บททั้งหมดของ Stolen Night With My Brother In Law: บทที่ 131 - บทที่ 140

KATHRYN POVAnother pause, shorter this time like he was choosing words that wouldn’t alarm me quickly.“Jacob’s legal team has filed an evidence request " he said, voice neutral, almost professionally detached, "They’ve expanded discovery.”I frowned immediately.“Expanded how?" I asked, because lawyers never say "expanded" unless they mean invasive.Daniel didn’t answer away and that silence was worse than an explanation.“Three years," he finally said.The number landed strangely in my chest not dramatic at first heavy in a delayed way like my mind hadn’t fully processed what Jacobs legal team's request meant yet.“They’re pulling records going back three years,” he continued, carefully now "communications, financial activity, travel logs, personal associations, everything about my life.”I stood up without realizing it.The chair behind me shifted slightly scraping against the floor in a sound that felt too loud in the room suddenly.“Three years?" I repeated, slower this time bec

KATHRYN'S POV He was standing near the stone pillar at the bottom of the courthouse steps. He had one foot back a little. His hands were in his jacket pockets. It seemed like he had been waiting for a time. He was just standing there. I noticed him away even before I really thought about it. At the same time, I knew Jacob was behind me. He was not close enough to touch me. He was close enough to be there. When I looked to the side without turning my head all the way I saw Jacob coming out with his lawyers. They were all walking together as they had practiced it. His eyes looked at Iris. Then they looked at me. Then they went back to Iris. I held my bag a little tighter. Kept walking. I did not stop for anyone. Not Jacob. Not Iris. As I walked past him I felt Iris move a little. It was like he was focusing on me more. "Kathryn." I kept walking. My heels hit each step in a beat that sounded loud like the stone floor was trying to tell me someone was watching me. I didn't

The courtroom did not react when the judge finished speaking. People in the room like lawyers and clerks are trained to treat news like paperwork. They process it. They don't show feelings.I felt it.Even if I didn't show it."Primary custody. Jacob Mayer," the judge said.The words didn't echo in the room. They sank in, heavy and final. It was like something was dropped into water and would never be recovered.My body went still before my mind agreed to it. Shock always arrives faster than acceptance. I learned that sometimes silence is the protection you have left.I kept my hands folded on the table. I kept my breathing steady. I kept my face still.If I moved, something inside me might break. I refused to show that to everyone in the room.My lawyer leaned in. Spoke in a low voice. "Kathryn, listen. This isn't final. We have grounds for appeal and other options."I nodded once. Not because I believed him. Because I understood how the system works. Now understanding was all that w

KATHRYN'S POVJacob took my daughter on the day he won. He did not wait until the morning. He did not even give us a transition period. He did not have a conversation with me about it. He did not let my little girl have one night with her mother.He sent people with papers while I was still in the courtroom listening to strangers decide what would happen to my family. By the time I got to the penthouse, Celine was already gone. When I called Jacob he already knew what I would say.. By the time I got back into my car, I was not thinking about the court decision anymore. I was thinking about my daughter. Only my daughter.The Mayer estate was at the end of the road. My chest felt tight when I saw the gates. The house was lit up from top to bottom. Every window every hallway every room was shining. The whole property glowed in the evening darkness like a celebration. It was like someone wanted me to see it. Like someone wanted me to know where my daughter was.I stopped the car. Got out

KATHRYN POV“Iris," Jacob said lightly almost amused. "Perfect timing.”Iris didn’t even turn his head. His focus stayed on me. Only me. That alone made my chest tighten in a way I couldn’t explain.“Is it true?" Iris asked. His voice was low. Careful. Not angry yet. Like anger would break something he wasn’t ready to lose.I didn’t answer away. My mind was already racing through everything. Celine’s eyes. Silver. Just like Iris’s. The way I had avoided saying it out loud. The way I had told myself it could be a coincidence. The way Jacob had just used my silence against me.Iris took a step closer. Still not looking away from me. "Is Celine my daughter?" he asked again. This time it was like a statement. He was putting pressure on me.Jacob let out a sound behind him. It sounded like satisfaction. Like he had been waiting for this moment.I couldn’t look at Jacob. If I did I might lose control. So I stayed focused on Iris. The man who had stood outside courthouses with me. The man wh