Chapter 12
My blood turned to ice.
"She's going to take Emma?"
"We believe so," Detective Alvarez said. "Her car was found abandoned at the airport. But she never got on a plane. Our sources say she's still in the area. And she's been asking about private schools. About international adoption laws. She's planning to run. And she's planning to take your daughter with her."
I ran to Emma's room.
She was playing with her dolls.
Safe.
For now.
My father doubled security.
The house became a fortress.
Guards at every door.
Cameras everywhere.
Nobody got in.
Nobody got out.
But Linda was smart.
And desperate.
And desperate people do desperate things.
The next day was the custody hearing.
We had to go to court.
We had to take Emma with us.
Linda's attorney would argue that she wasn't there.
That she was a fugitive.
That she was unfit.
But we were still scared.
The courthouse was busy.
My father's security team surrounded us.
Emma held my hand tightly.
"Mommy, where are we?"
"We're going to see a judge, baby," I said. "He's going to make sure you get to stay with Mommy."
"Okay," she said. She trusted me.
Completely.
That trust was the most precious thing I had.
We went into the courtroom.
Daniel was there.
He looked nervous.
But determined.
Margaret was there too.
Ready to testify.
The judge entered.
He was an older man.
Stern-looking.
Fair.
The hearing began.
Linda's attorney stood up.
"Your Honor," he said. "My client is not present today. But that does not change the facts. Sarah Carter is emotionally unstable. She comes from a family of violence and deception. Her father was recently accused of murder—"
"Those accusations were proven false," Mr. Chen interrupted.
"And my client," Linda's attorney continued, "is a respected member of this community. A grandmother who only wants what's best for her granddaughter."
"Your Honor," Mr. Chen said. "Your Honor, Linda Harrington is a fugitive from justice. She is wanted for questioning in the murder of her husband. She has skipped bail. And we have evidence that she plans to kidnap the child and flee the country."
He laid out our case.
The vial.
The will.
The cassette tapes.
Daniel's testimony.
Margaret's testimony.
The judge listened carefully.
Then it was Daniel's turn to testify.
He stood up.
He raised his right hand.
He swore to tell the truth.
And he did.
He told the court about his father's death.
About the threats.
About the blackmail video.
About the arranged marriage.
About Victoria.
About everything.
The courtroom was silent.
When he finished, the judge looked at him.
"Mr. Harrington," he said. "You stayed silent for twelve years. Why come forward now?"
Daniel looked at me.
Then he looked at Emma.
"Because of my daughter," he said. "I don't want her to grow up the way I did. Scared. Controlled. I want her to be free. To be happy. And I know that can only happen if she's with her mother. The woman who loves her. The woman who would never hurt her."
The judge nodded.
He looked at Emma.
Then he looked at me.
"I'm going to rule on this today," he said. "But first, I need to speak with the child. Alone. In my chambers."
My heart raced.
"Is that necessary?" I asked.
"It is," the judge said. "I need to hear from Emma herself. What she wants. Where she feels safe."
I knelt down in front of Emma.
"Baby," I said. "The nice judge wants to talk to you. Just for a few minutes. He wants to know what you want. Can you be brave for Mommy?"
Emma nodded.
"I'm brave," she said.
She walked with the bailiff to the judge's chambers.
I watched her go.
My heart in my throat.
Fifteen minutes later, she came back.
She smiled at me.
I breathed again.
The judge came back into the courtroom.
He looked at all of us.
"I've spoken with Emma," he said. "She is a bright, articulate, wonderful little girl. And she made her wishes very clear."
He paused.
"She wants to stay with her mother."
I felt tears in my eyes.
"Based on all the evidence presented," the judge continued, "and based on the child's stated wishes, I am granting full legal and physical custody of Emma Grace Harrington to Sarah Carter. Linda Harrington's petition is denied. Furthermore, due to the serious allegations against Linda Harrington, I am ordering that she have no contact whatsoever with the child. No visits. No phone calls. No communication of any kind. Until further order of this court."
It was over.
I had won.
Emma was mine.
I turned to hug my father.
To hug Daniel.
But then the bailiff came running into the courtroom.
May you like
His face was white.
"Your Honor," he said. "There's a woman here. She says she's Emma's grandmother. And she has a gun."
