"I intend to do exactly that," Judge Hale said evenly. "Which is precisely why I'm ordering a forensic review rather than simply accepting these documents at face value. However, Mr. Pierce, given the specificity and apparent professional quality of what's been submitted, I don't consider it appropriate to simply set this aside and proceed as though it doesn't exist. This court has a responsibility to investigate credible allegations of fraud, particularly when they intersect directly with financial claims already made in these custody proceedings regarding Ms. Carter's alleged unemployment and instability."
I sat beside Ethan, my heart pounding, trying to understand who could have possibly submitted this material, and why now, at exactly the moment I needed it most.
Vanessa, seated beside Daniel, had gone very pale, her earlier confident smile entirely vanished.