by Belle Ami
“I think you’re pretty amazing, and if it’s any comfort, I think that girl should have run to the ends of the earth with you.”
David’s already-ruddy face reddened. “No compliments, please! They might go to my head,” he jested, even as he searched her face for confirmation of her words. “She did what she had been raised to do. It was a tough and lonely road that I embarked on. I can’t blame her. She would have been lost in the secular world. She did the right thing.”
“If you say so.” Adelia looked out the window, wondering about the difficult choices that life presented. Who could have imagined that this tough-as-steel man could have such deep intellectual insight or compassion? We are never what we seem, she thought.
Chapter 26
Adelia knew, as she and David rode the elevator to the third floor of the Family Court Building of the Common Pleas Court of Bucks County, that only she, Miles, and their attorneys would be allowed in the courtroom. Her attorney, Bradley Adelman, had informed her this morning that David would not be allowed in the courtroom and neither would Karolin. The privacy of immediate family in divorce and custody cases was considered paramount.
In one hand, David held the file folder that he and Adelia had meticulously compiled. Within, carefully tabulated and organized by date, was all of the evidence that they had amassed on Miles Bremen and Green Way Capital. David’s other hand was pressed into the small of Adelia’s back, his touch a reminder of his support. As the elevator doors opened, he whispered, “Don’t worry. You can do this. I’ll be right outside if you need me.”
She looked up into the hazel eyes that she had grown to trust and tried to look confident, even as she felt the tremor in her knees. “You don’t know him. He’s not used to losing.”
“It doesn’t matter what he’s used to. He’s smart. When he sees what’s in this file, he won’t have any choice but to agree to joint custody, with the children residing with you. Don’t let him intimidate you. You hold the upper hand. He just doesn’t know it yet.”
Waiting in the hallway stood Miles and Karolin. When Adelia exited the elevator with David, all eyes were on them. Miles glared with hostility at her for a moment, and then his vision shifted to the prepossessing man who accompanied her. Is he a bodyguard? he wondered. When he noticed the intimacy of the tall, auburn-haired man’s hand on Adelia’s back, he felt the stirring of anger and jealousy.
His eyes shifted back to Adelia, and for a moment, all he could feel was an insurmountable desire for her. Her short, tousled hair was alluring in the way it framed her cheekbones and enhanced her blue eyes. The simple, white linen suit highlighted her sun-bronzed skin and the athletic contours of her figure. All the months of nurturing his hatred for her slipped from him in an instant. All he could think of was what it was like to hold her, to kiss her, to possess her. He could not have felt more lost at sea than he did at that moment.
Karolin’s voice woke him from his reverie. “Miles, look away. For God’s sake, you look like a love-sick puppy. Don’t give her the satisfaction.”
David directed Adelia to a bench along the wall. He spoke to her in a low, soothing voice. “Bradley should be here in a minute, and then it will be time for you to go in. Are you OK?”
Adelia kept her eyes from Miles and focused on David. “I’m fine; thank you, David.” For the first time, she acknowledged to herself what was clearly written on David’s face. In that moment, she knew that he cared for her as more than just a friend. How could she have been so blind? Instead of alarm, she felt warmth spread through her body, and she blushed. David, she knew, was more than she deserved.
Miles could not control himself from staring at his soon-to-be former wife and the stranger. Was there something between them? Were they lovers? His jealousy was eating him alive. He hissed at Karolin, “When we go inside, find out who that guy is.”
The elevator arrived with both lawyers, who exited and stood for a moment, carrying on the repartee of friendly adversaries. They were like boxers who danced around each other playfully before shaking hands. Once that formality was over, they’d withdraw to opposite sides of the ring, and at the bell, they’d emerge transformed into deadly opponents looking for the knockout punch.
As the clerk came to open the courtroom doors, David stood and walked purposefully toward Miles. He extended his hand. “Miles, I’m David Weiss, a friend of Adelia’s.” He enunciated the word “friend.”
Miles looked at him scornfully and refused the proffered hand. “What can I do for you, Mr. Weiss?”
David dropped his hand and smiled indifferently. “I have some information that might be of interest to you. You might want to look it over. You know, before the proceeding begins.” He handed the file to Miles and returned to Adelia’s side, offering his hand to her. She took it and stood. He whispered in her ear, “Curiosity is, at this moment, raging like a fire in Mr. Bremen. I’d give anything to see his face when he sees what’s in the file. It’s in your hands now.”
The parties entered the courtroom and were directed to their respective sides, where they awaited the entrance of the judge and the beginning of the proceedings. Adelia faced straight ahead, refusing to make eye contact with Miles, while the attorneys stood conferring in the aisle. Miles never took his eyes off her. He was about to sit down when he changed his mind and walked to where she sat. He leaned over the desk, forcing her to acknowledge him, his hand still holding the file, his arms straight as he hovered over her, his body tense with malice.
“If you oppose me, Adelia, you know what I’m going to do,” he threatened. “I’m warning you think carefully about what faces you if you decide to engage in battle.”
She turned to him in fury. “I have two things to say to you, Miles. Number one is that I never lied to you. Number two is if I were you, I’d look at the file you’re holding before you caution me.” Her eyes dropped to the file that David had handed Miles prior to entering the courtroom. Months of repressed anger came to her like a crash of lightning and just as suddenly dissipated, leaving her with only the sadness and emptiness of love gone. She met his eyes with pity.
Confusion filled him. For the first time in their lives together, he was unable to read her. He was rendered speechless by her confidence and self-possession.
In a moment, Bradley stood by the desk. “Please step away from my client, Mr. Bremen. This could be considered undue harassment. If you don’t watch your step, I will have the judge slap a restraining order on you.”
Regaining his composure, Miles sneered at the lawyer. “That won’t be necessary. Some of us conduct our lives with dignity, while others are double-crossing liars.” With a last searing glance at Adelia, he turned and walked away.
Adelia’s heart pounded in her chest. Miles’s words cut her to the bone. It was all she could do not to turn and run from the courtroom.
The clerk announced, “All rise for the Honorable Judge Masters.”
The judge entered and took his seat on the bench. The clerk of the court called the courtroom to order while Judge Masters took a moment to peruse the file before him.
Adelia, from the corner of her eye, could see that Miles had opened the file of incriminating evidence. She could barely breathe as she watched him flip through the contents, his features hardening into a frown. Miles’s eyes narrowed as he turned the pages with agitation, his clenched jaw pulsating with tension. As the judge addressed the formalities of the case, turning his attention to Bradley Adelman, she saw Miles lean toward his attorney and whisper heatedly. Totally focused on what was occurring between Miles and his attorney, Adelia barely was aware of what Bradley and the judge were saying.
Suddenly, Seth jumped up. “Your Honor, may I approach the bench?” Judge Masters indicated affirmatively, and quickly Seth advanced to the bench. He spoke to the judge in a hushed voice, and then, nodding to the judge, he returned to his seat.
“Mr. Adelman, Mr.
Goldman has requested a continuance until tomorrow. It seems that there are some unresolved issues that have come to his attention. If this is acceptable to you and your client, I will schedule a continuance of this hearing for tomorrow.”
Bradley looked to Adelia for confirmation. She nodded in acquiescence. “Yes, Your Honor, that would be fine for my client and me.”
“Thank you. Gentlemen, please see the clerk for an appropriate time. Court is adjourned.”
Miles quickly exited with the file, but not before casting a menacing glance at Adelia.
Outside the courtroom, Karolin stood. She looked confused when she saw the fury on Miles’s face as he flew through the courtroom doors. “Miles, what happened?” Flushed with anger, he strode toward her. When he caught sight of David, he changed course.
David stood to his full height as Miles approached threateningly. The two men stood nose to nose. “I don’t know who you are or how you acquired this information.” He shook the file in David’s face. “But I promise you, you will regret this!”
“Are you threatening me? Because if you are, bring it on, man!” David smiled and turned his back on Miles as he walked to Adelia, who had emerged from the courtroom. A seething Miles scowled at the two of them. David placed his hand on Adelia’s back protectively and escorted her to the elevator.
The last thing Miles saw as the doors shut was David’s steely eyes challenging him.
As soon as Adelia and David closed the door to her new farmhouse and were safe from any prying eyes, Adelia began whooping and jumping with joy. She threw her arms around David’s neck, hugging him. Feeling her body against his drew such a strong response from every fiber in his being that he was sure she would know how much he wanted her.
Her elation filled her with such joy that she was oblivious to his need…or perhaps she knew and enjoyed the response she elicited from him. Feeling so close to victory was empowering and exciting. Pulling away from him slightly, she looked in his eyes teasingly. “Tell me, David; how did a rabbi’s son develop such a powerful physique?” She felt his arms tense as she touched them.
“When I enlisted in training for the force, I became a bodybuilder. The skinny scholar became a man of steel,” he teased back.
He pulled away from her before his will was overpowered by his desire and she got more than she bargained for. “So when are you going to tell me what went on in that courtroom? It certainly didn’t last long.”
He followed her into the living room, where she plopped down on an overstuffed, white sofa. She looked around the room admiringly. “I love how this place turned out—contemporary and country.” She put her arm through his; basking in the triumph that now seemed possible.
David looked around the room, with its sage-green walls and sisal carpet, and nodded. “I don’t know how you put this together so quickly from California.”
She smiled, resting her head against the couch. “It’s called a good decorator. I still have more to do. Wait until you see it when it’s done.” She sighed contentedly, closing her eyes. “Oh, yes, you asked me what happened. The minute I sat down in the courtroom, Miles was in my face, threatening me. I didn’t let him bait me. All I said was that perhaps he should look at the file that you gave him. I almost felt sorry for him.”
“Don’t. Even if you win tomorrow—believe me; now that I’ve had a chance to look him in the eye, I know that this isn’t the end of it.”
Adelia shot up, worried. “You don’t think he can win tomorrow, do you? How can he ignore what’s in the file?”
“No, I’m pretty sure that tomorrow will go your way. But I think he will be back to fight another day. Men like Miles don’t walk away from defeat. They rearm.”
With some of the wind knocked out of her sails, Adelia silently contemplated David’s words. “Do you think I should hire protection? Maybe I should hire you.” She watched him intently, trying to discern his reaction. Would he read more meaning into her words than just her safety?
He was taken aback by her innuendo. “We can discuss security later. What happened next?”
She wondered at his coolness; perhaps she had misread him and he really wasn’t interested in her. “I tried not to look at him, but from the corner of my eye, I could see him open the file and thumb through it. It was obvious that he was overcome with rage. I saw him whisper to Seth, and a minute later, they requested a continuance until tomorrow. I think he’s good and worried.”
“I imagine you would be, too, if you had the rug pulled out from under you. That file was the last thing he ever expected to see. Men like him aren’t usually caught completely unawares.”
“Tomorrow,” she closed her eyes and allowed the possibility to sink in. “Tomorrow or the next day, I will see my babies, and it’s all because of you.” Grateful tears shone in her eyes. “I’m sure that God sent you to me.”
David’s arm around her shoulders reassured her. “Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand against you. (Joshua). No, Adelia, it wasn’t me. It was your sleuthing that gave us the ammunition we needed to fight.”
“Sorry, David, I would never have spied on Miles in a million years. Let’s just say that together we make a hell of a team.”
Miles entered the house, slammed the door behind him, and made a straight path to the bar in the family room, where he poured himself a drink. He sat in a reclining chair and opened the file that David had given him.
Karolin called from the stairs, “Miles, I’m just going to check on the kids. When I come back down, you’d better be prepared to explain to me what the hell is going on.”
As Miles turned the pages of the file, his eyebrows furrowed together in a frown. How could this guy have gotten access to all of this? he brooded. The only possibility is Adelia, but why would she have done it, and when did she have access? He couldn’t imagine that any employee of Green Way would be susceptible to a bribe. It just didn’t make any sense.
Karolin strode into the room. “Fallyn and Liam are napping. OK, now tell me what happened in there and why the continuance.”
“I am not going to explain all of the ugly details of why this has happened, but suffice it to say that Adelia and I will have joint custody, with the children residing with her. At least she won’t be able to move them out of Pennsylvania, and we can see them whenever we want. Seth will arrange everything as best he can. I feel certain Adelia will be reasonable. I know she wants what’s best for the children.”
Karolin stared at him in disbelief. “No, Miles, they can’t…she can’t.” She began to pace the room as her voice rose in anger. “What about the photos and your threat of releasing them?”
The mention of the photos made him queasy. “Her threat trumps mine.”
“What threat? I don’t understand. What could she possibly have on you?”
He stared at Karolin and remembered what Adelia had said in the courtroom. ‘I never lied to you.’ How could she have looked me in the eye and said that she had never lied? Why did he feel that Karolin was implicated? “It seems she has gotten a hold of some highly incriminating evidence—e-mails, letters, and phone logs—a shit pile of evidence on the Solarian deal that could destroy Green Way Capital and me. Think about it, Karolin—no jet, no company, no money, perhaps criminal and civil actions. And, just to up the ante, possible jail time for yours truly. Is that enough for you, or is that not enough?”
In fury and frustration Karolin hurled her glass at the bar; it shattered into a thousand pieces. “How could you be so stupid? We have to do something. We can’t just let her win.” Raging, she whirled on him, her voice shrill with anger. “She hurt you!”
He stared at the broken glass that suddenly seemed to represent his shattered life. “I will get even; trust me. Did you find out who that guy is that she’s with?”
“He’s a detective with the Santa Barbara po
lice force. Apparently, he worked on her parents’ accident investigation. His name is David Weiss.” Knowing that her words would pierce him, she added, “I’m sure she’s fucking him. Who wouldn’t?”
Miles felt his hands tremble with rage. Instead of losing himself in a rage he most certainly would regret, he took a swig of the straight bourbon.
“David Weiss, huh.” Miles seethed as he imagined the cocksure detective making love to his wife. Gripping his drink, he finished it, enjoying the burning sensation of it going down and the dulling sensation that followed.
“How could you let this happen?”
“Leave it alone, Karolin.”
“Drowning yourself in a glass of bourbon isn’t going to get me custody.”
Miles’s gray eyes darkened with fury as he glared at her menacingly. “This isn’t about you, Karolin. Fallyn and Liam are mine and Adelia’s children. They’re not yours.”
Karolin’s face paled as she realized she had misspoken. “I didn’t mean me, Miles. I’m just so upset, our childhood haunts me—I can’t bear how she’s hurt you. Forgive me.” She sank to the floor in tears, defeated.
At the sight of her despondency, his anger vanished in an instant. He sank down beside her and put his arms around her protectively. How could he ever forget their aunt’s husband? He should have killed the pig. Instead, afraid and helpless after their mother died, they had spent years in a terrifying situation. Finally, a teenaged Miles hadn’t been able to take any more of Karolin being raped and abused. One night he had pulled the drunken pedophile off his sister and hit him over the head with an empty booze bottle. A hundred stitches later, the state had intervened, and the siblings had thankfully been sent to an orphanage. Unfortunately, the damage to Karolin was irreversible. Her badly abused body rebelled and the doctors were forced to perform a hysterectomy. She would never conceive a child. Since then, his ability to punish Karolin was nonexistent. “Never mind, Karo. I just need time to figure this out. We’ll get them back. I’ll find a way.”
