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“I am acknowledging that my presence puts both my life and the life of my child in danger,” she said hesitantly, as if choosing her words carefully.
The judge studied her for a moment before nodding. “Very well. If you're sure that this is what you want, then I will accept your withdrawal.”
“Thank you, Your Honor.” Rosalind offered a weak smile, then glanced at me once more. “I’ve come to realize that I don't live a life fit to raise a child. I was wrong for not registering Sofia as a shifter and for just leaving her with Evan. I'll pay whatever fine required for that, and I sincerely apologize for wasting the court's time.”
As she returned to her seat, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. This was happening. She’d dropped the suit. It was too good to be true, but as I looked back at Mariah, her smile radiant, I knew that it was. We had won.
“Mr. Guerrero,” the judge said, drawing my attention back to the matter at hand. “In light of Miss Hawthorne's decision, do you have anything to add?”
“Your Honor,” I said, attempting composure, trying not to let my utter glee shine through. “I only want what's best for my daughter. If Rosalind truly believes that she is not capable of providing a safe environment for her, then I am more than willing to take full responsibility for her wellbeing.”
Understatement of the year. If the judge had ruled in Rosalind’s favor, if she hadn’t dropped the suit, everyone would be seeing a rather different side of me.
The judge frowned, clearly confused by the sudden turn of events. “Very well. Miss Hawthorne, you will be required to pay a five thousand-dollar fine for not registering a shifter in your care. As for custody, the court moves to grant Mr. Guerrero full custody.”
He slammed her gavel, and just like that, it was over.
My body slumped back in relief, even as my hands still shook from the adrenaline coursing through me. I glanced over at Rosalind, who was whispering something to her attorney. The woman looked terrified. Tomas probably hadn't expected Rosalind to show up, let alone drop the suit.
“Thank you, Your Honor,” I managed to say, wrapping my head around having full custody of my daughter. It felt surreal, like a dream that could be snatched away at any moment. This was everything we’d been working toward for the past month, and now it was a reality.
Court was dismissed as I turned to Mariah, who threw herself into my arms. “Oh, Evan,” she whispered in my ear as I pulled her close. “You did it.”
“We did it.”
She shook her head. “I didn’t even have to testify.”
“No, but your support through all of this…I couldn’t have done it without you, Mariah.”
As we left the courtroom, my thoughts turned to the future and the life awaiting Sofia, Mariah, and me. There were still plenty of things that had to be taken care of where Tomas was concerned. We wouldn’t let him get away with what he was doing with his experiments, but he was no longer a threat when it came to my daughter. Sofia would remain exactly where she belonged with the family that loved her.
A breeze whipped through the air outside the courthouse, and I kept Mariah close to my side as we walked out. Just as I was about to lead her to the waiting SUV, surrounded by our security unit, I felt someone watching me and saw Rosalind standing several yards away. She gestured to me, her eyes darting around frantically, and I frowned. Her normally self-assured demeanor was replaced with an urgency I’d only seen once before.
I glanced down at Mariah. “I’m going to go talk to her for a minute. Stay right here.”
Mariah nodded, even as she looked cautiously at Rosalind. “Just be quick.”
I glanced at the guards. “Don’t let her out of your sight. I’ll be right back.” I brushed a quick kiss over her cheek, then stalked over to Rosalind, who was still looking all around, as if she were afraid someone might pop out at any minute.
“Listen, Evan,” she said quickly. The fear radiating from her was entirely unfamiliar. “My father is about to rain hell down on me for what just happened in there, so I need to get out of here…fast.”
“Rosalind, I—”
She held up a hand. “Please, just let me say this. I'm truly sorry for all the trouble I caused. I know you’ll take good care of Sofia. Will you thank Sebastian for his help, too?”
I nodded. I hadn’t expected the apology.
She continued glancing around, as if expecting Tomas to materialize at any moment. “Let him know Porter and I appreciate what he did for us, but we won't be returning to the island. I have a few connections of my own, and I've finally managed to access my own money.”
“It sounds like you’re planning to never be seen again, Rosalind.”
She hesitated, her gaze fixed on something over my shoulder, and she looked sad, a shadow of the woman I’d met in my club last year. It was as if I’d never even known the woman behind the mask Tomas had made her wear.
“Evan,” she said. “Do me a favor, will you?”
“Depends what it is,” I said cautiously. Just because she’d helped us out didn’t mean I fully trusted her.
“Make sure Sofia knows that her mother did love her, despite all of this.” She glanced toward Mariah, who still stood near the courthouse entrance, watching us. Rosalind gave her a tiny smile. “I just wasn't the mother meant for her."
