I watched Julian’s face.
He had not known.
That surprised me.
Then I understood.
Julian had spent years beside me.
But he had never bothered to learn how my family trust actually worked.
He had only learned enough to believe he could steal from it.
Sarah placed the deed into the evidence bag.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
Julian asked.
“For giving me physical evidence of attempted coercion.”
His eyes widened.
“It isn’t coercion.”
Sarah looked at my cheek.
The red mark from Eleanor’s slap was already visible.
“Would you like to repeat that?”
Eleanor’s composure cracked.
“She was hysterical.”
“I was not.”
Sarah glanced at me.
“Did Eleanor strike you?”
“Yes.”
“Did Julian remove your newborn from your reach?”
“Yes.”
“Did they make the baby’s return conditional on your signature?”
“Yes.”
Julian shook his head.
“That’s not what happened.”
Sarah walked to my pillow.
She reached beneath the edge.
Then she removed my phone.
Julian froze.
Sarah held it up.
“Excellent.”
Victoria’s mouth fell open.
Julian whispered.
“No.”
Sarah stopped the recording.
“Everything from the moment they entered?”
I nodded.
“Thirty minutes before.”
She smiled.
