All Chapters of Bound by Contract, Freed by Love: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Elena's POVI walked into the courtroom with my hands folded around a paper cup of water. My legs felt like they belonged to someone else. Ms. Alvarez had said nothing more than the plan on the drive over: stay calm, answer when needed, do not offer extra. Corbin had slipped me a thin folder with copies of the affidavit and Harrow’s transcript. Percival gave me a small nod at the door. Dominic stood behind the first row with his shoulders set like a guard.“Ready?” he mouthed when I passed him.I nodded. I did not feel ready. I had practiced words until they sat in my mouth like stones. Still, the room smelled like paper and pressure.The hearing was supposed to be short. It was a sealed matter, counsel only for the most part, but they let me stay because I was a named witness and because the judge wanted to hear from the people actually living the fear. Ms. Alvarez had told me that was unusual and helpful. She had also warned me not to volunteer.We took our seats. The judge called t

Percival's POVI arrived at the courthouse with a folder of exhibits and a coffee gone cold. The defense had filed an emergency motion overnight. They wanted to disqualify our handwriting expert, Dr. Mendes, and to throw out the comparison report he had prepared. They called it unreliable, they called it biased, and they called it ripe for exclusion.I set the folder on the counsel table and looked at Ms. Alvarez. She met my eye and gave the smallest nod.“You okay?” she asked.“As okay as I get,” I said. “He’s ready. We drilled him yesterday.”She tapped the table. “Keep the opening tight. Focus on method and foundation. Let him explain his technique. If the judge sees process, it stays.”Corbin came in with a tablet. “Forensics attestation is in order,” he said. “I also prepared a short demonstrative to show chain-of-custody and samples.”“Good,” I said. “We will not over-explain. We will show the work.”At ten the clerk called the matter. The courtroom smelled like old paper and co

Dominic's POVI stayed out of the room for a long beat and listened to Percival in the hall. His voice was low and steady. He spoke with the kind of care that turns words into legal traps.“He’s here,” I heard him say into the phone. “We accept a short meeting. Counsel only. No cameras. No surprise statements.”“Good,” Ms. Alvarez answered. “We don’t want theatrics. We want records and restraint.”I walked in when they opened the door. Marcellus sat at the far end of the table with his own counsel. He looked like every photo I’d ever seen of him: composed, slightly bored, a man used to getting his way. The room smelled of cheap coffee and expensive leather. I sat down opposite him. Percival at my left, Ms. Alvarez at my right. Marcellus’s lawyer closed a folder and smiled the lawyer smile.“Mr. Blackwood,” Marcellus said first. His voice was cool. He did not rise. “This is unpleasant.”“It is necessary,” I answered. “We asked for a meeting because things have escalated, and because yo

Elena's POVI rode in the prosecutor’s car and watched the city blur. I kept my hands folded in my lap. My folder was thin. The prosecutor, Reyes, drove. He did not say much. He checked his phone once, then put it away.“You ready?” he asked.“As ready as I’ll be,” I said. My voice sounded small in the car. “I’m nervous.”“You did the right thing coming,” he said. “We move fast. We keep it narrow.”We stepped into the bank and were met by a woman in a grey suit. She introduced herself as Claire Fenton, head of compliance. She led us through a small corridor into a quiet room with a table and two chairs. The room smelled like new paper.“Ms. Hart,” Claire said, and she extended a hand. “Thank you for coming.”“Thank you for seeing us,” I said. I tried to sound steady. My throat felt tight.Reyes sat opposite me and opened a slim notebook. “We asked to see correspondent stamps and any internal memos that mention trustee references from April to June,” he said. “We also want any notes th

Percival's POVI started the day with the motion half-written on my screen and a mug gone cold. The leaks had not stopped. The phishing attempt had been brazen. Someone — counsel or counsel’s agent — had floated sealed items into the public pond. That pond churned headlines and threatened witnesses.I called Ms. Alvarez first.“You saw the latest repost?” I asked.“I did,” she said. “It’s tied to the leaked packet. It’s on three aggregator sites. Two accounts are bot farms.”“Good,” I said. “I need you to sign off on an emergency sanction motion. Short, sharp, legal. No melodrama.”“I’ll read it in ten,” she said. “Make sure Corbin’s affidavit is attached. I want raw packets and headers.”“On it,” I said.I opened a new filing and wrote simple lines. I kept it tight. The relief I sought was clear: the court should find that the leak risked witness safety and the integrity of sealed exhibits; the court should punish willful disclosure by counsel or agents; the court should refer any im