Chapter 98 Chapter 98
Amber
Evalie’s soft voice cut through the silence like a gentle wind. “All my friends live with both their mummy and daddy,” she said simply. “So why should I have to pick one?”
A murmur swept across the room again.
Evalie shrugged her tiny shoulders. “It hasn’t been very long since I met my daddy… but I want to keep seeing him. He listens to me and makes me laugh. And I love my mummy a lot and I want to be with her all the time.”
She twiddled with her fingers. “I love both my parents. Can’t I stay with both of them? Please?”
My vision blurred. I blinked rapidly, but the tears escaped anyway—silent, warm trails down my cheeks. Ian placed a hand over my knee and rubbed circles with his thumb. I wasn’t even sure I was breathing.
The judge gave Evalie a small nod and leaned in close, just enough that his voice lowered for only her to hear. “Thank you, sweetheart,” he said. “You’ve helped me more than you know.”
Evalie smiled brightly. “You’re welcome.”
Ichika appeared beside her again, giving her hand a squeeze. Evalie stepped off the little platform with her usual bouncy stride, completely unbothered by the eyes following her every movement.
She returned to her seat between Ichika and Ken and immediately reached for her tablet, oblivious to the earthquake she’d just caused in the courtroom.
The judge straightened, dusted off his robe, and made his way back to the bench. There was a different kind of weight in the air now—no longer tense, but heavy with anticipation.
He cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses before looking across the room. “Well then,” he said, voice firmer now. “Let us conclude.”
Judge Merton sat upright now, his face once again assuming the stern, neutral expression of a man tasked with wielding life-altering decisions. The courtroom was deathly still. Even the hum of the ceiling lights felt too loud.
“This case has been quite the rollercoaster,” he began, his voice steady and strong. “One filled with deep wounds, painful truths, and revelations that have no doubt shaken the very foundation of every person involved.”
I clutched Ian’s hand tighter. My breath caught in my throat.
“Yet through it all,” the judge continued, “we have seen undeniable courage—particularly from the young woman who stood here and fought to protect her child.”
His eyes briefly met mine.
I swallowed hard.
“After hearing from both parties… and from the child herself… and taking several factors into consideration…” He paused for what felt like an eternity. “I have reached a decision.”
I stopped breathing.
“The court grants Amber Queen primary custody of Evalie Queen.”
The words hit me like a wave. A broken, shaking sob tore out of my chest before I could stop it. The tears that had clung stubbornly to my lashes fell freely, hot and heavy, blurring everything. Ian was already pulling me into a hug, wrapping me up in his warmth as the courtroom reacted around us.
“We won,” he whispered against my temple, voice thick with relief. “Amber, we won.”
My arms clung to him, my body trembling as I nodded into his shoulder. “I can’t believe it. I can’t believe it…”
Judge Merton’s gavel rang out again, calling for quiet. I pulled away from Ian slightly, wiping at my eyes, trying to focus.
“That is not all,” the judge continued, and the room stilled once more.
“Amber Queen will have primary custody,” he repeated, “but Rayne Hunter will be granted visitation rights. He will be able to see the child at times that are convenient for the custodial parent, and under no circumstance should those visits be denied consecutively without valid cause.”
My heart stuttered.
“It is in the best interest of the child,” the judge said firmly, “if both parents make a conscious effort to rebuild their relationship—not necessarily as partners, but as co-parents. You have raised a remarkable child. She deserves an equally remarkable family.”
I exhaled slowly. No, it wasn’t full and total victory, but it was justice. It was enough. More than enough.
“And on a final note,” the judge added, turning his attention to the petitioner’s side, “I strongly advise Miss Queen to move forward with pressing criminal charges against Mr. Smith. You now possess all the evidence required to do so. What he has done cannot be ignored, and this court will fully cooperate in any further legal proceedings against him.”
Then came the sound I hadn’t realized I was waiting for—
BANG.
The gavel came down one last time.
“Court is adjourned.”
Just like that, it was over.
My body sagged as if the tension that had been holding me together had finally snapped. My hands covered my face, and I let the relief flood me. I could finally stop fighting. I had protected Evalie. I had done it.
Ian leaned in and kissed my forehead, holding me like I might crumble. “You were incredible,” he whispered.
All around us, people stood. Some clapped. Others whispered among themselves. The energy in the room was electric.
Rayne hadn’t moved.
I glanced his way, and there he sat—shoulders heavy, eyes rimmed red, lips parted as if he’d just remembered how to breathe. He looked at me… and our gazes locked for a brief, heart-stopping moment.
He didn’t speak. But I saw it.
His lips moved.
“I’m keeping my promise, Amber,” he mouthed.
“He will be punished. I’ll make sure of it. I swear to you—I’ll make everything right.”
The words hit like a punch to the gut.
I looked away before emotion could betray me.
It didn’t matter what he swore now. The past couldn’t be undone. But maybe… maybe some pieces could still be put back together. For Evalie’s sake.
And Evalie?
She was sitting with Ichika and Ken, grinning from ear to ear, completely unaware of how close her future had come to slipping away.
I smiled through my tears.
We were free.