Page 67 of Now Their Starlet

Yes, just make sure you hide the phone well, Sweet Tea

Unknown Number #3

I wish I could teleport sooo badly, Starlight

Andi

Me too

Goodnight everyone

I manage to hide the phone between the mattress and the headboard before I curl up in a ball on my terribly uncomfortable bed.

I should probably take off my makeup. I’m not going to.

The last thought I have before drifting off to sleep is that if Leo were here, he’d take off my makeup for me.

CHAPTER 15

Everett

“Repeat that for me again?” Despite my best efforts, my words still come out low and harsh.

Calm. Stay calm.

“The rest of the videos are fantastic evidence, but the one that’s audio only is inadmissible in court,” Charles, the head lawyer on this case says.

Thankfully, my foul temper hasn’t sent him running for the hills, though I’m sure the ridiculous amount of money I spend to keep him and his firm on retainer is a big reason why.

“Inadmissible? Gina Sterling admitted quite clearly that Andi didn’t throw her down those stairs. Shouldn’t that count for something?”

“‘Should’ is relative,” Charles sighs. “Unfortunately for us and fortunately for her team, California is a two-party consent state. This was recorded in Gina Sterling’s own home. There are laws in place that require consent for recordings in spaces with reasonable expectations for privacy.”

I scrub my hand down my face, pacing back and forth in front of Charles, who remains seated, waiting patiently as ever for me to get my shit together.

Tomorrow can’t come soon enough.

It’s the big day.

The hearing where the judge will evaluate whether or not the emergency conservatorship over Andi becomes long-term, and who will be her conservator.

Each and every day that’s passed—each hour, minute, second—seems to have some sort of reminder about how much control I lack in this situation.

“Forgive my French,” I mutter, “But that sounds like a terrible load of bullshit.”

“It is,” Charles sighs. “I will not argue with you there. Especially considering the evidence Gina has put together, which includes videos of Andi growing up.”

“Highly edited videos made to make Andi look bad,” I add. “Why doesn’t the two-party consent law apply to that footage?”

“Because it was all filmed under the guise of Gina’s reality TV show.”

“A show Andi never truly wanted to be on!” I scrub a hand down my face.

Calm. I have to stay fucking calm.

My inner mantra doesn’t seem to be working as well these days.

“Technically, because Andi was a minor at the time, Gina was the one who would have consented to her daughter being filmed for the show.”