Novels by Smart.T

Aloe's POVThe family court building felt nothing like the imposing federal courthouse where bigger legal battles played out. This was smaller, more intimate, designed for the personal tragedies of divorce and custody rather than the impersonal drama of criminal proceedings.Wakes sat across the courtroom with his legal team—three expensive attorneys in suits that probably cost more than most people's monthly rent. He looked composed, successful, exactly like the kind of father any judge would trust with a child.Which was exactly the problem."Remember," my attorney Rachel Morrison whispered, "stay calm, answer honestly, don't let him provoke you into emotional responses. This judge has seen manipulation tactics before."Judge Patricia Brennan was in her sixties, with the kind of no-nonsense expression that suggested she'd presided over too many ugly custody battles to be easily fooled. She reviewed the preliminary filings with careful attention, then looked up at both parties."This

Wakes's POVThe custody lawyer came highly recommended—Patricia Holbrook, known for representing wealthy fathers in complex divorce proceedings. She sat across from me in my office, reviewing the file on Aloe with professional detachment."Your wife is currently... where exactly?" she asked."Vermont. Blake Matthew's property. Hiding from the media and from me.""Hiding while pregnant with your child." Patricia made notes. "That plays in our favor. We can argue that she's unstable, making poor decisions about prenatal care, potentially endangering the fetus."Potentially endangering. The legal language that turned Aloe's need for space into evidence of incompetence."What are our chances of gaining custody?""Full custody? Difficult but not impossible. Joint custody with significant restrictions on her movements? Very likely." Patricia pulled up precedents on her tablet. "New York family courts favor biological fathers, especially when they can demonstrate financial stability and the

Aloe's POVDr. Sarah Chen—not Dr. Chen from the Sanctuary, but a real OB-GYN recommended by Agent Martinez—had kind eyes and gentle hands as she moved the ultrasound wand across my twenty-week belly."Everything looks perfect," she said, pointing to the screen where my baby moved and stretched. "Strong heartbeat, appropriate measurements, no abnormalities visible."I stared at the image, mesmerized by the tiny human I'd created. Fingers, toes, a profile that looked almost sculptural in its perfection. My child, growing steadily despite everything we'd both endured."Would you like to know the sex?" Dr. Chen asked.I hesitated, one hand pressed to my belly. Knowing felt like making this real in a way I wasn't entirely ready for. But not knowing felt like hiding from reality."Yes," I said finally. "I want to know."Dr. Chen smiled. "You're having a girl."A girl. A daughter. I would be raising a daughter—teaching her about strength, showing her what independence looked like, ensuring s

Wakes's POVThe emergency board meeting had been called at my insistence, but I could already see the doubt in my directors' eyes. Three months of scandals, federal investigations, and media coverage had transformed me from respected CEO to controversial liability."The federal charges against Blake Matthew strengthen our position," I told the assembled board members, projecting confidence I didn't entirely feel. "His criminal conspiracy delegitimizes any evidence he gathered against me.""But the media narrative is problematic," CFO Harrison Webb said carefully. "Your wife's 'rescue' from the Sanctuary has generated significant negative attention. Our stock price has dropped nine percent since the footage aired."Nine percent. Billions in market capitalization, evaporated because Aloe had chosen to make our private business public."My wife is receiving treatment for emotional instability," I said, using the narrative my PR team had developed. "The facility was legitimate, licensed,

Aloe's POVThe first morning in Blake's penthouse without the immediate threat of capture felt surreal. I woke to sunlight streaming through floor-to-ceiling windows, the Manhattan skyline spread before me like a promise of possibilities. For the first time in months—maybe years—I'd slept through the night without nightmares of being dragged back to captivity.My hand moved automatically to my belly, where the baby was already active. Twenty weeks now, officially halfway through the pregnancy. The ultrasound scheduled for this afternoon would reveal the baby's sex if I wanted to know.I wasn't sure I did."Morning." Blake's voice from the doorway made me jump. He held two cups of what smelled like coffee—decaf for me, probably, given his attention to pregnancy details. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. I heard you moving around."He was dressed for business—expensive suit, perfectly styled hair—but there was hesitation in his posture. Like he wasn't sure if he was welcome in his own

Wakes's POVThe call from Dr. Walsh came at 5:47 AM, her voice tight with controlled panic."Mr. Savage, federal agents are removing your wife from the facility. They have a warrant, and our legal team can't stop them."I was in my Manhattan office within the hour, surrounded by lawyers and crisis managers, watching security footage of Aloe being escorted out of the Sanctuary by FBI agents. And beside her, unmistakably, was Blake Matthew."How did they get a federal warrant?" I demanded."Judge Morrison signed off on a wellness check for a federal witness," my attorney Margaret Whitmore explained. "Once they documented that Mrs. Savage was being held involuntarily, they invoked federal protection protocols."Judge Morrison. Senator Morrison's brother, the one family member who'd never been part of our political network. The one bleeding-heart liberal who actually believed in justice rather than pragmatism."Where did they take her?""Blake Matthew's Manhattan penthouse," Heron reporte