Chapter 13: The Court Room

Hailey's POV

The days between that night in the study and Thursday crawled by with torture.

Everytime I saw Maxwell, I remembered his voice. Every casual made my skin hyperaware. Every knowing look made heat crawl up my neck.

But underneath the tension, genuine fear coiled in my stomach.

Thursday was coming. The custody hearing. Floyd trying to take Gio.

I barely slept Wednesday night. Tossed and turned in my bed while Maxwell worked on his laptop across the room, the glow lit his face in the darkness.

"Stop thinking so loud," he said without looking up. "You need rest."

"I can't stop thinking about tomorrow." I turned again. "What if..."

"We win." He said firmly. "We will win. Get some sleep, Hailey."

But I couldn't. Because tomorrow, everything could change.

In the courtroom, they where people in expensive suits moving with purpose while my stomach twisted itself into knots.

Maxwell's hand found my lower back as we walked through security. "Breathe. You're going to be fine."

"You don't know that..."

"I do." His voice was certain. "Because I don't lose."

The confidence felt arrogant, but it steadied me.

We entered the courtroom, and my heart stopped.

Floyd sat at the opposing table with his legal team, three sharks in tailored suits. And beside him, Kimberley, the woman he'd chosen over me.

She looked flawless in a cream dress, hair swept into an elegant updo. The kind of polished beauty that made magazine covers.

Her eyes met mine, and she smiled.

"Ignore her," Maxwell murmured. "Focus on the judge."

The hearing began with procedural motions, establishing paternity, reviewing living situations, hearing opening arguments. My lawyer, Christina, the one Maxwell had hired, was efficient and brutal.

"Mr. Langford abandoned my client six years ago," Christina said calmly. "He had no interest in reconciliation. No contact whatsoever. Now, only after discovering the child through media exposure, he suddenly claims parental rights."

"My client had no knowledge of the child," Floyd's lawyer countered. "Mrs. Ramsey deliberately concealed the pregnancy..."

"Because Mr. Langford had made his priorities clear," Christina interrupted. "He chose another woman. Another life. My client chose to protect her son."

The argument went back and forth. Living arrangements. Gio's wellbeing. Each word felt like a stab to my ribs.

What if they didn't believe me? What if Floyd won? What if I lost Gio?

Then they brought up the marriage.

"That's convenient timing," Floyd's lawyer said. "Mrs. Kingston married Mr. Kingston mere days after inheriting billions and days after my client discovered the child's existence."

"Mrs. Kingston married someone committed to providing stability," Christina countered. "Unlike Mr. Langford, who only appeared after the child became public knowledge."

"Mr. Kingston is not the biological father..."

"Mr. Kingston is the only father that child has known," Christina's voice was firm. "He's raising him. Caring for him. Biology is irrelevant when weighed against the child's best interests."

Maxwell hand found mine under the table. Squeezed once.

The judge asked questions: about Gio's adjustment, my ability to parent, the marriage's legitimacy. I answered as steadily as I could while panic clawed at my throat.

Finally, after two brutal hours, the judge called a recess.

"Preliminary hearing complete. I'll review evidence and issue a ruling on visitation rights within two weeks. Next hearing scheduled for six weeks from today."

We made it to the hallway before she appeared.

Kimberley stepped directly into our path, her smile perfectly fake. "Hailey, it's been awhile."

I stopped. Maxwell's hand tightened on mine.

"Congratulations on the marriage." Her eyes flickered to Maxwell. "Though the timing was... interesting."

"Was it?" I asked, trying to be calm.

"Marrying your ex-husband's half-brother days after becoming a billionaire?" Her laugh was fake. "That's interesting, it makes eople talk. Wondering if it's love or something else."

"Let them wonder," Maxwell said coldly.

Kimberley's eyes returned to me. "I always wondered what happened to you after the divorce. Floyd said you disappeared. No contact." She tilted her head. "I suppose you were busy. Raising his son in secret."

"I was protecting my child..." My voice rose a little.

"From his father?" She laughed. "How noble. Or maybe you were just jealous. Angry that he chose me."

Heat flooded my cheeks. "I wasn't..."

"It's fine. I understand." Her smile widened. "You weren't enough for him. So you hid his son out of spite..."

"Watch your mouth." Maxwell's voice dropped low. "You're two seconds from saying something you'll regret."

Kimberley's eyes moved to him. "So protective. How sweet. Though I might ask,do you know what you've gotten yourself into? A woman who keeps secrets? Who hides children?"

"I know exactly what I've gotten myself into," Maxwell said quietly. "A woman strong enough to raise a child alone. Smart enough to protect him from people who only care when it's convenient." His hand moved to my waist. "And I'd choose her over someone who married for comfort instead of having the spine to build something real."

Kimberley's smile dropped.

"We're done here." Maxwell guided me past her. "Enjoy your day."

We walked away, leaving her standing there, her composure finally falling.

Outside, paparazzi swarmed, but I barely noticed.

"Thank you," I said quietly as we reached the car.

"For what?" He asked, his voice neutral.

"For..." I couldn't find the words. "Everything. Today. In there."

His eyes held mine across the car roof, something dark and unreadable in there. "You're acting like I did you a favor. I was protecting my investment."

"Your investment." I said, a little bit disappointed.

"The company needs stability. Can't have that if my CEO is falling apart in court." He opened my door. "Besides, someone had to shut Kimberley up. That voice was giving me a headache."

I slid into the car, and he closed the door with more voice than necessary.

When he climbed in the other side, the silence was suffocating.

"Investment," I repeated. "That's what it was?"

"What else would it be?" His voice was distant. "We have an arrangement. I keep my end. Simple."

But his jaw was clenched too tight. His hands gripped his knees like he was holding himself back from something.

"You called me strong in there." I said, keeping my voice steady.

"I called you useful." His eyes finally met mine. "There's a difference."

The lie was so obvious it hurt.

"Right." I rolled my eyes. "Useful."

"Don't read into things that aren't there, Hailey." His voice was sharp now. "I defended you because it benefits me. Because a strong wife makes me look better. That's all."

"You're a terrible liar." I stared at him.

His mouth curved into something that wasn't really a smile. "And you're terrible at hiding what you're thinking. Like right now,you're wondering if I meant any of it. If defending you was real or performance."

"Was it?" I asked,a little bit too excited.

"Does it matter?" He leaned back, eyes never leaving mine. "Either way, the result is the same. Floyd looks like the villain. You look like the victim. I look like the hero. Everyone wins."

"Except that's not the answer." I pressed.

"It's the only answer you're getting." His voice dropped. "Stop trying to find meaning in the things I do, Hailey. You'll drive yourself crazy."

The car pulled away from the curb, and I turned to look out the window, my throat tight.

He was lying. I knew he was lying.