“Your Honor, we continue to have serious concerns about the legitimacy of this marriage.” Mr. Hendricks’s voice slid easily through the room, smooth and practiced. “Our investigation has revealed that Ms. Santos and Mr. Murphy had no romantic relationship prior to their sudden engagement. No dates. No public outings as a couple.” He paused, letting the absence hang there. “Nothing to suggest this is anything otherthan a calculated arrangement designed to manipulate these proceedings.”
My jaw locked. I kept my gaze forward, afraid that if I looked at him, I’d give something away. Beside me, Liam’s posture shifted—subtle, but I felt it. A tightening. A readiness.
“Furthermore,” Hendricks continued, unbothered, “the timeline remains highly suspicious. Three days from proposal to courthouse. No engagement period. No ceremony beyond a brief legal proceeding. This has all the hallmarks of a marriage of convenience, and we believe the court should treat it as such.”
The room felt smaller. Hotter. Like the walls had leaned in to listen.
Diana rose before I could spiral any further. Calm. Centered. Her presence alone slowed something in my chest.
“Your Honor, opposing counsel continues to make allegations without evidence.” Her voice didn’t rise; it didn’t need to. “Ms. Crane spent an entire day in that home. She spoke with both adults and the child separately and found nothing to support these claims.” A brief glance at her notes. “Her report explicitly states that the household dynamic appeared genuine, and that Mia expressed feeling safe and cared for.”
Judge Morrison lifted one hand.
The room went still.
She studied her notes for a long moment, pen tapping softly against the bench. Once. Twice. Each tap landed somewhere in my ribs.
“I’ve reviewed Ms. Crane’s report thoroughly.”
My breath stalled.
“And I find her observations compelling.” She looked up now, eyes sharp and assessing. “The home environment is stable. The child is thriving. Whatever concerns I initially had about the speed of this marriage, I’m seeing evidence that this household is functioning in Mia’s best interest.”
My heart lurched—hard enough that I had to press my tongue to the roof of my mouth to stay steady.
“However.”
The word dropped into the room like a weight.
“I’m not prepared to make a final determination today.” Her pen stilled beneath her fingers. “I want to see continued progress. I want to know this isn’t a performance that unravels once the court stops watching.”
She set the pen down.
“Custody remains with Ms. Santos. We will reconvene in sixty days for a final review.” Her gaze moved—me, then Todd. Me again. “If stability continues, I will be prepared to make this arrangement permanent.”
Silence.
“Court is adjourned.”
Not a victory.
Not yet.
But closer than we’d ever been.
I stood on legs that didn’t quite feel like mine, the room tilting just enough to make me reach for the table. Liam’s hand found mine beneath it, steady and grounding, like he’d known exactly when I’d need it.
Across the courtroom, Todd’s smirk was gone.
His lawyer leaned in, murmuring urgently, but Todd didn’t react. He just stared at me—eyes dark, unfocused, burning with something raw and unstable.
Desperation.
And for the first time, it scared me more than confidence ever had.
Men like him don’t stop just because a judge tells them to. They escalate.
Something Sandra had said once—quietly, almost in passing—rose to the surface as we walked out of the courtroom. Not a warning delivered with drama. Just a fact, stated like policy.
