What had started as a routine, uncontested divorce hearing had suddenly evolved into a major criminal inquiry that could not be easily contained.
Samantha walked back over and crouched down gracefully to Penelope’s eye level. “They already found the tea box.”
“They found it already?” Penelope asked, her voice filled with disbelief.
“The judge signed an emergency search authorization for Gabriel’s personal vehicle parked in the structure, and he had a locked folder hidden in his trunk,” Samantha explained quietly. “It contained copies of documents clearly intended for you to sign right after delivery, including a quitclaim deed, a full financial release, and a custody agreement giving him sole decision-making authority if you were declared medically unfit.”
The cold terror spread rapidly through Penelope’s chest as she processed those words. “Medically unfit?”
Samantha’s expression remained careful and deeply professional. “There were also typed logs containing dates, times, and detailed false claims regarding your mental stability, representing months of manufactured documentation.”
