Chapter 8 - The Hearing
The temporary orders hearing lasted two days. Nobody delivered a sweeping speech that resolved everything. The evidence was introduced slowly.
The judge reviewed the police reports, the emergency room records, the photographs, the restraining orders, the medical history, the bank documents, and the nursery recordings, which the court admitted provisionally pending further objections.
Rebecca testified. Trevor sat on the other side of the courtroom in a charcoal gray suit. He didn't look at her with arrogance. He looked crushed.
His lawyer asked Rebecca if she had called Richard before the assault. "Yes."
"Were you planning to leave your husband?"
"I was planning to ask for help."
"Did you tell Trevor?"
"No."
"So he had no way of knowing your father was on his way?"
"Unless he had accessed my messages."
"Do you have proof he did that day?"
"Not yet."
The lawyer asked about the postpartum treatment. The medication. The bathroom photo. The days Rebecca stayed in bed. Her reliance on the household staff.
Every fact was real. The interpretation of those facts was what was being contested.
Rebecca answered without downplaying anything. "I had postpartum depression and anxiety. I sought treatment. I took care of Emma. When I needed help, I arranged for it."
"Did Trevor help you?"
"Sometimes."
"Was he a loving father?"
"Sometimes."
The lawyer paused. "You expect this court to believe a loving father suddenly turned dangerous without warning."
"No."
Rebecca looked at Trevor. "I want the court to understand there were signs that I kept renaming."
Trevor testified that he had hit Rebecca accidentally during a heated argument. He denied subjecting her to surveillance for control purposes. He claimed the nursery system was installed for Emma's safety and the folders were created on the advice of his lawyer because Richard constantly threatened to take Rebecca away.
"Did you tell your wife that no judge would give her custody?" his lawyer asked.
"I told her her father doesn't decide custody."
"Did you threaten to take Emma away?"
"I said I would protect my daughter if Rebecca's mental health deteriorated."
The prosecutor objected to questions overlapping with the criminal case, and the judge strictly limited the cross-examination. Trevor's testimony in family court could have consequences elsewhere, but fundamental rights and evidentiary rules still applied.
Marianne did not appear.
Caroline testified that Rebecca was overly emotional and complained about Trevor often. On cross-examination, she admitted that Malcolm's lawyer helped draft her statement. She also admitted that Trevor once called her after punching the door to the nursery.
"He said Rebecca had locked him out of his daughter's room," Caroline said.
"Did he tell you why?" Maya asked.
"No."
"Did you ask him?"
"No."
The court's technical evaluator recommended that Emma temporarily remain with Rebecca. Given the child's age, the witnessed incident of violence, and the recorded custody threats against Trevor, the evaluator advised against immediate in-person visitation. She suggested reviewing the measure after a risk assessment, a parental fitness evaluation, and further progress in the criminal investigation.
Trevor's lawyer accused the evaluator of being influenced by Richard's wealth. The evaluator replied that Richard had never contacted her.
At the end of the hearing, the judge granted Rebecca temporary sole physical and legal custody and barred Trevor from any direct contact with Emma pending further reports.
The court didn't terminate his parental rights. It didn't resolve the criminal case. It didn't validate every single allegation.
Rebecca should have felt relief. Instead, she began trembling so hard that Maya walked her into a private office.
"He can appeal," Rebecca whispered. "He can file motions. This doesn't erase today."
"And if the next judge believes him?"
"We'll keep gathering evidence."
Outside the courthouse, reporters were waiting because someone had leaked Richard's involvement. The first headline dropped within an hour: BILLIONAIRE'S DAUGHTER USES FAMILY FORTUNE IN CUSTODY WAR.
Another outlet called the assault a "controversial domestic incident."
Trevor released a statement through his lawyer expressing his love for his wife and daughter and asking for privacy. Rebecca said nothing.
May you like
That night, Dr. Samuel Lorne—the physician who signed the brief regarding Rebecca's pregnancy—contacted Maya. He said the signature was his. The brief was not.
He had signed a blank document for a consulting firm months prior. The consulting firm was owned by Malcolm Harlan.
