Chapter 31: The Ruling

POV: Avalon Pierce

The courtroom was filling up slowly, with reporters and journalists packed into the back rows. A handful of board members were also scattered around the room. Catherine Pierce sat by herself in the third row, but Avalon didn't give her a second glance, pretending not to notice she was even there.

At exactly ten AM, the bailiff spoke.

“All rise. The Honourable Judge Marice presiding.”

Everyone stood.

Judge Marice entered, black robe flowing, expression giving nothing away(she ate, looking like 10/10%-nothing👌). She sat and opened a folder thick with documents.

“Please be seated.”

The room settled into tense silence.

Judge Marice adjusted her glasses and looked up.

I've gone through the statements from Margaret Chen, Selene Castellano Pierce, and Avalon Pierce. I've also looked at the financial records, the timeline of what happened, and the points made by both sides.

She paused.

Avalon stopped breathing.

This case is really unusual. It's about a will that says you have to be married to get something. We can say this marriage began because of a contract, not love. So, we have to figure out if the people getting married really meant to or just did it for the money.

Marcus leaned forward slightly.

Selene’s hand tightened on Avalon’s.

"However," Judge Marice went on, "what I need to decide isn't whether this marriage started in the best way. The real question is whether there's enough proof that the marriage was a sham from the start - in other words, that both, if people got married with no plan to actually be together as a real couple.

She flipped a page.

Mr. Sullivan made a strong case that money was the main motivator for this union. He pointed out that Mr. Pierce wanted to protect what he was going to inherit, and Mrs. Pierce needed funds to help with her sister's medical bills. These are basic facts that everyone agrees on.

Avalon felt his stomach drop.

They were going to lose.

"However," Judge Maruce said, "just because there's a financial incentive doesn't mean it's automatically fraudulent. Throughout history, many marriages have started with practical reasons in mind. The real question is, did the couple actually develop genuine feelings for each other, or was it all just about the money?"

She looked directly at Avalon and Selene.

I was really impressed by how honest your depositions were. When Mr. Pierce said he's still getting used to being in love with his wife, it didn't sound very romantic, but it seemed true. He was open about being scared and feeling vulnerable, and when he finally admitted under oath that he does love Mrs. Pierce, even though he hasn't told her yet, it seemed genuine. These aren't the kind of things someone would say if they were trying to deceive people on purpose. It sounded like he was being really honest, even if it wasn't always easy to hear.

Hope flickered in Avalon’s chest.

“Similarly, Mrs. Pierce’s testimony about loving her husband despite his inability to reciprocate fully demonstrated a level of emotional investment which is inconsistent with pure transaction.”

Judge Marice sets down the documents.

I do not have enough evidence to back up the claim that the marriage was fake. So, I'm not going to stop the marriage from happening, and I'm throwing out the lawsuit for good.

The courtroom erupted.

Avalon couldn’t process it.

They’d won.

They’d actually won.

Selene let out a deep breath, like she'd been holding it in for a really long time, and it seemed to release all the tension in her body.

Diana grabbed Avalon’s hand, squeezed hard.

Margaret smiled.

Marcus just sat there, his face a total blank. Meanwhile, Sullivan was packing up his stuff, getting ready to head out.

Judge Marice banged her gavel. “ However—”

The room quieted immediately.

Avalon’s relief froze.

However?

"Let me make one thing clear," Judge Marice said, her tone firm. This decision is only about the claim of fraud - it's not about whether the choices that led to this marriage were right or wrong. All it says is that, based on what we've heard, I don't think there's enough evidence to prove that anyone acted with deliberate fraud.

She looked at Marcus.

“Mr. Pierce, your challenge is hereby denied. The will stands as written.”

Then she looked at Avalon and Selene.

"Mr. and Mrs. Pierce, consider yourselves lucky, not many people get a second chance like this. So, don't blow it."

She stood.

“Court is adjourned.”

The gavel came down with finality.

Outside the courthouse, press swarmed.

Diana took care of them, and at the same time, Avalon was pulling Selene towards their car.

“No comment,” he said to every question.

They climbed into the back seat. The driver pulled away from the chaos.

Only then did Selene start crying.

Not sad tears. Relief. Joy. Disbelief.

“We won,” she whispered.

“We won.”

Avalon pulled her close, held tight.

“I can’t believe it’s over.”

Avalon spoke softly, "It's not over yet, Marcus will try to appeal, he'll come up with something new, he won't give up easily."

She gazed up at him, her eyes searching for an answer. "Do you really think he'll keep fighting?"

Avalon's hands cradled Selene's face, his eyes locked on hers. "I know he will," he said, his voice low and gentle. "But Selene, I've stopped caring. He can throw anything he wants our way, and you know what? We've made it through this, and we'll make it through whatever comes next."

“Together.”

“Together.”

The car pulled up to the penthouse.

They rode the elevator in silence, hands clasped.

Inside, Avalon’s phone started buzzing immediately. Congratulations from board members, investors and people who’d been watching this play out.

He ignored all of it.

Pulled Selene into the living room.

“I need to say something.”

“Okay.”

He looked at her, his eyes sincere. "I told you I love you in a deposition, under oath, at a really bad time for romance." He held her hands tightly, but I was telling the truth, every single word and I want to say it again, right now, just the two of us, without any lawyers or judges around, no pretending, just us being honest."

Selene’s eyes were filled with tears.

“I love you, Selene. I’m still scared, still figuring this out and learning how to be vulnerable after ten years of walls. But I love you and  I’m going to keep loving you. Whether Marcus appeals or the board questions us or anything else happens. None of that changes this.”

“I love you too,” Selene whispered.

You've been a lot stronger than I have throughout all this.

“Not braver. Just had less to lose.”

“You had everything to lose Selene. Your dignity, your privacy, Maya’s treatment if I had walked away.” Avalon pulled her closer. “ But you stayed,  fought and loved me when I didn’t deserve it.”

“You’ve always deserved it.”

They kissed. Soft, certain type of kiss.

When they pulled apart, Avalon’s phone was still buzzing.

“You should answer that,” Selene said.

“Later. Right now I just want—”

The phone suddenly rang, and it wasn't just a text message, but an actual phone call.

Margaret.

Avalon sighed, answered on speaker.

“Congratulations,” Margaret said. “ You won.”

“We won. Thanks to you.”

"Thanks to being honest, which doesn't happen often in situations like this," she said, pausing for a moment. "But Avalon, I have to tell you something - Marcus left the courthouse about twenty minutes ago."

“Okay?”

He headed straight to his lawyer's office, and from what I've been told, he's going to file an appeal - today, in fact.

Avalon’s grip tightened on the phone.

Of course he was, this wasn’t over.

“How long do we have?” he asked.

So, how long before the appeal is heard? It's usually around three months, but it could be four.

Selene’s face fell. Three more months of this.

“But Avalon—” Margaret’s voice dropped. “ There’s something else.”

“What?”

Marcus is taking it a step further, not just appealing the decision to dismiss the fraud claims. He's actually filed a whole new motion, claiming that Nene's will was influenced by someone in a way that wasn't right. Basically, he's saying that when Nene made her will, she wasn't thinking clearly, so it shouldn't be considered valid.

Avalon felt ice in his veins.

“He’s challenging the entire will?”

"If he wins, it's not just your marriage that will be affected, the entire situation will be impacted."

“I know. Everything goes to probate, gets redistributed and my uncle gets control.”

“Exactly.”

Silence filled the penthouse.

Selene had gone pale.

Avalon's thoughts were spinning out of control. What if Marcus actually managed to prove that Nene wasn't thinking clearly when she wrote her will? That would change everything. The part of the will that said he had to get married would no longer count. The whole thing would be up for debate and Pierce Holdings would be stuck in a legal mess for years to come.

And Marcus would have exactly what he wanted.

“When does he file?” Avalon asked.

It's already been done, about twenty minutes ago, and the court has just accepted it.

“And our timeline?”

This situation is similar to the appeal, it will take around three to four months. However, the case of Avalon is unique, it's no longer about the marriage, but rather about Nene's mental capacity to make decisions. Marcus is trying to tarnish her reputation, destroy her legacy, and undermine everything she has worked for. The focus has shifted from the marriage to Nene's ability to make sound decisions, and Marcus is going all out to discredit her. This is a critical turning point, as it's not just about Nene's personal life, but also about her professional legacy and reputation.

Avalon’s jaw clenched so hard it hurt.

"He can try," he said in a calm voice. "We've already beaten him once, so we can do it again."

"I figured as much, but I appreciate the heads up. It sounds like you're getting a head start on things, gathering all the necessary documents and lining up people who can vouch for Nene's state of mind. I'm sure it won't be easy, but it's good that you're taking a proactive approach to building a strong defence."

“Good.”

“Avalon? One more thing.”

“What?”

Margaret paused, sounding unsure. "Marcus wants Catherine Pierce to be a witness," she said. "He thinks she can say something about Nene's mental state not being great in the months before she died."

Selene gasped softly.

Avalon’s blood ran cold.

His mother. Marcus wanted to use his mother to destroy Nene’s will.

Selene shook her head, "I don't think she'll go through with it, she's been seeing a therapist and really working on herself, trying to make some positive changes in her life, so I highly doubt she'll-"

"Margaret spoke softly, 'I'm not sure what she'll decide to do, but Marcus seems to think she will go through with it - we should be ready for anything.'"

After Margaret hung up, Avalon stood frozen.

Selene crossed to him. “ Avalon—”

“He’s going after Nene.” Avalon’s voice came out hollow. “ Not me nor us. He’s attacking my grandmother’s memory to get what he wants.”

“We won’t let him.”

"What can we do to stop him? If my mom speaks up—"

“She won’t.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I know….she called me, she’s in therapy and she apologized.” Selene took his hands. “ People can change.”

“Not Catherine Pierce.”

We can't stop her from doing what she wants, but we can choose how we react to it. Our actions are the only thing we have control over, so let's focus on that.

Avalon wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight like she was the one thing that could keep him grounded in a world that was spinning out of control.

They’d won today.

But Marcus had already launched his next attack.

And this time, he wasn’t just coming for their marriage.

He was coming for everything.