CHAPTER 27A: The Deposition (Part I)

POV: Selene Castellano Pierce

The deposition room looked exactly like it had on the video feed.

Worse, actually—because this time, Selene was sitting in it.

The beige walls felt closer than they had on screen, pressing in like they had something to prove. The fluorescent lights hummed faintly overhead, a steady, irritating buzz that settled somewhere behind her eyes. The long table stretched between her and Sullivan like a line drawn in the sand.

On one side: him. Prepared. Armed. Hunting.

On the other: her….With nothing but the truth.

Diana sat beside her, composed as ever, a quiet, steady presence. Not intrusive. Not overbearing. Just there—solid in a way Selene could lean on without thinking.

The court reporter adjusted her machine, fingers hovering, ready.

Sullivan arranged his files with meticulous precision. Each page aligned. Each movement is deliberately controlled 

He looked younger in person than she’d expected. Early forties, maybe. Clean-cut. Sharp. The kind of man who didn’t raise his voice because he didn’t need to.

“Good morning, Mrs. Pierce,” he said, offering a polite smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Thank you for your time today.”

As if she’d had a choice. Selene straightened slightly in her chair.

“Please state your full name for the record.”

“Selene Maria Castellano Pierce.”

“And you’re married to Avalon James Pierce?”

“Yes.”

“For how long?”

“Seven weeks.”

His pen moved.

“Seven weeks,” he repeated lightly. “That’s quite recent.”

Selene said nothing.

She could feel Diana’s approval beside her.

Sullivan glanced up, waiting.

When she didn’t respond, he simply moved on.

“Let’s start with some background. How did you meet Avalon Pierce?”

“We were students at Stanford. Freshman year. Economics seminar.”

“And you dated?”

“Yes.”

“For how long?”

“Three years.”

“Serious relationship?”

“Yes.”

“Marriage serious?”

Selene paused.

Not because she didn’t know the answer but because she knew what it would sound like.

Still—

“Yes,” she said. “We talked about it. We were young, but we believed we’d get married someday.”

Sullivan nodded slowly, like he’d expected that.

“And what happened?”

“I left.”

“When?”

“Senior year. Three months before graduation.”

“And after you left?”

“No contact.”

“Why?”

There it was.

The first real shift.

Selene felt her pulse pick up, just slightly. She drew in a slow breath, grounding herself.

“I was pregnant,” she said.

The words settled heavily into the room.

Sullivan didn’t react outwardly—but his pen paused.

Then resumed.

“And Avalon knew this?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because his mother found out first.”

“How”?

“She came to my apartment, told  me if I told Avalon about the pregnancy, she would destroy his future. His trust fund, his career and everything he was building.”

“Did she make specific threats?”

“Yes.”

“Financial?”

“Yes.”

“Professional?”

“Yes.”

“Did she offer you anything in return for your silence?”

“Money.”

“How much?”

“Two hundred thousand dollars.”

Sullivan’s brows lifted slightly.

“Did you accept it?”

“No.”

“But you still left.”

“Yes.”

“Without telling Avalon.”

“Yes.”

“You made that decision for him.”

Selene held his gaze.

“Yes,” she said. “And I’ve regretted it every day since.”

Sullivan let that sit.

Then flipped a page. “What happened to the pregnancy?”

Selene’s fingers tightened in her lap.

“I miscarried,” she said. “Three days later.”

“Where?”

“San Francisco General Hospital.”

“Were you alone?”

“Yes.”

“You didn’t contact Avalon?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

This was the part that twisted. That made her sound like the villain in her own story.

But she didn’t look away.

“Because I thought I was protecting him,” she said quietly. “Because I was grieving. Because I was twenty-two and convinced that telling him would only cause more damage.”

“For ten years.”

“Yes.”

“That’s a long time to keep a secret.”

“Yes,” she said again. “It is.”

Silence.

Then Sullivan moved on.

“Let’s talk about your reconnection. When did you see Avalon Pierce next?”

“Five days after his grandmother’s death.”

“And he came to you?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“To tell me about the will.”

“The condition requiring marriage.”

“Yes.”

“And your reaction?”

“Shock. Confusion. A lot of questions.”

“Did you agree immediately?”

“No.”

“How long did it take?”

“About an hour.”

“And what convinced you?”

Selene hesitated.

Then answered honestly.

“My sister,” she said. “She has lymphoma. She needed treatment I couldn’t afford.”

“How much money did Avalon offer?”

“Two hundred fifty thousand dollars.”

“And in exchange?”

“Marriage.”

“For how long?”

“One year. With the option to reassess.”

“So it was temporary.”

“It was undefined.”

Sullivan tilted his head slightly.

“But you knew you needed the money.”

“Yes.”

“And that influenced your decision.”

“Yes.”

He made a note.

“So financial necessity played a significant role in your agreement to marry Avalon Pierce.”

“It was a factor,” Selene said. “Not the only one.”

“What were the others?”

She didn’t hesitate this time.

“Nene. She believed in us. She thought we belonged together.”

“And that was enough?”

“No,” Selene said softly. “But it mattered.”

“And?”

Selene’s voice dropped slightly.

“And I still loved him.”

Sullivan’s pen stilled again.

“For ten years?”

“Some feelings don’t disappear just because time passes.”

“So you saw this as a second chance.”

“I saw it as complicated,” she said. “Which it was.”

Sullivan studied her for a moment and then shifted his question.

“When did you move in together?”

“The day we got married.”

“Did you share a bedroom?”

“No.”

“For how long?”

“A few weeks.”

“That doesn’t suggest a genuine marital relationship.”

“That suggests caution,” Selene replied evenly. “We hadn’t seen each other in ten years. We needed time.”

“Or you needed appearances without reality.”

Diana’s hand brushed her arm lightly.

Selene breathed through the irritation.

“We needed space to build something real.”

“And have you?”

Selene met his eyes.

“Yes.”

Sullivan leaned back slightly.

Then asked, almost casually—

“Do you love Avalon Pierce?”

The room went still. Not physically. But something shifted.

The air. The weight….

The question landed differently than all the others.

Not about contracts.

Not about money.

Not about timelines.

About truth.

Selene opened her mouth and for a moment—

The answer felt heavier than the room itself.