Page 103 of Unfaithful

The second I stepped out of the car, the chilly night air bit into my skin, but another sensation hit me harder—the unmistakable prickle of unease. Something was wrong.

The sound of screeching tires tore through the quiet.

My stomach dropped.

I spun around just as a dark figure stepped out from the shadows, moving with slow, deliberate steps. My breath caught in my throat.

Leo. His expression was hard, the scar on his face catching the streetlight as he smirked, calm, sure of himself. Terrifying. I felt chills running down my spine.

"It's over, Elsa." His voice sliced through the night like a blade.

Immense panic surged through me. "You can't—"

He took another step forward, his jaw tight. "I already did."

I followed his gaze toward the parking lot, and my breath hitched.

Two cop cars. Their lights were dark, their engines silent, but they were there. Waiting.

Shit. Fuck!

I turned to run, but Leo grabbed my arm, grip like iron. "You're not getting away this time. The game is over."

*** *** ***

I sat in the courtroom, my fingers gripping the armrest of my chair so tightly that my nails dug into the worn fabric. The room was chilly, with rows of wooden benches filled with unfamiliar faces. Strangers judging me, whispering, waiting to see how this would all play out. At the front of the room, the judge, an older man with sharp eyes and a blank expression, flipped through the case file.

Leo sat at the next table, his lawyer beside him, their voices calm and confident, while my attorney whispered rushed reassurances in my ear. I sank into my seat. It didn't matter anymore. I knew how this was going to end.

The court process was brutal. Leo wasted no time filing for emergency custody, and within days, the judge ruled in his favor. The argument was simple—I was a flight risk. A danger to my child. And the worst part? He had evidence. He had Cole backing him, too, which made things even worse. The judge immediately placed a temporary restraining order on me. I wasn't allowed to leave the state, and worst of all, I was granted only supervised visitation for Elena, and even that felt like a punishment.

The hearings that followed were grueling. My lawyer tried to argue that I had been Elena's primary caretaker, that Leo had no real presence in her life before now. Leo's attorney didn't hold back. He presented evidence of every lie, every moment I had manipulated the truth. They painted me as a liar, a manipulator, a woman who had used her own child as leverage. And the worst part? I could see it in their eyes. They knew. Every time the judge asked why I ran, why I didn't allow Leo to take a DNA test from the beginning, I had no proper answer.

And then came the fraud case.

In criminal court, the District Attorney built a damning case against me. The falsified paternity test, the forged documents and the financial records, it was all laid out in excruciating detail. The prosecution called fraud, forgery, and theft by deception, arguing that I knowingly deceived Cole and wrongfully accepted financial support.

Then they brought up the fact that I took Elena across state lines while a custody case was pending. That was enough to add custodial interference, a felony.

The trial dragged on for months, but the verdict was inevitable.

The moment the judge spoke, my stomach turned to ice.

"Ms. Kramer, this court finds you guilty of charges of fraud, forgery, and custodial interference. Given the severity of your actions, you are hereby sentenced to three years in state prison."

The gavel struck the wood, finalizing my fate.

It was over.

I turned in my seat to look at Cole. He was staring at me, cold, detached, but fully satisfied.

I begged him, not caring anymore where I was or who was watching.

"Cole," I choked out. "Please. Don't do this. Save me, please. I did it because I love you. Because I wanted to be with you. We had a good time together, Cole, don't you remember? Please, Cole."

Tears streamed down my face, my sobs breaking apart, hysteria rising in my voice. I was pleading, desperate, completely unraveling in front of him.

"Cole!" I screamed, desperate to get his attention. "Please!"

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