Three days felt like a lifetime.
Aria sat at her kitchen table, staring at her phone like it might explode.
No calls yet. No decision.
Every noise — a car passing outside, a knock on the neighbor's door — made her jump.
Elias wasn't doing much better.
He was camped out at his apartment, texting her updates that mostly said Nothing yet or Still waiting.
It was unbearable.
Every second stretched like chewing on glass.
Eli, thankfully, was oblivious.
He played in the living room, sprawled on the rug, narrating an imaginary soccer match between his toy soldiers.
Aria closed her eyes.
She hadn't slept.
Not properly.
Every time she drifted off, nightmares dragged her back awake — losing Eli, losing everything.
She flinched as her phone buzzed.
Elias:
> Hutchins wants to meet. Today. His office. 4 PM.
Her stomach dropped.
Aria:
> Decision?
Elias:
> Don't know. Feels serious though.
Aria swallowed hard.
Maybe it wasn't bad news.
Maybe Hutchins just wanted to prepare them.
Maybe.
Or maybe this was it.
At 4 PM sharp, Aria pushed open the heavy glass door to Hutchins's office.
Elias was already there, sitting on the couch, bouncing one knee anxiously.
He looked up as she entered — and this time, he did smile.
Small, tight, but real.
She sat beside him without thinking.
They didn't say anything.
Words felt dangerous.
Hutchins came in a moment later, a thick folder in his hands.
"Thanks for coming," he said briskly, sitting behind his desk.
"What's going on?" Elias asked immediately.
Hutchins hesitated.
It wasn't good.
"You're not getting a final ruling today," he said. "But something came up."
Aria's mouth went dry.
"What?"
Hutchins opened the folder.
"There's a motion filed by the other side. Late. They want to introduce new evidence."
Elias leaned forward.
"What evidence?"
"A testimony," Hutchins said grimly. "From someone claiming that Elias has engaged in... erratic behavior."
Aria blinked, stunned.
"What the hell does that mean?"
Hutchins closed the file.
"It means someone's accusing Elias of being unstable. And if the judge allows it, we'll have to fight it in court."
Elias sat back hard, disbelief written across his face.
"Who?" he demanded. "Who's accusing me?"
Hutchins hesitated again.
Aria gripped the edge of the couch.
"Who, Hutchins?"
He sighed.
"Your sister."
The room went dead silent.
Aria stared at Elias.
Elias stared at the floor.
"No," he said finally. "No, that's not possible."
Hutchins spread his hands.
"I'm just telling you what was filed. Madeline Blackwood submitted an affidavit. She claims you have untreated anger issues, possible substance abuse history, and a 'pattern of erratic decision-making' that puts the child at risk."
Aria shook her head.
"No. No way. Jess adores Eli."
Elias's face was gray.
"She hates me," he said quietly. "Always has. Thinks I ruin everything I touch."
Aria reached for him instinctively — then stopped herself.
This wasn't her hurt to fix.
"This can't be enough to change anything," she said fiercely. "Right?"
Hutchins's mouth tightened.
"Depends on how much the judge believes it. Depends if they push for a hearing."
Elias let out a harsh laugh.
"A hearing. Based on Jess's lies."
"It's not just her," Hutchins said grimly. "They're trying to track down a former boss of yours, too. Someone willing to testify you got into a fight at work."
Elias swore under his breath.
Aria clutched her knees, heart racing.
"This is a smear campaign," she said. "Pure desperation."
"Yes," Hutchins agreed. "But desperate people can cause damage. We have to be ready."
Elias dragged his hands through his hair.
"I can't believe Jess would do this."
Aria felt a burning, helpless rage.
It was bad enough fighting fair.
But dirty tricks? Lies?
Unforgivable.
"What do we do?" she asked Hutchins.
"First," Hutchins said, "we prepare you for a hearing. Assume they'll get their way. Assume we'll have to fight this head-on."
He leaned forward.
"And second — we don't panic."
Easier said than done.
They left Hutchins's office in a daze.
Outside, the sky was darkening — storm clouds again.
Aria and Elias stood by her car, neither moving.
Finally, Elias spoke.
"I need a minute."
"Okay."
He walked a few steps away, pacing the sidewalk, fists clenching and unclenching.
Aria watched him.
She hated this.
Hated seeing him unravel.
After a minute, she approached him carefully.
"Elias."
He didn't look at her.
"Why now?" he said. "Why the hell would she do this now?"
"I don't know."
He turned on her, eyes wild.
"Because I'm a screw-up, right? Because I can't even keep my sister hating me?"
"Stop it," Aria said sharply. "Stop beating yourself up."
He laughed bitterly.
"I deserve it."
"No, you don't."
He stared at her.
"You believe me, right?"
Aria's chest ached.
"Of course, I believe you."
His face crumpled slightly.
"You're the only one who ever did."
She stepped closer, ignoring the part of her brain screaming boundaries.
"You're not perfect, Elias. Neither am I. But I know you. You love Eli. You would never, never hurt him."
He dropped his head, breathing hard.
"I can't lose him," he said hoarsely. "I can't."
"You won't," she said fiercely. "We won't."
She didn't know if it was a promise she could keep.
But she meant every word.
That night, Aria couldn't sit still.
She paced her kitchen, heart hammering, mind racing.
The idea of Eli getting dragged through a messy, ugly fight made her sick.
And Elias — God, he was hanging by a thread already.
She knew what she had to do.
She grabbed her phone and dialed before she could think too hard.
The phone rang twice.
"Hello?"
"MadlMadelineria said, voice cold.
A pause.
"Aria. Wow. Didn't expect a call."
"Cut the crap," Aria snapped. "I know what you're doing."
Silence.
"I don't know what you're talking about," MMadelinesaid sweetly.
"Bullshit. The affidavit. The lies. The timing."
Another pause.
Then Madline's voice turned sharp.
"I'm protecting Eli."
"By lying?"
"I'm preventing him from growing up around chaos," Madeline said. "You think Elias has changed? You think a few therapy sessions erased years of anger issues?"
"You're not protecting anyone," Aria said, voice shaking with rage. "You're trying to punish Elias. You're willing to use Eli to do it."
Madeline laughed.
"You're so naive, Aria. You always were."
"I'm warning you," Aria said, voice low. "Withdraw your statement. Walk away. Before this destroys everything."
Madline's voice was ice.
"You think you can threaten me?"
"I'm not threatening you," Aria said. "I'm telling you. If you force Eli into the middle of this, I will come after you with everything I have. You think the court won't notice you waited until now to care?"
Madeline hung up without another word.
Aria stood there, shaking.
She didn't know if it would work.
But she knew one thing —
She wasn't going down without a fight.
The next day, Hutchins called.
"You did something," he said immediately.
Aria froze.
"What do you mean?"
"Madeline withdrew her affidavit this morning."
Aria sagged against the wall.
Elias's voice cut in — he was on speaker.
"Wait. What? She withdrew?"
"Yes," Hutchins said. "The motion for additional evidence has been dismissed."
Relief slammed into Aria so hard she almost cried.
"It's over?" Elias asked.
"Not over," Hutchins said. "Still waiting on the ruling. But it's back to where we were. Clean."
Aria closed her eyes.
Thank God.
Elias's voice cracked.
"Thank you."
Aria didn't know if he meant Hutchins, or her.
Maybe both.
Maybe it didn't matter.
They'd survived another blow.
And maybe strong enough to survive the rest.