She Needed a Husband by Monday—And the Director Was the Last Man She Expected to Ask

The peace didn't last long. Two weeks before the final social worker evaluation, Elaine Porter filed a formal petition with the family court challenging Lena’s custody, alleging a fraudulent marital arrangement intended to deceive the state.

A preliminary court hearing was set for the following Friday.

The night before the hearing, Lena sat surrounded by legal papers at the dining table, her hands shaking. "If the judge sees through this, they won't just deny me custody, Caleb. They could charge us with fraud. I’ve ruined your career."

Caleb knelt beside her chair, taking both of her shaking hands in his.

"Look at me, Lena," he commanded gently.

She looked into his steady gray eyes.

"You haven't ruined anything," Caleb said with absolute conviction. "We are going into that courtroom tomorrow, and we are going to tell them the truth."

"The truth?" Lena gasped. "The truth proves Elaine right!"

"No," Caleb said, a soft smile touching his lips. "The truth is that this whole arrangement started as a desperate plan to save Maddie. But the truth is also that over the last month, I have fallen in love with you, Lena. And I consider Maddie my family. The lie is over. What we have now is entirely real."