Chapter 134

Chapter 134


Evelyn’s POV

Evelyn didn’t realize how tightly she’d been holding herself together until the courtroom doors closed behind her. The sound was soft, controlled, almost polite, but something inside her loosened all at once. Her shoulders dropped before she could stop them, her fingers, clenched since the moment she’d taken her seat inside, slowly curled open at her sides.
She stood there for a second too long, just inside the hallway, staring at nothing in particular.

People were moving around her— lawyers speaking in low voices, footsteps echoing against the tiled floor, someone laughed quietly down the hall, and the normalcy of it all made her feel strangely out of place, like she was walking through a world that hadn’t noticed how close she’d come to breaking.

She swallowed and took a deep breath.
The hearing was over, at least the first one. It hadn’t been intense, there had been no shouting, no accusations thrown across the room. It was all formal language, careful phrasing, legal restraint. But somehow, that made it worse, every word spoken had felt heavier because it was measured, deliberate, recorded.

Her name had been said out loud in that room, over and over again.

Evelyn Carter.

She hated how small it had sounded when it came from the clerk’s mouth. She shifted the strap of her bag on her shoulder and began walking toward the exit, her steps slow, deliberate. Reed was just ahead of her, already speaking quietly to someone she didn’t recognize, maybe another lawyer or a clerk. She didn’t pay much attention, her mind was still catching up to her body.

By the time she reached the glass doors leading outside, her chest felt tight again.
She pushed them open and stepped out, Carmen was there immediately.
She was standing a few feet away, Jayden tucked securely against her chest in a carrier, one hand resting protectively over his back. She looked up the moment she saw Evelyn, and her expression shifted to relief first, then concern.

“Evie,” Carmen said softly, already moving toward her.

That was all it took, and Evelyn stopped walking. Carmen didn’t ask questions, she didn’t wait for explanations. She stepped right into Evelyn’s space and wrapped one arm around her, careful not to jostle Jayden, holding her close in a way that said, you’re here now, you’re not alone anymore.

Evelyn pressed her forehead briefly against Carmen’s shoulder and let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

“I’m okay,” she murmured automatically, the way people did when they weren’t sure they were.

Carmen didn’t argue, she just nodded. “I know.”

Jayden stirred slightly at the sound of Evelyn’s voice. His tiny hand shifted against the fabric of the carrier, fingers curling and uncurling in that reflexive way babies do. Evelyn reached out instinctively, brushing her fingertips against his knuckles.

“He slept through everything,” Carmen said quietly. “Didn’t even fuss.”

Evelyn nodded, her throat tightening. “Good.”

She straightened slowly, forcing herself to stand on her own again. Reed stepped outside a moment later, his phone in his hand, his expression focused but calm. He looked between the two women and then at Jayden.

“You did good,” he said to Evelyn, not patronizing, not dramatic, just factual.

She gave a small nod. “It didn’t feel like it.”

“It never does the first time,” Reed replied.

They moved away from the courthouse entrance together, walking toward the parked car. The city carried on around them — traffic noise, distant sirens, people passing by without a second glance.

Evelyn found that oddly comforting. Life hadn’t stopped because hers felt like it was being dissected piece by piece.
When they reached the car, Carmen carefully adjusted Jayden so Evelyn could take him. The moment his weight settled into her arms, something inside her steadied. It felt like a turbulence had just stopped.

She pressed a light kiss to his temple, breathing him in. Reed opened the car door but didn’t get in immediately. Instead, he leaned against it, folding his arms loosely.

“Alright,” he said. “Let’s talk for a minute before we go.”

Evelyn tensed without meaning to, Carmen noticed. “Hey,” she said gently. “It’s okay.”

Reed did too. “Nothing bad,” he said quickly. “I just don’t want you replaying everything in your head and filling in gaps that don’t exist.”

Evelyn nodded, she knew she would’ve done exactly that.

“The judge didn’t rule on anything today,” Reid continued. “That was expected. This was procedural — establishing claims, jurisdiction, intent.”

“So… nothing changed,” Evelyn said.

“Not officially,” he agreed. “But that doesn’t mean nothing happened.”

She looked at him, waiting.
“The hospital has been ordered to preserve all records,” he said. “Both from the agency and the delivery period too. No alterations, no ‘missing files.’ That’s important.”

Carmen let out a quiet breath. “Good.”
“And,” Reed added, “we were granted approval to submit independent DNA results at the next hearing.”

Evelyn’s grip on Jayden tightened slightly.
“Another DNA test?” she asked.
Reed nodded. “Yes.”
Her chest fluttered, a mix of relief and fear colliding all at once.
“They can’t ignore that,” he continued. “Especially if the chain of custody is clean.”

Carmen frowned slightly. “Damian’s side doesn’t know about it yet, right?”

“No,” Reed said. “They’ll find out in court.”
Evelyn looked down at Jayden, her lips pressing together.

“What if it doesn’t matter?” she asked quietly. “What if he still believes the first one?”

Reed studied her for a moment. “Court isn’t about belief, it’s about evidence.”
She nodded, though doubt still lingered.
They got into the car after that, Carmen drove, Reed sat beside her in front, and Evelyn sat in the back with Jayden, watching the city slide past the window. Her body finally started to register how tired she was, not just physically, she was emotionally drained in a way sleep couldn’t fix.

She thought about Damian, she hadn’t seen him in the courtroom. She’d known he would be there, somewhere, but she hadn’t looked, she didn’t trust herself to.
Part of her was relieved, another part hurt in a way she didn’t know how to explain.

Back at the apartment, Carmen carried the diaper bag while Evelyn took Jayden inside. Toys scattered neatly in one corner, bottles drying on the rack, a blanket draped over the couch. The space looked safe.

Evelyn sat down slowly, cradling Jayden against her chest. He blinked up at her, unfocused but calm.

“We’re okay,” she whispered again, this time more convincingly.
Carmen watched her from the kitchen doorway. “You were brave today.”
Evelyn huffed a weak laugh. “I was terrified.”

“Both can be true,” Carmen replied.
Reed lingered near the door, keys in hand. “I’ll check in tomorrow,” he said. “If anything changes, you’ll hear it from me first.”

“Thank you,” Evelyn said, and she meant more than just the legal help.

We went into the kitchen to bid Carmen goodbye, and gave her a hug. After he left, the apartment grew quiet again, but not the suffocating quiet of the mansion. This was different, softer even.

Carmen busied herself in the kitchen, humming under her breath. Evelyn leaned back against the co
uch, Jayden warm and steady against her.
The worst part of the day was over, and she could finally breathe.