Chapter 248 Not a Thing Can Rattle Her

Chapter 248: Chapter 248 Not a Thing Can Rattle Her

Serena slapped it away.

"Touch me again, and you’ll regret it."

Ryan smiled as if her anger amused him.

"Make him believe the pregnancy is in danger," he said. "Let him think the stress, the betrayal, and everything he put you through caused it. Then, when the time is right, make the loss look like an accident."

Serena stared at him.

"You’re telling me to fake a miscarriage?"

"I’m telling you to give him something he can never take back." Ryan leaned against the sofa. "A guilty man will pay almost anything if he believes he failed his child."

Serena’s stomach tightened.

She knew Ryan was twisting the medical facts. The doctor had said treatment could greatly lower the risks.

But that was exactly what made the lie believable.

If Alpha Sebastian knew about the infection, he might question every detail. He might ask about the treatment, the test results, and the doctors.

Serena could not let that happen.

She grabbed her purse and turned to leave.

"Just one more thing," Ryan called from the sofa, lazily swirling the whiskey in his glass. "Heard Eira flew back to Palo Alto this afternoon."

Serena did not turn around. She already knew Eira would return.

The emergency hearing was only three days away. Eira had to appear in court.

The moment Serena reached the elevator, she called her parents.

"Did you find a lawyer?" she demanded. "The hearing is in three days. We’re running out of time."

Jennifer began to explain, but Serena cut her off.

"Save it. I’ll hear everything when I get home."

Serena opened the front door, then froze.

Lainey Crawford sat on the sofa with a neatly wrapped gift box on the coffee table. She wore a cream sweater, tailored trousers, and a polite smile.

"Miss Crawford says she’s your friend," Jennifer explained from the kitchen.

Lainey stood. "My brother has been buried in a case lately. He’s worried about you, so he asked me to stop by." She picked up the gift box. "But honestly, we’ve been meaning to catch up anyway."

Her eyes moved over Serena’s pale face.

"You look exhausted. Are you feeling okay?"

For one sharp second, Serena thought of the diagnosis and the treatment waiting for her.

Then she forced a bright smile.

"Just pregnancy fatigue. I’ll be fine after some rest."

--

Southridge Estates, Number Nine.

Lila drove Eira and Alpha Killian home at five that afternoon.

Mrs. Jones opened the door before they reached the steps. One look at their tired faces, and she clicked her tongue.

"You barely ate today, did you?" she asked. "There’s soup on the stove. Go talk business with Susan. I’ll bring you something warm."

Inside, Susan stood beside the fireplace with her leather briefcase at her feet. "Good. You’re all here. Let’s get started."

Eira gestured toward the armchair. Susan sat down, placed her briefcase on her lap, and opened it.

"The complaint has been filed, and the court has scheduled the emergency hearing for three days from now. Serena and Sebastian have been formally served."

"What happens at the hearing?" Eira asked.

"It is not the trial," Susan said. "The judge will decide whether to preserve the disputed assets while the lawsuit continues. We need to show that there is a real risk they may sell, hide, or transfer the money and property."

She handed Eira a marked draft.

"Stay calm. Answer only what you know, and never guess. Keep your answers focused on three points. The transfers came from marital or company-connected funds. You never approved them. The assets must be preserved until the court decides who owns them."

Eira scanned the pages. "What if they claim the money was an investment, a loan, or a gift?"

"That is exactly what they will claim." Susan tapped the file. "Let them commit to one story first. If Sebastian says the monthly payments were investments, I’ll signal you. Then we show the court where the money actually went."

She opened a set of financial records.

"Rent, credit card bills, jewelry, the Mercedes, and the condo. A contract cannot change the real flow of money. We will compare its date, signatures, and terms with the bank records. If it was created to disguise gifts or hide assets, it may hurt them instead of helping them."

"And if the contract is real?" Alpha Killian asked.

"Then we deal with that part honestly. A valid investment agreement may cover one transfer, but it will not erase unrelated property or prove that Eira consented to everything."

Susan pulled a thick blue file box from her briefcase and set it on the coffee table.

Lila stared at it. "That file is big enough to knock out both of them."

Susan laughed. "It is organized by date and exhibit number. Eira needs to know every major transfer before she walks into court."

Eira pulled the box closer. "I’ll learn it."

"I’ll review the key points with you again. Until then, do not argue with opposing counsel. If you do not know an answer, say so. Everything else is bait."

"Personal attacks and old marriage drama," Lila said. "They’ll use anything to make you lose your temper."

"She won’t," Alpha Killian said. His silver eyes rested on Eira. "She is the calmest person under pressure I’ve ever met."

Eira nodded. "I’ll stay focused."

Susan had no doubt. Eira had always been careful with her words and slow to show emotion.

Lila suddenly leaned closer."Eira, tell me that Hale bastard doesn’t have another chance with you."

"He already had one," Eira said.

Lila held her breath. "And?"

"He wasted it when we got divorced."

Lila let out a long breath. "Thank God."