92 Game On!
(Winona)
Gordon leans back in his chair. “I need private time with Winona to discuss the case.”
“I have another appointment.” Sheila answers him with a nod. “There’s been private room set up in the office. Only you and I will have a fob to open this.” Shella tells Gordon as she hands him an electronic fob.
Sheila talks directly to me now. “I have keys to enter the property at any time should I feel it necessary, that includes the private office. But I will always attempt to make my presence known to you beforehand.”
I nod. “Thank you. I’ll do everything I can to make this process easy for us both.”
“There’s nothing easy about house arrest but I can assure you it’s one million times easier than jail.”
I feel the color drain from my face remembering those other women in the jail.
“I’ll be back tomorrow for our scheduled time. You can call me anytime.”
Then she was gone.
“Let’s go to the office.”
Once we are settled in there, Gordon smiles. “That was brilliant.”
“I hoped so. But can I tell you how worried I am to invite Phillip back into my life after what he did.”
“Winona, I know the backstory and I have weighed up our options. Jayden has filed to go on Abby’s birth certificate as her father. If he gets this and, given his current opinion of you…”
“If he gets custody, I may never see Abby again.” I finished the sentence for him.
“Judy will have exactly what she always wanted.” Something inside me boils over at the thought of this.
All these years, all this heartache and sacrifice and she wins anyway.
Gordon nods, his face serious. “I know. But we can oppose this. He has to prove parentage by DNA officially. You need to be served with papers. You have a right to oppose him being named on the birth certificate.”
“Even if DNA proves he’s the father?”
“The child’s best interests are at stake here. The court will take this into account. If you and Phillip were legally married it may help,” Gordon suggests.
“I’m a long way off that.”
“If we can establish Ashlyn may have set you up that will go some way to Abby not being in a safe environment with her around.”
“Jayden will just divorce her and kick her out of his life. That doesn’t get me my Abby back.” This statement makes me remember just how much power the Brennan family has
“Okay, but it will help. Abby’s medical condition will also help. But at the very least we need to stall the end result of the paternity while your court case is on
Game Ori
+25 BONUS
“What happens in the meantime?”
“Abby will remain under the care of Anne at Jayden’s penthouse.”
“There with Ashlyn.” This fills me with dread. If she’d have such disregard for her own child of Jayden’s, she won’t hesitate to get rid of Abby.
“Leave that to me. I’ll petition the court for Abby to be removed from there until Ashlyn is proven to be not a danger to Abby.”
“Will that work?”
“I’ll get Doctor Green’s support for Abby’s health, and he can’t testify against you. You can speak freely with him in here, with me or your parole officer.”
“Can I trust her?”
“Sheila has been through the system; she understands it intimately. She’ll have empathy for you but she’s also a stickler for rules. If you do the wrong thing by her, she won’t hesitate to revoke ball. You’ll have to navigate things slowly with her.”
“Okay.”
“Phillip has agreed to help you on this. I believe he’s being sincere. He was a mess when I found him.” He hands me a photo.
“God! Is this Phillip?” I see an unshaven, hollow–cheeked, dull–eyed version of the man I once thought I loved.
“He’s fallen into a very dark place. We found him sleeping in an alley. Judy refused to speak with him afterwards. He sank his money into a deal that failed. He said he wishes he never met Judy and that he misses you and Abby. The only real family he ever had,
My anger rises. Damn Judy. She used him and now has discarded him like a piece of trash.
T’ll do it. Get him here.”
“Is there anywhere he can stay until we get his permission to live here sorted?”
I think of Lance, they got on well, but he’ll be loyal to Jayden most likely. Lisa probably would but her place is tiny.
“Get him a hotel room. I’ll cover the costs.”
Gordon smiles. “Get your game face on, Winona. We’re going into battle and while we may have to stick to the rules, I’m an expert at finding loopholes.”
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