Chapter 9 - THE CUSTODY HEARING
The family court hearing the next morning was a bloodbath, but not the kind Richard had predicted.
Eleanor didn't even show up. She was too busy dealing with the fallout of the gala and the active police investigation into her extortion of Sarah’s landlord.
The judge—a different, impartial judge—reviewed the emergency paternity test, the audio recordings, and the police report from the car crash.
"Mr. Thorne," the judge said, looking down from the bench. "Given the extraordinary circumstances and the criminal investigation into your mother, the petition for her temporary guardianship is denied with extreme prejudice. Paternity is officially established. You have full temporary custody of Mia Jenkins until the mother recovers."
I closed my eyes, letting out a breath I felt like I had been holding for six years.
When I walked back into the ICU, Sarah was sitting up in bed. The bandages were still there, but the color had returned to her cheeks. Mia was sitting on her lap, eating a cup of strawberry jello.
"We won," I said, walking over and wrapping my arms around both of them. "She can never touch us again."
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Sarah buried her face in my neck, sobbing with relief. "I'm so sorry, Marcus. I should have trusted you. I should have fought her."
"You did the only thing you could to save your father," I whispered, kissing the top of her head. "You sacrificed everything for him. But you never have to sacrifice anything again. I've got you. Both of you."
