Page 75 of Stalk Me

The courtroom is completely silent now, hanging on my every word. I turn slightly so I can see Erik, drawing strength from his presence.

“The truth is, you stopped being my parents long ago, if you ever were. A parent protects their child. A parent puts their child’s welfare above their own desires. A parent nurtures, not destroys.”

I fold the paper, no longer needing its guidance. The final words come straight from my heart, raw and unfiltered.

“I’m free now. Free from your control, your manipulation, your toxicity. And in that freedom, I’ve found something you tried to convince me I’d never have: a life worth living, people worth trusting, a future worth fighting for.”

I take another deep breath.

“I don’t hate you. Hate would mean you still have power over me. Instead, I pity you. Because even with all your wealth and influence, you’ll never know what it means to truly love another person. And that makes you the poorest people I’ve ever known.”

The silence that follows feels charged, electric. Then my father does something I’ve never seen before—he lowers his head. The gesture is small, almost imperceptible, but in that moment, I know I’ve won. Not just legally, but fundamentally. They can no longer reach me.

“Thank you, Ms. Queen,” the judge says after a moment. “You may step down.”

My legs tremble as I make my way back to my seat. Erik’s hand finds mine immediately, his grip firm and grounding. “You did it,” he whispers against my hair. “I’m so proud of you.”

The rest of the morning passes in a blur of open letters from some of their victims who needed closure in the same way I did. Each account adds another nail to the coffin of their defense, another piece of evidence that will ensure they never walk free again.

After lunch, David announces, “The People call Isabelle Gallagher to the stand.”

A collective gasp ripples through the courtroom as Belle walks through the double doors. She looks smaller somehow, stripped of her designer clothes and perfect makeup. Her eyes are red-rimmed, her shoulders hunched as if carrying an invisible weight.

Our gazes lock as she walks past me on her way to the stand. Something unspoken passes between us—recognition, perhaps, of a shared trauma that transcends our complicated history.

Belle takes the oath with a trembling voice, her fingers twisting nervously in her lap as she sits. David approaches her with the careful precision of someone handling explosives.

“Ms. Gallagher, you didn’t want to read a letter to the defendants and have instead asked me to put you on the stand and treat you as a witness. We’ve already deposed you, and your testimony has been taken into account, so tell me, why are you doing this?”

Belle clears her throat. “Because if Luna is strong enough to face them, it’s only right I do the same.”

David nods. “What’s your relationship with the defendants?”

“Sebastian and Eleanor Queen are business associates of my father, Richard Gallagher. They’ve known each other for years,” Belle replies.

“And the nature of their business?”

She shifts uncomfortably. “Officially, investment banking and real estate development. Unofficially… influence trading, blackmail, and…” Her voice breaks. “And human trafficking, of a sort.”

Another murmur ripples through the courtroom, louder this time. The judge raps her gavel once, calling for order.

“Ms. Gallagher, were you aware of the defendants’ activities prior to this investigation?”

Belle’s eyes fill with tears. “Yes. I was… I was part of it.”

“Can you elaborate?”

She takes a shuddering breath. “When I was twelve, my father started bringing me to what he called ‘networking events.’ They were actually parties where powerful men would gather to make deals and… and exploit young women, including me.”

My heart stutters in my chest. I knew—of course I knew—that Belle’s hostility at Shark Bay masked something deeper. But this confirmation hits me like a physical blow.

“After nearly eight years of this,” she continues, her voice hollow, “my father offered me a deal. He said if I helped him by spying on Luna Queen at Shark Bay, they would stop… using me at the parties.”

I feel Erik stiffen beside me. I squeeze his hand, silently urging him to wait, to listen.

“So you agreed?” David prompts gently.

Belle nods, tears spilling down her cheeks. “I thought I had no choice. I was told to keep tabs on Luna and report on her activities, especially her interactions with Erik Stone. I was supposed to make sure she remained isolated, to sabotage any genuine connections she might form.”

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