Chapter 3 - Unmasking the Mirage
By the following morning, Marcus Thorne arrived. Tall, sharp-eyed, and carrying a worn leather briefcase, Marcus walked into my hospital room like a storm cloud. He immediately forced the police officer stationed inside to wait in the hallway, citing attorney-client privilege.
"Sloane," Marcus said, pulling up a chair and taking my hands—or rather, my free right hand, as my left remained anchored to the bed. "What in God's name is happening?"
"Gavin set me up, Marcus," I said, my voice stronger than it had been the night before. "He's been building a paper trail for months. He made me look mentally unstable to my doctors. He faked text messages. He manipulated Ruby's school."
Marcus opened his briefcase and pulled out a stack of documents. "It’s worse than you think. Gavin filed for emergency custody of your newborn son early this morning, citing your arrest and alleged psychological breakdown. He also petitioned the court to take full administrative control of your father's trust fund on behalf of the children, claiming you are unfit to act as a trustee."
I slammed my free hand against the mattress. "He can't do that!"
"He can try, and right now, the police report gives him immense leverage," Marcus warned sternly. "The police believe you took Ruby without permission. The school administrator swore in an affidavit that you walked onto campus, bypassed the front office, and led Ruby to your vehicle. Gavin claims you were experiencing a psychotic break."
"I didn't bypass the office! Ruby called me!" I insisted. "She was hiding in a utility room near the gymnasium. She was sobbing, Marcus. She said Gavin told her they were leaving the state that night and that she would never see her mother or me again. She begged me to come get her!"
Marcus rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "If she called you, there has to be a phone record."
"I checked my phone before they locked it up—there was no incoming call record from her number," I admitted, frustration choking my throat. "Gavin had access to my phone account. He manages our family digital plan. He could have scrubbed the log remotely, or she used a burner phone... wait!"
I sat up straighter, ignoring the sharp pull on my stitches. "Ruby had her old phone—the cracked one her biological mother gave her two years ago. Gavin thought it was broken and deactivated, but Ruby kept it hidden in her room to play offline games. That’s the phone she pulled out of her pocket last night!"
Marcus’s eyes narrowed with sharp interest. "The detective mentioned a device, but claimed it was encrypted and locked."
"The password is Ruby’s birthday—0412," I said hurriedly. "If the police haven't opened it yet, Gavin will try to destroy it or claim it's irrelevant. You have to get a court order to preserve that phone as evidence immediately!"
Marcus was already making notes in his tablet. "I’ll file an emergency motion for evidence preservation within the hour. But we need more than just a phone, Sloane. We need to break Gavin's narrative about your mental health."
"Dr. Vale," I said instantly. "She saw the marks on Ruby's arms. Gavin grabbed her. And Dr. Vale knows I was clear-headed when I came in. She saw that I was driving toward Claire's house—Ruby's biological mother."
Marcus paused, looking up from his tablet. "Claire Dalton? Sloane... Gavin’s lawyers submitted a sworn statement from Claire. She claims you phoned her two days ago threatening to take Ruby away so Claire would never see her again."
I gaped at him, absolute disbelief paralyzing my chest. "Claire said that? That’s impossible! Claire and I have always been on good terms! We co-parented Ruby together when Gavin was traveling for work! Gavin hated how close Claire and I were!"
"Then why would she sign an affidavit supporting Gavin?" Marcus asked quietly.
The realization hit me like a bucket of ice water.
"Gavin is blackmailing her," I whispered. "Claire had a substance abuse relapse three years ago. She went to rehab, got clean, and Gavin allowed her supervised visits. If Gavin threatened to revoke her visitation rights forever or expose something from her past, Claire would do whatever he said to protect her access to Ruby."
Marcus stood up, buttoning his suit jacket. "Then Claire Dalton is our weak link. If Gavin is coercing her, we can break her under cross-examination—or better yet, get her to confess before this goes to trial."
"Please, Marcus," I choked out, tears brimming in my eyes. "Find a way for me to see my son. Just five minutes. I haven't even held him."
Marcus’s expression softened into deep empathy. "I’m going straight to the family court judge. I'll get an emergency injunction allowing you maternal access under medical supervision. Stay strong, Sloane. We are fighting back."
May you like
After Marcus left, the heavy silence of the hospital room returned. I looked down at the silver cuff gleaming in the fluorescent light. Gavin had built a wall of illusions around me, painting me as a hysterical, dangerous woman. But every illusion has a tear in the canvas.
I just had to find the thread and pull until his entire world unraveled.
