Brandon’s confident expression crumbled. He leaned forward, confused. His lawyer looked startled, turning to whisper urgently to Brandon.
In the gallery behind us, I could see Veronica Ashford, the pharmaceutical heiress—Brandon’s new girlfriend—shifting uncomfortably in her seat. Her perfectly made-up face showed confusion and worry.
Judge Henderson wiped tears from her eyes, still smiling widely. She looked directly at Brandon, and her expression changed from amused to something harder, colder.
«Mr. Pearce,» she said, and her voice had an edge to it now. «In twenty years of presiding over family court, I have never, and I mean never, seen such a clear-cut case of…»
She paused, looking down at the papers again, then back up at him. «Well, we’ll get into the details momentarily, but I must say, your audacity is truly remarkable.»
Brandon’s face went pale. His lawyer was frantically whispering to him. I could see Brandon shaking his head, looking confused and angry.
He had no idea what was in that envelope, no idea what evidence Maggie and I had spent weeks gathering. But I knew. And sitting there, watching his confidence dissolve, I felt something I hadn’t felt in years.
I felt powerful.