Chapter 292 Time to Spread Your Wings
The two of them entered the courthouse to meet with Lawyer Twist, and before the court was in session, they went over their documents one last time. Lawyer Twist shared some last-minute advice and reminders.
Gabriel's lawyer, Philip, was already there, but Gabriel himself was nowhere to be seen.
Sophia thought he might not even show up for the hearing, which weighed heavily on her heart.
When the court session was about to begin, the staff members entered, followed by Sophia and Lawyer Twist. Jake Hughes took a seat in the gallery; he gave her a thumbs-up when she looked his way.
Gabriel, whom she hadn't expected to see, suddenly made his entrance.
He wore a sharply tailored dark gray suit, emitting a fierce aura. He handed his documents to Alex and then sat down next to Philip.
The gavel sounded, signaling the start of the hearing.
Gabriel glanced over at Sophia. Her expression was stoic, her chin sharper than ever, and his brow furrowed slightly.
The attorneys began their arguments.
Sophia's side argued that she had raised their child for five years and had a deep bond with the children, who were still young and needed their mother, while Gabriel had been absent for all those years.
Gabriel's side countered, claiming that Sophia had led him to believe their children had died until recently, thus preventing him from fulfilling his parental duties.
Sophia's side claimed that she had been forced to leave the country with her children before giving birth due to Gabriel's harmful actions, which were caused by his infidelity.
Gabriel's side demanded evidence of the alleged affair and highlighted that Sophia's pretend death five years prior deprived both of their children of a father's love and one child of a mother's affection.
The debate between the parties was fierce and heated.
Lawyer Twist from Sophia's team presented a video as evidence.
The footage showed the night when a woman unexpectedly offered Gabriel a drink during a dinner party. Gabriel's reaction was forceful; he pushed the woman away, causing her to fall to the ground, only to be pushed down again by Gabriel's assistant.
From the angle of the video, the woman was simply pouring a drink in a normal manner with no inappropriate actions, but Gabriel suddenly lost it and shoved her to the ground.
"Your honor," the attorney stated, suspecting Gabriel of violent tendencies. "If the children live with a father prone to violence, their mental and physical well-being could be greatly harmed."
Gabriel's hand clenched under the table as he stared icily at Sophia.
No wonder the woman seemed off that day—it was a trap set by Sophia!
Well, fine, very well! If that was the game, he was done playing the nice guy.
He gave Philip a look, and with a slight nod, Philip stood and presented some evidence.
"Our side suspects the video's angle is misleading and should not be taken out of context. The woman in the video tried to seduce our client, and our client merely resisted. The video does not show our client pushing her forcefully, nor did she sustain any injuries.
"We also have some photos we'd like to present."
When Gabriel's photos were shown, Sophia's face turned ashen, her hands trembling with anger.
Gabriel had someone follow her!
The photos captured her just after she attended the Katherine fashion show with Jake Hughes, when she had accidentally stumbled, and Jake steadied her.
The angle made it appear she was being overly intimate with Jake Hughes in public.
"Your honor," argued Philip, "we suspect the mother leads a disordered personal life, which isn't conducive to the child's psychological health."
"I do not have a disordered personal life. Gabriel, you're the one who's been reckless, messing around with Tiffany in the United States while I was pregnant." Unable to contain her emotions, Sophia stood up to accuse Gabriel.
How could anyone accuse her of leading a disordered personal life based on a few photos?
Remembering the photos and bragging about threats she received on her phone during her pregnancy, coupled with the fear of losing the legal battle, Sophia was on the verge of a breakdown.
"Plaintiff, please remain calm!" the judge ordered.
Lawyer Twist gently pulled her back to her seat, and Sophia fell silent, shooting a furious glare at Gabriel across the room.
Gabriel sat expressionless, seemingly indifferent, and unassailable.
It appeared as if nothing could penetrate his cold exterior.
Sophia reminded herself to stay calm internally, telling herself the end was not yet here, and she couldn't afford to give Gabriel any ammunition.
"Your honor," Attorney Philip spoke up, "CEO Lancaster is the wealthiest man in Novarisia, with a net worth reaching into the billions. Our client can provide a significantly superior lifestyle and education for the child."
Gabriel held the ultimate bargaining chip, being the wealthiest man in the country. He had enough money to maintain a whole soccer team.
Based on previous custody cases, most judges tended to favor awarding the child a life with better material comforts and education.
Lawyer Twist acknowledged during the courtroom battle, "We recognize that the father has excellent material resources at his disposal. But may I ask, how much time can he truly spend with and care for the child daily?"
Two and a half hours later, the judge made a proclamation.
"We will reconvene at a later date."
As they left the courthouse, Sophia rushed at Gabriel, her hand raised to slap him across the face. Gabriel turned his head in time, and Sophia's hand landed on his neck instead.
"Gabriel, you're despicable! Jake Hughes and I are just friends, and you have people taking those kinds of photos of us. What are you trying to do?" she accused.
Gabriel caught her wrist and sneered sarcastically, "And you? Staging that whole scene, claiming I have violent tendencies?"
Sophia's expression shifted slightly.
She hadn't orchestrated it; that footage was sent to her by Jake Hughes. He claimed to have captured it accidentally during a dinner with clients and suggested it could be used to suggest Gabriel had a violent streak.
She countered, "Are you saying you're not violent? Don't forget, back in the States, you choked me. You wanted to end my life!"
Sophia attempted to retract her hand, but Gabriel's grip only tightened.
She still remembered that incident clearly.
At the time, seeing someone he thought was dead reappear alive had shocked him. He had been so outraged by her deception that he'd acted on impulse.
Gabriel suddenly released Sophia's hand and turned away coldly.
"I am determined to win custody of the three children, Sophia. At the next hearing, you better not pull any more tricks," he cautioned.
Sophia was left staring at Gabriel's back, wanting to pummel it furiously.
Why should it be this way? She had carried those children for nine long months, and now he was trying to take them away just like that.
"Kelly, wait up,” Jake Hughes called after her.
He exchanged a few words with Lawyer Twist and then couldn't find Sophia.
"Don't worry, we'll come up with a different plan for the next hearing. Gabriel isn't invincible,” he said, trying to encourage her.
Sophia nodded in a daze, her state tugging at Jake’s heartstrings. He vowed to himself that Gabriel would pay a steep price for this!
In the car, Jake looked at the absent-minded Sophia.
"Kelly, why don't you just take the kids and run away?" he suggested.
Her attention snapped back at his suggestion.
"I can help you all get out of the country; I can take you somewhere very hard to find."
At that moment, Sophia was greatly tempted.
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