She signed the temporary order right then.

“Sole legal and physical custody is granted to the mother, Elena Carter, pending a full evidentiary hearing,” Judge Vance declared.

“Mr. Blackwood is granted supervised visitation only, limited to two hours per week at a licensed court facility.”

Julian’s face on the court feed went completely pale.

He looked like he wanted to scream, but Martin Bell put a hand on his shoulder to quiet him.

After the hearing ended, Lydia called me back on a private line.

“This is a major step forward, Elena,” Lydia said.

“But Julian is backed into a corner now.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, holding Harrison close as he slept on my lap.

“The offshore accounts you found are starting to make noise,” Lydia said.

“His senior partners at the firm have been notified about the pending financial audit.”

I sat up straighter, the phone pressed hard against my ear.

“Are they going to push him out?”

“They cannot afford the reputational damage,” Lydia explained.

“A partner embroiled in a fraudulent asset-hiding scheme is a liability they will not carry.”