Chapter 9 - THE COURTHOUSE TRAP

Arthur’s attorney, Rachel Kim, arrived before sunrise.

She looked at the fake photographs and cursed under her breath.

“These are sloppy if someone knows what to look for.”

“Will the judge know?”

“Maybe. Maybe not at eight in the morning during an emergency custody hearing.”

Arthur rubbed his face.

“What do we do?”

“We bring the original metadata issue, the trust documents, the police report, and Maria.”

Maria looked up.

“Me?”

“You’re the person Elena is accusing of manipulating Noah.”

Maria nodded.

“I’ll testify.”

Rachel’s phone buzzed.

She read the screen.

“Problem.”

“What now?”

“Elena filed a second affidavit.”

“From who?”

Rachel looked at Maria.

“Someone claiming Maria has been blackmailing the family.”

Maria went pale.

“Who?”

Rachel turned the screen.

A photograph appeared.

Maria stopped breathing.

Arthur noticed.

“You know him.”

“My brother.”

Arthur frowned.

“You have a brother?”

“Carlos.”

“Why is he saying you blackmailed Elena?”

Maria shook her head.

“He wouldn’t.”

Rachel said, “According to this, Maria threatened to expose private financial information unless Elena paid her one million dollars.”

“That’s insane,” Arthur said.

Maria looked terrified.

“He’s in Mexico. He hasn’t spoken to me in months.”

Arthur’s phone rang.

Unknown caller.

He answered.

“Elena?”

A man’s voice replied.

“No.”

Arthur stood.

“Who is this?”

“You want Maria’s brother alive?”

Maria heard and covered her mouth.

Arthur switched to speaker.

“What do you want?”

“The notebook.”

Isabel’s notebook.

Arthur glanced at Maria.

“Where is Carlos?”

“Safe for the moment.”

Arthur’s jaw clenched.

“If you hurt him—”

“You’ll do what? Call the police? Ask your uncle for help?”

Arthur froze.

The caller laughed.

“Bring the notebook to Pier 17. Noon. Alone.”

The call ended.

Maria was shaking.

“No.”

Arthur turned.

“No?”

“You’re not going.”

“He has your brother.”

“That’s exactly why you can’t go alone.”

Rachel stepped between them.

“Nobody is going to a pier. We contact the detective.”

Arthur looked at the clock.

7:15 a.m.

“First we survive court.”

At the courthouse, Elena appeared in a cream-colored suit.

Perfect hair.

No emotion.

She looked like the calm wife of a dangerous man.

Daniel sat behind her.

Arthur’s anger surged.

Rachel whispered, “Don’t give them anything.”

The hearing began.

Elena’s attorney described Arthur as increasingly unstable.

Then Elena took the stand.

She cried at exactly the right moments.

“I love my husband,” she whispered. “But I’m afraid of what he might do.”

Arthur stared at her in disbelief.

The judge looked at him.

“Mr. Vance, do you currently possess firearms?”

“Yes, legally secured.”

Elena’s attorney stood.

“Your Honor, we have just received new evidence.”

Rachel shot to her feet.

“Objection.”

The attorney handed something to the clerk.

Arthur watched the judge open a police evidence report.

His face changed.

“Mr. Vance.”

“Yes?”

“A firearm registered to you was recovered thirty minutes ago.”

Arthur’s heart stopped.

“Where?”

May you like

THE MAID’S DAUGHTER

“GET OUT OF MY HOUSE,” HIS FIANCÉE TOLD THE MAID—THEN THE MAFIA BOSS LOOKED AT HER LITTLE GIRL“Get out of my house. And take that...

**MY HUSBAND CALLED ME A “BARREN LEECH”—HE DIDN’T KNOW MY MONEY WAS KEEP...

My husband threw his wedding ring at my feet and told security to remove the “barren leech” from the ballroom.He had no idea he wa...

MY DAUGHTER’S NOTE STOPPED MY WEDDING—AND EXPOSED MY BRIDE

MY DAUGHTER SLIPPED ME A NOTE BEFORE “I DO”—AND EXPOSED MY BRIDE’S PLANPART 1 — TEN MINUTES BEFORE THE VOWS“Daddy, if you marry he...

The judge looked directly at him.

“Inside your wife’s hotel room.”