Chapter 8

The hearing was scheduled for Thursday at 9 AM. Family court. Judge Patricia Okafor presiding — known for being thorough, impartial, and having zero tolerance for theatrics. Celeste arrived first, flanked by Howard Kessler and two junior associates, dressed in a cream-colored suit that screamed "sympathetic victim." She'd clearly been media-coached — soft voice, damp eyes, a tissue clutched in one hand like a prop. I arrived with Diana Reeves, who wore black, carried a single folder, and...