CHAPTER 25: Margaret’s Defense

POV: Avalon Pierce

The deposition room was designed to be intimidating.

Avalon understood this immediately, the stark white walls, the fluorescent lighting that made everyone look slightly unwell, the table that was too large for comfort but too small for distance. Everything calculated to put witnesses on edge.

Margaret Chen sat across from Marcus’s attorney with the same composed expression she wore in board meetings. Tailored navy suit, minimal jewelry, reading glasses perched on her nose as she reviewed documents. She looked like what she was: someone who’d spent thirty years navigating corporate warfare and refused to be rattled by it.

Sullivan—Marcus’s lead attorney—had clearly not done his homework if he thought Margaret would crack easily.

Avalon watched from Diana’s office via live video feed, Selene beside him on the leather sofa. They’d been given the option to attend in person, but Diana had advised against it.

“Your presence changes the dynamic,” she’d said. “Let Margaret handle this alone. She’s more than capable.”

She was right. Margaret was more than capable.

But watching her face questions designed to dismantle their marriage still made Avalon’s chest tight.

“Ms. Chen, thank you for your time today,” Sullivan began, all professional courtesy. The smile of a shark who hadn’t decided whether to bite yet. “Let’s start with some background. How long have you known Avalon Pierce?”

“Twenty-two years. I was CFO of Pierce Holdings when he was still in college. I mentored him through his first startup.”

“So you’re close. Would you say you’re personally invested in his success?”

“I’m professionally invested in Pierce Holdings’ success. Avalon’s success is part of that.”

“But you’re more than colleagues. You attended his wedding. You’re godmother to—” Sullivan checked his notes, “—excuse me, I’m mistaken. You don’t have children. But you’re close enough to be invited to a private City Hall ceremony with only two witnesses.”

Margaret’s expression didn’t change. “Avalon and I have a strong working relationship built on mutual respect and trust. Yes, I attended his wedding. I was honored to be asked.”

“Honored to witness a marriage that took place three weeks after his grandmother’s death? That seems rushed.”

“The Will specified thirty days. They used the time they had.”

“Convenient timing.”

“Legal timing,” Margaret corrected. “The will was clear. Marry within thirty days or forfeit the inheritance. They met the requirement.”

Sullivan made a note, he lets the silence stretch. A tactic Avalon recognized—let the witness fill the quiet, potentially with something damaging.

Margaret simply waited.

“When did you first learn about the marriage clause in Lorraine Pierce’s will?” Sullivan asked finally.

“Three days before her death. Nene, Lorraine—told me personally.”

“Why would she share that information with you rather than her grandson?”

“Because she knew I’d help facilitate it. She trusted me to handle the logistics once she was gone.”

“Logistics. Interesting word choice for a marriage.”

“Logistics for honoring her final wishes,” Margaret clarified. “Nene was very specific about what she wanted. She’d orchestrated the reunion between Avalon and Selene and wanted to ensure it happened.”

“Orchestrated. So this wasn’t a natural reconciliation—it was planned. Manipulated, even.”

“Nene believed in giving people second chances. She’d watched Avalon and Selene fall apart ten years ago due to his mother’s interference. She regretted not intervening then. The will was her way of correcting that mistake.”

Sullivan leaned forward slightly, the shark circling closer.

“Tell me about that interference. What exactly did Catherine Pierce do?”

Margaret chose her words carefully. Avalon could see her calculating what was necessary versus what was private.

“Catherine threatened Selene when she was pregnant. Told her that revealing the pregnancy would destroy Avalon’s future. Offered her money to disappear.”

“And Selene took the money?”

“No. But she took the threat seriously. Seriously enough to leave.”

“After which she miscarried. Alone. Without telling Avalon.”

“Yes.”

“That’s quite a secret to keep for ten years.”

“That’s quite a trauma to process for ten years,” Margaret countered. “Selene was twenty-two, alone, and convinced she was protecting Avalon by staying silent. Was it the right choice? No. But it was an understandable one given the circumstances.”

“Understandable. You’re very generous in your interpretation.”

“I’m realistic in my assessment. I’ve known both of them for over a decade. I understand the context.”

Sullivan flipped through his notes, shifted tactics.

“Let’s discuss the financial arrangement. When did you become aware that Avalon intended to pay Selene’s medical debts?”

“He mentioned it during the initial conversation about the marriage. He wanted to help Maya—Selene’s sister—access better treatment.”

“Before or after Selene agreed to marry him?”

Margaret paused, and Avalon felt his stomach drop. This was the trap.

“The conversations were happening simultaneously. Avalon was processing the will’s requirements and also learning about Maya’s condition. The two issues became intertwined.”

“Intertwined. That’s diplomatic. Let me be more direct—did Avalon offer to pay the medical bills as an incentive for Selene to agree to the marriage?”

“He offered to help with Maya’s treatment because he’s not the kind of person who lets people die when he has the means to help them.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“Yes, it is. You’re asking if the financial help was transactional. I’m telling you it was compassionate. Those aren’t the same thing.”

“Ms. Chen, I’m going to ask you directly: Do you believe this marriage is genuine, or do you believe it’s a financial arrangement disguised as romance?”

Margaret removed her glasses, set them on the table with deliberate precision. When she spoke, her voice was measured but fierce.

“I believe this marriage began under extraordinary circumstances. I believe both parties entered it with complicated motivations—legal compliance, financial necessity, unresolved feelings. I also believe that what started as complicated has become genuine.”

“Based on what evidence?”

“Based on watching them. I’ve seen Avalon build billion-dollar companies. I know what strategic behavior looks like. What he and Selene have isn’t strategic—it’s messy and emotional and vulnerable. That’s not performance. That’s real.”

“Messy and emotional. Those aren’t typically markers of a stable marriage.”

“They’re markers of an honest one. They’re in couples therapy. They’re working through a decade of hurt. They’re learning to trust each other again. That’s harder and more meaningful than a perfect wedding and smooth honeymoon.”

Sullivan made extensive notes, his pen scratching against paper filling the silence.

Avalon watched Margaret’s face on the screen. Composed, certain, protective. She was fighting for them with the same intensity she brought to board meetings and contract negotiations.

“Let’s talk about their living arrangements,” Sullivan continued. “Are you aware that for the first several weeks of their marriage, Avalon and Selene maintained separate bedrooms?”

“I am.”

“Does that suggest genuine matrimonial intent to you?”

“It suggests two people being cautious after significant trauma. Many couples take time to build physical intimacy.”

“Many couples don’t marry strangers after ten years of no contact and immediately move into separate wings of a penthouse.”

“They weren’t strangers. They were former partners with unresolved history.”

“History that included Selene hiding a pregnancy and miscarriage for a decade.”

“History that included Catherine Pierce’s manipulation creating the conditions for that secret,” Margaret shot back, an edge entering her voice. “You keep framing this as Selene’s deception. But the original sin was Catherine’s interference. Everything else followed from that.”

“That’s a convenient narrative.”

“It’s the truth.”

Sullivan shifted again, clearly trying to find an angle that would crack her composure.

“Ms. Chen, what’s your personal opinion of Selene Castellano?”

The question seemed to surprise Margaret. “My opinion?”

“Yes. Do you like her? Trust her? Believe she’s good for Avalon?”

Margaret was quiet for a moment, and Avalon found himself leaning forward, wanting to hear this.

“I didn’t know Selene well before this marriage,” Margaret said finally. “I’d met her once or twice in college. But in the past six weeks, I’ve gotten to know her fairly well. And yes, I like her. She’s brilliant—her economic models for the nonprofit sector are genuinely innovative. She’s resilient—she’s survived things that would have broken most people. And she loves Avalon in a way that’s both terrifying and beautiful to witness.”

“Terrifying?”

“Because it’s not safe or calculated. She loves him despite every reason not to. Despite the hurt, despite the complications, despite knowing he might never fully forgive her for the secrets she kept. That kind of love is terrifying because it’s vulnerable. But it’s also real.”

Beside Avalon, Selene made a small sound. He reached for her hand, found it trembling.

“Do you believe Avalon loves her?” Sullivan asked.

“I believe he’s trying to. And for someone like Avalon, who’s spent ten years building walls around his heart, trying is the same as loving. He just hasn’t admitted it to himself yet.”

Sullivan made more notes, clearly cataloging everything for future use.

The deposition continued for another twenty minutes—questions about board dynamics, about whether the marriage had affected Avalon’s performance, about Pierce Holdings’ stability.

Margaret answered everything with the same steady competence.

When Sullivan finally said “No further questions,” the relief in the room was palpable.

The video feed didn’t cut immediately. Avalon watched Margaret gather her things, watched her exchange a few words with the court reporter, watched her maintain perfect composure until she left the room.

Only then did the screen go dark.

Avalon sat back, exhaled slowly.

Beside him, Selene was crying quietly.

“She believes in us,” Selene whispered.

“Yeah. She does.”

Diana appeared in her own video window moments later.

“Margaret was excellent. She gave them nothing damaging and everything we needed. Sullivan’s going to have a hard time painting this as fraud with testimony like that on record.”

“He seemed frustrated,” Avalon observed.

“He was. Margaret didn’t crack, didn’t give him the sound bites he wanted. She was honest about the complexity without making it seem suspicious.” Diana made notes. “This is good positioning for your depositions.”

“When?” Selene asked, her voice small.

“Wednesday for you, Selene. Thursday for Avalon. Two days from now.”

The timeline hit Avalon like cold water. Two days until Selene had to sit where Margaret sat and answer questions designed to make her look like a gold digger or a liar or both.

Two days to prepare for the most important testimony of their lives.

“We’ll do prep sessions tomorrow,” Diana continued. “Both of you together, then separately. I need to know what you’re going to say before you say it under oath.”

After the call ended, Avalon and Selene sat in the quiet office.

Outside, the city moved through its afternoon rhythm. Inside, everything felt suspended.

“Margaret said I love you in a terrifying way,” Selene said finally.

“She’s not wrong.”

“Is it? Terrifying?”

Avalon turned to face her fully. “Yes. Because it’s real. Because you’re not protecting yourself,  if I hurt you again, there’s no wall between you and that pain. That terrifies me.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t want to hurt you. And I’m terrified I will anyway.”

Selene leaned her head against his shoulder. They sat like that for a long time, watching light shift through the windows, watching the city below continue its indifferent dance.

“We should go,” Selene said eventually. “Diana wants us back tomorrow at nine for prep.”

“Yeah.”

But neither of them moved.

“Avalon?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you. For Margaret. For having someone in your life who fights for us like that.”

“She’s not just fighting for us. She’s fighting for the truth.”

“Same thing, isn’t it?”

He considered that. “Yeah. I guess it is.”

They left the office together, drove home in comfortable silence, and ordered takeout. Neither of them ate that night. Lying in bed, Selene spoke into the darkness.

“I’m scared. About Wednesday.”

“I know. Me too. About Thursday.”

“What if I say the wrong thing?”

“There is no wrong thing. Just the truth.”

“The truth makes me look terrible. Like I’m exactly what Marcus is saying—someone who kept devastating secrets and then came back for money.”

Avalon rolled toward her, found her hand in the dark.

“The truth also makes you human. Flawed but trying. That’s not terrible. That’s real.”

“I hope the judge sees it that way.”

“She will. Because Margaret just showed her how.”

Selene squeezed his hand.

“Two days,” she whispered.

“Two days,” he agreed.

They fell asleep holding hands, gathering strength for the battle ahead.