Chapter 18 - The Wife Who Never Was
By sunrise, the Pierce scandal had reached every major network.
The fire.
The kidnapping.
The allegedly dead founder.
The allegedly dead former chairman.
Juliette’s arrest.
The secret child.
The forged custody documents.
Reporters surrounded the courthouse before it opened.
Christopher entered through a secured garage.
Emma was still missing.
Margaret had promised to bring her to court.
Christopher wanted to tear the city apart searching.
Federal agents wanted time.
Christopher had none.
Victoria spread documents across a conference room table.
“The marriage certificate is sophisticated.”
Christopher stared.
“I never married Juliette.”
“I know.”
“Then destroy it.”
“It isn’t that simple.”
“Why?”
“The certificate was filed through a county clerk.”
“There are witnesses.”
“There is a notarized prenuptial agreement.”
Christopher laughed.
“Forged.”
“Yes.”
“But until disproven, it exists.”
Juliette sat across from him.
Federal agents had released her temporarily into protective custody because Theodore’s conspiracy changed the investigation.
Christopher still hated seeing her.
She looked at the certificate.
“I never signed this.”
Victoria nodded.
“We know.”
Gideon sat beside Leo.
The boy slept against him.
Rachel stood at the window.
Arthur had been taken to a hospital under federal guard.
Theodore was in surgery.
Jonathan was in custody.
Rebecca and Margaret had Emma.
Christopher looked at Victoria.
“What does the fake marriage give Juliette?”
“Spousal standing.”
“Emergency parental arguments.”
“Access to some trust information.”
“And if I’m declared incompetent?”
Victoria hesitated.
“She could potentially become your financial proxy.”
Christopher looked at Juliette.
She went pale.
“I didn’t know.”
“I know.”
She stared.
“You believe me?”
“I believe you aren’t clever enough to create this.”
Juliette almost smiled despite herself.
Then looked away.
Victoria continued.
“The greater problem is Emma.”
“What?”
“If the court accepts that Juliette is your legal spouse…”
Christopher’s jaw tightened.
“Go on.”
“And if Margaret produces evidence that Rachel is legally dead…”
Rachel laughed bitterly.
“I am standing right here.”
Victoria looked at her.
“Legally, that may not matter immediately.”
Rachel stared.
“My death certificate exists.”
“Yes.”
“My identity may be contested because of Rebecca.”
“Yes.”
Rachel’s face hardened.
“So Emma’s legal mother is dead.”
“Potentially.”
“And Christopher’s legal wife…”
Juliette whispered.
“Could claim parental standing.”
Christopher looked at her.
“No.”
Juliette nodded.
“I know.”
Victoria continued.
“Margaret’s goal may be to make Juliette Emma’s temporary legal guardian.”
Christopher stared.
“Why?”
Gideon answered.
“Because Juliette can be controlled.”
Juliette flinched.
“Yes.”
Christopher looked at Victoria.
“What do we do?”
“Prove the marriage fraudulent.”
“How fast?”
“Not fast enough before the emergency hearing.”
Christopher stood.
“Then we expose everything.”
Victoria stared.
“What?”
“Publicly.”
Rachel turned.
Christopher continued.
“No more sealed hearings.”
“No private family arrangements.”
“No quiet settlements.”
“I tell the court Emma is my biological daughter.”
“I tell them Rachel is alive.”
“I tell them Juliette is my half sister.”
Juliette winced.
“I tell them Theodore was alive.”
“Arthur was alive.”
“Rebecca replaced Estelle.”
“Everything.”
Victoria stared.
“Christopher, some of those claims sound unbelievable without evidence.”
“Then bring evidence.”
“We have evidence.”
“Not all.”
“Enough.”
Rachel walked toward him.
“And the company?”
Christopher looked at her.
“If it collapses because truth exists, it deserves restructuring.”
Rachel studied him.
Then nodded.
Court began at nine-thirteen.
Judge Miriam Cole entered.
Christopher recognized her name.
Not personally.
But from Rachel’s shell-company documents.
He leaned toward Victoria.
“Cole.”
She nodded.
“I saw it.”
Judge Cole had received foundation consulting payments six years earlier.
Christopher’s stomach tightened.
Another compromised judge.
Margaret entered through the opposite door.
Rebecca walked beside her.
Emma held Rebecca’s hand.
Christopher stood.
“Emma.”
Emma saw him.
“Daddy!”
She tried to run.
Margaret grabbed her shoulder.
Christopher moved forward.
Bailiffs blocked him.
“Let her go.”
Judge Cole struck the gavel.
“Mr. Pierce.”
Christopher stared at Margaret.
Emma began crying.
Rebecca crouched beside her.
“It’s okay.”
Christopher’s anger burned.
Rebecca looked at him.
For a second, shame appeared.
Then disappeared.
Judge Cole began.
“This emergency hearing concerns temporary custody and protection of the minor child currently identified as Emma Rachel Pierce.”
Christopher looked at Victoria.
The judge had used Pierce.
Interesting.
Margaret’s attorney stood.
A man Christopher recognized.
Former federal prosecutor Samuel Crane.
“Your Honor.”
“We contend Christopher Pierce is currently unfit due to documented psychiatric instability and repeated exposure of the child to dangerous circumstances.”
Christopher nearly laughed.
Crane continued.
“The child nearly drowned at his residence.”
“She was subsequently kidnapped twice.”
“There was an armed confrontation at a private chapel.”
“And an explosion at Pierce Steel.”
Victoria rose.
“Most of those events were caused by people seeking to take the child.”
Crane smiled.
“Which demonstrates Mr. Pierce cannot protect her.”
Christopher’s jaw tightened.
A cruel argument.
Effective.
Crane continued.
“We propose temporary placement with the child’s legally recognized stepmother.”
Juliette stood.
“No.”
Everyone turned.
Crane looked annoyed.
Juliette continued.
“I do not consent.”
Judge Cole frowned.
“Ms. Pierce.”
“My name is Juliette Vale.”
Crane interrupted.
“Legally—”
“I never married Christopher.”
Whispers filled the courtroom.
Juliette pointed toward the certificate.
“That is forged.”
Crane smiled.
“You signed a prenuptial agreement.”
“No.”
“We have video.”
Juliette froze.
Christopher looked at Crane.
A screen turned on.
Video.
Christopher and Juliette stood in a small private room.
A minister present.
They appeared to exchange vows.
Christopher stared.
“What the hell?”
Victoria whispered.
“Deepfake?”
Christopher watched.
The video looked perfect.
His face.
His voice.
Juliette’s face.
Her voice.
Crane smiled.
“March seventeenth.”
Christopher remembered.
He had been in London.
Or had he?
He checked.
March seventeenth had been the night of the Pierce Foundation gala.
He and Juliette had disappeared from the ballroom for twenty minutes because she claimed to feel sick.
Christopher remembered entering a private suite.
Drinking water.
Then feeling unusually tired.
His stomach turned.
“Drugged.”
Juliette whispered.
Christopher looked at her.
“You remember?”
“Barely.”
Crane continued.
“The marriage was private due to business considerations.”
Victoria stood.
“We request forensic authentication.”
“Granted.”
Judge Cole looked at Christopher.
“But for today, the certificate remains presumptively valid.”
Christopher felt trapped.
Then Rachel stood.
“I object.”
The courtroom turned.
Crane stared.
Judge Cole frowned.
“Identify yourself.”
Rachel walked forward.
“Rachel Monroe.”
Whispers exploded.
Crane’s face changed.
Margaret went pale.
Rebecca closed her eyes.
Judge Cole stared.
“Rachel Monroe is deceased.”
Rachel smiled.
“Apparently not.”
She placed her passport on the table.
Then DNA reports.
Dental records.
Childhood medical records.
Fingerprints.
Victoria had moved quickly.
Rachel looked at the judge.
“I am Emma’s mother.”
Crane recovered.
“That identity is disputed.”
Rachel turned.
“Then test me.”
Judge Cole stared.
Rachel continued.
“Test Emma.”
“Test Daniel Monroe.”
“Test Rebecca.”
“Test everyone.”
Crane looked at Margaret.
For the first time, Margaret seemed unsure.
Christopher saw it.
Rachel had broken the plan.
Judge Cole ordered a recess.
Emma was led toward a side room.
Christopher called.
“Emma.”
She turned.
Rebecca looked toward the bailiff.
Then suddenly shoved him.
“Run.”
Emma stared.
Rebecca shouted.
“Go to your father!”
Emma ran.
Christopher caught her.
Bailiffs grabbed Rebecca.
Margaret screamed.
“What are you doing?”
Rebecca turned toward Margaret.
Something changed completely.
“I’m done.”
Margaret stared.
Rebecca laughed through tears.
“I spent sixty years letting someone else choose which child had to suffer.”
“Not anymore.”
Christopher held Emma.
Rebecca looked at him.
“I’m sorry.”
Christopher did not know whether he could ever forgive her.
But he understood what she had just done.
Margaret’s face became terrifyingly calm.
“You think this changes anything?”
Rebecca smiled.
“Yes.”
Then she looked at Christopher.
“Check Emma’s left shoe.”
Christopher frowned.
He removed it.
Inside was a folded piece of paper.
A bank account.
A password.
And a handwritten message.
THE SPARROW FUND DOES NOT BELONG TO EMMA.
Christopher stared.
Rebecca continued.
“Rachel was right about one thing.”
“Theodore never understood the trust.”
Margaret’s face went pale.
Christopher opened the note fully.
The actual beneficiary was listed.
Not Emma Pierce.
Not Christopher.
Not Arthur.
A nonprofit entity.
THE MONROE CHILDREN’S RESTITUTION TRUST.
Rachel covered her mouth.
Rebecca looked at her.
“You built it.”
Rachel stared.
Rebecca continued.
“You just forgot.”
Margaret lunged toward Rebecca.
Bailiffs restrained her.
Judge Cole reentered.
Everyone froze.
She stared at the chaos.
Then at Christopher holding Emma.
Then at Rachel.
Then at Margaret.
Judge Cole’s face changed.
She closed the courtroom doors.
“No one leaves.”
Christopher looked at Victoria.
The judge continued.
“Federal agents have just informed me that Theodore Pierce regained consciousness.”
Christopher stared.
“And?”
Judge Cole looked directly at him.
“He has offered a full confession.”
The courtroom erupted.
Then the judge added.
“In exchange for immunity for one person.”
Christopher felt dread.
“Who?”
Judge Cole looked at Emma.
“Her.”
Christopher stared.
“Theodore wants immunity for Emma?”
Judge Cole shook her head.
“No.”
She pointed toward Rachel.
“Theodore wants immunity for Rachel Monroe.”
Rachel went completely white.
Christopher slowly turned toward her.
Theodore was protecting Rachel.
The woman supposedly trying to destroy him.
May you like
And Christopher realized there was still one secret Rachel had not told them.
---
