know about it—you, me, Archer, and my lawyer.The only people who can hurt us are us.So we don't tell anyone.We get through the committee meeting.We fight the custody case.And we move forward.Together."
I nodded, even though fear still clawed at my throat.
