Page 102 of Love Me Not

I needed to get my lawyer, and fast.But if my mother actually did go to the courts with this… I was afraid I might lose Bella forever.

I looked at Bella and leaned down, grabbing both her arms.I made sure that she was looking me in the eye and not the vile woman behind me.

Her eyes were already watering, and I could tell that she knew what I was about to say was truly bad news.

“You're going to have to stay with her for a little bit,” I said.Each word felt like I was trying to pluck out barbed wire from my heart.The pain on her face made it all so much worse.“It's temporary.I'm going to find a way out of this, and I'm going to bring youhome.”

“No, she's not,” my mother said as she walked around me, her hand grabbing Bella by the shoulder.“You're going to come and stay with me like you should have from the very beginning.Permanently.”

Juliette was there, pushing her hand off Bella.

“Give us one day to prepare,” she asked, her voice softer than mine ever could be at the moment.“It’s the least you can do.For Bella.She has things to pack.Let’s not make this worse for her.”

For the first time, my mother seemed to consider her words.She took a step back, her eyes running down Juliette’s frame with a scowl.

“One day.But then I want her at my doorstep.If you don’t comply, this will look even worse for the two of you.”

Juliette nodded, but I said nothing as my mother left.

When the door slammed behind her, there was silence.

What the fuck am I going to do?

Gina came over, offering us all water.I had forgotten she was there at all.Juliette took a bottle, but Bella and I didn’t.She was looking at the ground, and I was too busy looking at her.

I can’t lose her.But I need to tread carefully, or else I truly may have no other option.

Then Bella finally spoke up.

“You promised,” she said, her voice hollow.Even if my heart hadn’t been on the verge of breaking, that would have done it.

“I did.I did, and I'm sorry,” I told her, trying to keep my voice from cracking.“I don't want this.And you deserve so much better than this.I’m going to fix it.”

I looked at Juliette.

“Just in case, prepare her room and her stuff.I need to call the lawyer.”

She nodded and gently took Bella from me.With one last glance at her, I hurried to my office to dial the only person I thought could help me.

* * *

“So… You have custody, which means she can't just take her from you,” my lawyer, Laura, explained as she looked over my mother’s documentation.

She looked every bit like the professional she was, and that helped calm me.Her long, brown hair was straight, and today she was wearing a finger-hugging emerald suit that showed the tiniest bit of cleavage.Her fingers, neck, and wrist were all splashed with gold jewelry.

She had on an extravagant pair of gold frames that I assumed were mostly for examining documents like the one in front of her.

I didn’t fully remember who had introduced me to Laura.Likely Sloan, the same person who had recommended I go to Club Pétale.Sloan was an associate I had done business with on more than one occasion.She had owned quite a few companies at one point, and I used to contract some of her services and materials, but that wasbeforeshe got arrested.

I refused to do business with her after that, and she didn't seem too upset about it.I mean, she still offered for me to come to the club where she worked.

Laura was as good as they came, and if she truly could help us with this, I might have to give her a large bonus.I haven't needed her for much and was sure I wasn’t nearly as big as some of her other clients, but I appreciated how fast she got to me nonetheless.

“I know,” I said, and took a swig of whiskey.The stronger stuff that I saved for exactly a moment like this.

I could hear Bella crying softly as Juliette tried to pack up her stuff.I hated all of it.I couldn't face seeing her like this, so I tried to push it out of my mind and focus on what was in front of me.

“I'm a criminal defense lawyer, but as my first time seeing the case like this… it’s bad.”She gave me a look.“While no crime has been committed, you're right to be worried about this getting in front of a judge.They don't typically see people in the BDSM world as innocent and…well-meaning.Especially if it's an older judge.”

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