Chapter 263 The Courtroom 1

Chapter 263: Chapter 263 The Courtroom 1

Eira woke before dawn.

Palo Alto was cold and gray, rain tapping against the windows as the bay wind moved through the bare trees.

At 7:30, Alpha Killian’s alarm went off.

She turned it off, showered, and dressed. The white blouse, identical to Alpha Killian’s, waited at the front of her closet. She paired it with tailored black trousers and a camel cashmere coat.

By the time Eira reached the kitchen, Alpha Killian and Lila were already at the breakfast table.

Lila usually needed three alarms and a personal threat to get out of bed. This morning, however, she looked annoyingly awake and far too cheerful.

"Eira, come eat," she said. "We’re leaving as soon as you’re ready."

"I’m ready."

Eira’s gaze shifted to Alpha Killian.

He was dressed for court in a dark suit, a deep crimson striped tie, and a crisp white shirt. Only a narrow line of fabric showed beneath his collar, but she recognized it immediately.

The same style.

The same one she was wearing.

Heat crept up her cheeks before she could stop it.

She looked away a little too quickly, suddenly finding the coffee far more interesting than it deserved.

No one else would have noticed.

But Alpha Killian did.

His silver eyes lingered on her for a moment longer than necessary. A faint curve touched the corner of his mouth, though his expression remained perfectly controlled.

He said nothing.

He let her keep pretending she hadn’t noticed.

"Susan asked me to tell you something," he said at last.

Eira kept her expression neutral. "What?"

"Don’t let them get inside your head."

"I won’t."

His silver eyes stayed on hers for a moment longer.

"I know."

After breakfast, they headed to the courthouse together.

Susan was waiting at the entrance in a navy suit, two thick binders tucked under her arm. Beatrice, Martin, and Claire stood nearby.

"You’ve got this," Beatrice said, pulling Eira into a quick hug.

"I know."

"You look terrifyingly calm," Martin said.

"That’s the goal."

They were almost at the courthouse doors when a cab pulled up beside Alpha Killian’s black Maybach.

Alpha Sebastian and Alpha Roger stepped out.

Alpha Sebastian wore a perfectly pressed suit, but the effort could not hide what illness and stress had done to him. His face was thinner, his skin pale, and dark shadows pooled beneath his eyes.

He looked across the sidewalk and saw Eira surrounded by people who had chosen her.

"Eira..."

She did not stop.

"Let’s go inside," she said softly. "Court starts in a few minutes."

Alpha Sebastian’s mouth tightened, but he did not follow.

Inside, the gallery was already filling.

The courtroom was lined with dark mahogany, polished steel, and rows of hard-backed chairs. The court seal gleamed above the judge’s bench.

At the plaintiff’s table, Eira sat straight-backed and composed. Her face was bare, her hands folded neatly over the file in front of her. There was no anger in her expression.

Only resolve.

Serena arrived minutes before the hearing and took her place at the defense table. Robert and Jennifer settled into the gallery, with Lainey close behind.

A moment later, Alpha Victor appeared at the courtroom doors, supported by his driver. Pale and furious, he took a seat in the back row.

Serena saw him and went still.

Beside her, Alpha Sebastian kept his eyes lowered. He looked almost afraid of what the next hour might reveal.

"All rise."

The bailiff’s voice echoed through the courtroom.

Everyone stood as the judge entered. Once the parties had been seated and their identities confirmed, the judge looked toward Eira.

"Counsel for the plaintiff, you may proceed. Eira Crawford, state your claims and the relief you are requesting."

Eira rose without Susan’s help. She faced the judge and spoke in a clear, steady voice.

"Your Honor, I’m asking the court to set aside the assets my former husband,Sebastian Hale, transferred during our marriage. That includes three hundred thousand dollars a month disguised as research funding, along with property, vehicles, jewelry, and other gifts given to Serena Winthrop."

A murmur swept through the gallery. Serena’s fingers tightened around the defense table.

"I’m also asking the court to order Ms. Winthrop to return those assets, with Mr. Hale held jointly responsible. I request that Mr. Hale be found at fault for wasting community property, denied any share of the concealed assets, and ordered to cover the court costs."

She paused, then looked toward Alpha Sebastian and Serena.

"Sebastian and I were married for four years. We had no prenuptial agreement. The money earned and assets acquired during our marriage were community property. He told me the transfers were private investments. They were not. He moved millions to another woman without my knowledge or consent."

The courtroom fell silent.

Eira returned to her seat without another word.