Chapter 5
The court interview happened that afternoon.
I hated every second of it.
The evaluator's name was Melissa Grant.
She came to our house instead of taking Lily away after Rebecca filed an emergency objection.
That was the first good thing that happened all day.
Melissa was calm.
Maybe too calm.
She sat at the kitchen table while Lily drew pictures.
I stayed in the next room because I wasn't allowed to answer for her.
Every instinct in my body screamed to stay beside my daughter.
Instead, I listened.
Melissa asked, "Who lives here with you?"
"Daddy."
"Anyone else?"
"No."
"Do people visit?"
"Yes."
"Who?"
"Uncle Tank. Uncle Jax. Miss Mara. Miss Rebecca. Sometimes Uncle Moose but Daddy says he eats too much."
I heard Rebecca choke back a laugh.
Melissa asked, "Are they really your uncles?"
"No."
"Then why do you call them that?"
"Because they're my family."
My eyes burned.
"Do you feel safe with them?"
"Yes."
"Do they have motorcycles?"
"Yes."
"Do you ride them?"
"No."
"Never?"
"Daddy says not until I'm big."
"Do they fight?"
Lily thought.
I held my breath.
"Sometimes."
My stomach sank.
Melissa asked, "What kind of fighting?"
"Uncle Tank and Uncle Moose fight about football."
Rebecca covered her face.
I almost smiled.
Then Melissa asked about Charles.
Lily's pencil stopped moving.
"Do you know your grandfather?"
"Grandpa Charles."
"Do you see him often?"
"No."
"Would you like to stay at his house?"
"No."
"Why?"
"He doesn't know me."
That answer cut through the room.
Melissa stayed neutral.
"Do you think he wants to know you?"
Lily looked toward the doorway where she knew I was sitting.
Then back down.
"He made Daddy scared."
My throat tightened.
After forty minutes, Melissa asked to speak with me alone.
Lily went upstairs with Mara.
Melissa closed her notebook.
"She's strongly attached to you."
"I know."
"She appears healthy."
"I know."
"Her home appears appropriate."
I waited.
"But?"
Melissa sighed.
"There are allegations involving your club."
"They aren't criminals."
"Some members have records."
"So do I."
"Exactly."
My jaw tightened.
She continued.
"Mr. Malone, I don't judge people solely on criminal history."
"Then what do you judge?"
"Current risk."
"There isn't any."
"I need to confirm that."
Rebecca leaned forward.
"We can provide background checks, business records, school references—"
"I'll review all of it."
Melissa stood.
"Based on what I've seen today, I won't recommend removal."
I exhaled for what felt like the first time in an hour.
"But tomorrow's judge makes the final decision."
Of course.
There was always another fight.
That evening, the club came over.
Not all of them.
Just Tank, Jax, Moose, and Benny.
They brought food.
Too much food.
Moose brought three pies because he thought children facing custody hearings needed "emergency pie."
Lily ate half a slice and fell asleep against Tank's side while we reviewed evidence.
Seeing her curled against a tattooed man who had once broken his nose in a bar fight probably would've terrified Charles.
To me, it looked like family.
Jax stared at Grace's recording.
"We should leak this."
"No," Rebecca said.
"Why?"
"Because evidence belongs in court first."
"Courts move slow."
"Not tomorrow."
Benny, the quietest of us, looked at the forged will.
"Who notarized it?"
Rebecca stopped.
We all looked at him.
"What?"
"The forged will."
He tapped the page.
"Who notarized Grace's signature?"
Rebecca grabbed it.
Her eyes widened.
"Linda Crane."
"That mean something?" I asked.
"It might."
She started searching on her laptop.
Two minutes later, she turned the screen.
Linda Crane.
Former executive assistant to Charles Whitmore.
Current vice president of compliance at Whitmore Holdings.
Tank laughed without humor.
"Compliance."
Rebecca looked almost excited.
"If she knowingly notarized a forged signature, that's serious."
"Can she testify?"
"She can refuse."
"What if she's scared of Charles?"
"Then we make her more scared of perjury."
The next morning, court felt like entering enemy territory.
Charles sat behind his attorneys wearing a navy suit.
He didn't look at me.
I sat with Rebecca.
Lily was in a separate waiting room with Mara.
The judge entered.
Everyone stood.
The hearing began.
Charles's lawyer spoke first.
He described me as unstable.
Aggressive.
Associated with violent offenders.
He showed the cropped motorcycle photo.
Then he mentioned my arrest record.
Three assault charges.
One conviction.
All before Lily was born.
Rebecca stood.
"Your Honor, opposing counsel has described a birthday party as an organized gang gathering."
She placed the uncropped photograph on the screen.
Balloons appeared.
A cake.
Children.
Wives.
Families.
And Charles reflected in the mirror holding a camera.
The judge leaned forward.
"Mr. Whitmore, were you present?"
Charles's lawyer objected.
The judge ignored him.
Charles stood.
"I attended from a distance out of concern."
"For your granddaughter?"
"Yes."
"Why didn't you approach her?"
He hesitated.
"Because Mr. Malone is unpredictable."
Rebecca smiled slightly.
Then she played Grace's first recording.
Charles's face changed.
Only for a second.
But I saw it.
Grace's voice filled the courtroom.
You're not taking my daughter.
Then Charles's recorded threat.
There are other options.
When it ended, nobody moved.
Rebecca introduced the altered will.
Then Evelyn's declaration.
Then copies of the emails.
Charles's lawyer asked for a recess.
Denied.
Rebecca called Evelyn.
She testified for nearly an hour.
By the time she finished, Charles looked older.
Then Rebecca called Linda Crane.
I hadn't known Linda was coming.
Neither had Charles.
When Linda entered, his head snapped toward her.
She wouldn't look at him.
Rebecca asked, "Did you notarize Grace Malone's signature?"
"Yes."
"Did you witness her sign?"
"No."
Charles's attorney objected.
Overruled.
Rebecca continued.
"Who instructed you to notarize the document?"
Linda started crying.
She looked toward Charles.
Then toward the judge.
"Mr. Whitmore."
The courtroom erupted in whispers.
I stared at Charles.
For the first time, he looked scared.
The judge ordered silence.
Rebecca asked, "Did Mr. Whitmore explain why?"
Linda nodded.
"He said Grace was dying and Duke Malone would destroy the company if he controlled her shares."
My blood went cold.
There it was.
The truth.
Not love.
Not concern.
Money.
The judge immediately denied Charles's emergency custody request.
Then she did something better.
She referred the suspected forgery to the district attorney.
I closed my eyes.
Rebecca squeezed my shoulder.
We had won.
At least, I thought we had.
Then one of Charles's attorneys stood.
"Your Honor, there is additional information unrelated to the will."
Rebecca frowned.
"What information?"
The lawyer handed the clerk a sealed document.
The judge read it.
Her expression changed.
She looked at me.
"Mr. Malone."
I stood.
"Yes, Your Honor?"
May you like
"Have you ever been informed that you may not be Lily Malone's biological father?"
Everything inside me stopped.
