Chapter 13: The Echoes of the Past
Chapter 13: The Echoes of the Past
Despite the success, the scars on my back—though faint and silvery now—still pulsed with a ghost pain whenever the weather turned cold. One rainy Tuesday evening, Henderson knocked on my office door.
"Miss Clare," Henderson said, his expression grim. "We received a notification from the state prison system. Matthew Hayes filed a formal appeal from Sing Sing, claiming inadequate defense counsel. His new lawyers are trying to subpoena your personal diaries from the time of your marriage."
A familiar, icy dread tried to creep up my throat, but I forced it down. "On what grounds?"
"They’re claiming you had a history of emotional instability and that the financial records were manipulated by Sterling Global to frame him."
Before I could answer, the door swung open, and Julian Vance walked in, carrying a thick legal brief.
"They can try," Julian said, his voice dripping with absolute authority. "But I’ve already filed a motion to quash the subpoena. I spent the last seventy-two hours reviewing the appellate judge’s record. He’s a strict textualist. He won't touch a domestic violence case with a ten-foot pole after the public backlash Matthew received."
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Julian walked right up to my desk, placing a hand gently over mine. His touch was warm, solid, and entirely grounding. "I told you before, Clare. I am the shield. No one touches you. Not through the press, and certainly not from a prison cell."
I looked down at our joined hands. For seven years, Matthew had used his hands to diminish me. Julian used his to anchor me.
