bChapter /bb9 /b

Three dayster, the first court hearing kicked off.

But Maxine? She was stuck at the firm, sidelined by Patrick.

“Maxine, it’s not like I’m trying to screw you over, alright?” he said. “You’re free right now, and the archive’s a hot mess. Old case files gotta go. Can byou /bhandle bit/bb?/bb” /b

Maxine let out ba /bbitter chuckle. “Patrick, you’re sticking me with intern–level crap?”

Patrick’s face twisted, caught in that awkward guilt trip–same look he had when he told her Kathleen was snatching her case.

It clicked. Sebastian.

He was the puppet master, keeping her out of the courtroom.

Fuming, Maxine reached for her phone to tear Sebastian a new one, but amotion at the firm’s entrance stopped her dead.

She stepped out and saw the crew back from the assault case.

Kathleen was there, swinging her briefcase, smirking like she owned the ce. “Hey, Maxine, bad news–this case? Total trainwreck. We’re done for.”

Maxine’s eyes went wide. “No freaking way.”

Forty minutes. That was all it took. Not enough time to even touch the evidence or witnesses.

‘How the hell did they tank it?‘ she thought.

Kathleen just gave azy shrug, like she couldn’t care less.

Maxine’s head was throbbing. She stormed out, ignoring Patrick’s shouts trailing behind her.

She hopped in a cab and raced to the victim’s ce.

Ivanna Sandoval lived in a rough part of town where everybody knew everybody’s business.

As Maxine pulled up to Ivanna’s building, a neighbor spotted her. “Hey, you’re Ivanna’swyer, right? Looking for her?”

“Yeah!” Maxine was out of breath, her gut screaming something was wrong. “Where’d she go?”

“She just left with her kid, headed west.”

Maxine’s heart plummeted.

She’d been here before. West of this neighborhood was the Nealson River

She didn’t know how she ended up at the riverbank her feet just carried her. Then she heard bit/b: ba /bkid’s gut–wrenching sobs echoing through the air.

Maxine’s knees buckled.

Her vision blurred as she chased the sound. There, by the water, was Ivanna’s little girl, barely old enough for kindergarteni, /icrying her heart bout/b.

Floating on the river was a mustard–yellow jacket.

Maxine froze. That was Ivanna’s favorite jacket.

b10:44 /bbTue /b17 bJun /b

bBy /bbthe /btime Maxine got Ivanna’s daughter settled and dragged herself back to thew firm, it was nearly time to punch bout/b.

bShe /blooked like hell–eyes red and swollen, hair a wild mess around her sharp features, her re cold enough to stop ba /bbheart/b.

Kathleen spotted her and grinned, all snark. “God, Ms. Hudson, you look like you got run over by a truck.”

Maxine stomped closer, brushing off the dig. “Kathleen, you hear about Ivanna? She threw herself in the river.”

The words hit like a sucker punch. The nosy coworkers nearby, ready for some tea, went stone–cold quiet.

Kathleen blinked, caught off guard, but quickly squared her shoulders. “Yeah, so? That’s got nothing to do with me.”

“You were herwyer!” Maxine snapped, voice sharp as a knife. “The case was bulletproof–witnesses, evidence, everything. No way we should’ve blost/b. But forty minutes in court, and it’s done? You’re telling me you’re clean in thisb?/bb” /b

Her voice cracked, eyes zing. “Where’s your damn conscience, Kathleen?”

Kathleen’s face twisted, and she fired back, “Ivanna was a slut! Hooking up with some rich yer, then trying to spin it with ba /bwsuit? She bjumped /bb‘/bcause she knew she was guilty. Don’t put that on me!”

Maxine’s fists clenched, her voice dropping to a low growl. “Say that again. I dare you.”

“I said, she was a—”

Kathleen didn’t finish. Maxine lunged, grabbing a fistful of her hair and dragging her to the wall with a snarl. She mmed Kathleen against it, hard.

Kathleen yelped, spitting curses. “You crazy bitch, let go!”

“God, we’re all women–where’s your heart?” Maxine’s voice broke, tears streaming as she pictured Ivanna’s scared little girl. “If I snap byour /bneck right now, you think I could just say you offed yourself? Like, what, you botched the case and couldn’t deal?”

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