Chapter 1 - The Envelope
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Judge Margaret Hale spread the contents of the envelope across her bench with the careful, methodical attention of someone who had presided over enough contested custody cases to recognize genuine, damning evidence when it appeared, rather than another round of manufactured drama.
"Mr. Brooks," she said, addressing Ethan directly, "do you have any knowledge of who submitted this material?"
"None, Your Honor," Ethan said, and I could hear, beneath his careful, professional composure, the same startled uncertainty I felt myself. "This is the first I'm seeing of any of it."
Judge Hale studied the documents for several more long minutes, the courtroom holding its breath around her, before she finally looked up, her expression carrying a gravity that hadn't been present even during the psychological report's dramatic unraveling minutes earlier.