Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
cameron
I’D DONE SOME INTERNET stalking on Korey Abrams.
In the name of research.
For the case.
He worked for an architecture firm that had offices in both Boston and Springfield, where he planned to move, and I wanted to know more about the nature of that.
Was the move mandatory? Something that his office dictated?
Did he have ulterior custody motives when he’d originally requested permission from the court to relocate, or did that only happen after Natalie pushed back and triggered him?
It was too goddamn bad he wasn’t trying to move out of state. Too bad his family just happened to live near where he intended to bring Chloe. If either of those things were different, this likely wouldn’t even be a case.
Fuck, I’d been waiting for this day.
And also dreading it, to a certain extent. Because what did you mean I had to walk into a room that had Korey Abrams in it and not immediately punch him in the face? I badly wanted to use the same fingers that had made his ex-wife come twice this morning to knock him the fuck out.
But I was only able to knock him out in a professional way. And I supposed that would have to do.
“Mr. Abrams,” I said with a nod of greeting when I strode into the conference room at Wilson and Thomas Law. “And Mr. Keller, nice to see you again.”
I cleared my throat, trying not to think of the last time I saw this man.
I really shouldn’t be thinking about Natalie’s deposition…
when I had my hands all over her under the table.
Then I might start thinking about the way I had my hands all over Natalie London no less than an hour ago.
I might start thinking about the way she sighed my name, like I was the only one who’d ever made her feel that fucking good.
“Mr. Bryant,” Korey’s lawyer said in return, giving me a tight smile as I unbuttoned my suit jacket and sat across from them at the conference room table, mimicking the way we’d been on Monday with Natalie.
Also like Monday, a camera sat between us but faced the opposite way this time, trained on Korey.
I caught him staring at me with a furrowed brow.
“I’m sorry, I don’t believe we’ve met before.
” He leaned forward with interest, and I couldn’t help but note that familiar tone in his voice, the one I’d heard before with other men like him.
It was an overly polite cadence that felt forced and fake, a schmoozing quality to it that told me he thought he could win anyone over with a flash of his grin. “Who are you?”
I wanted to laugh in his face. Who the fuck did he think I was?
“Cameron Bryant,” I answered. “I’m Dr. London’s lawyer.”
Korey Abrams was a white man with a sharp jawline, a strong nose that wasn’t too strong, sullen gray eyes, and a full head of brown hair that would have looked better if it weren’t slicked back and exposing his slightly receding hairline.
And at the moment, all his features were warping, pulling together in a scrutinizing way.
A flash of irritation broke through a carefully curated mask as he flicked his eyes up and down, wandering over me. Assessing me.
“Right,” he said, trying to cover up the fact that he was ever confused in the first place. “It’s too bad that Jacobs retired and she had to start over again with a new lawyer. How very…disappointing for her.”
And how very interesting for him to pretend to care about how the change in legal counsel might affect Natalie. Especially when I suspected he was the only one disappointed with this new arrangement.
Natalie’s former lawyer had done a fine job with her previous custody case, but he’d also been a sixty-something man who’d probably do well playing Santa Claus at malls on the weekends if he wanted, and I had a hunch that Korey Abrams would much prefer Natalie to be working with someone like that than with me.
I was just self-aware and cocky enough about how I presented to people to know exactly what was going through Korey’s head right now.
“Dr. London and I have made quick work of getting to know each other,” I said, clearing my throat.
“How nice,” Natalie’s ex replied, his entire body rigid.
Oh, this was going to be fun.
I’d managed to piss him off, and I hadn’t even started questioning him yet.
“Can we begin?” he asked, tapping his finger on the table and mimicking boredom. His attitude had already turned from when I first walked in. “I’ve got a meeting scheduled this afternoon that I need to make.”
“Of course.” I opened the folder I’d brought with me, flattening it on the table. “We have a lot of ground to cover today, but we’ll see what we can do.”
Korey scowled at me. He was trying not to; I could tell. But he couldn’t quite control his expression, making it harder for me to control my reaction, too. Getting under this asshole’s skin was already so goddamn satisfying.
The court reporter entered the room a second later, on cue. He swore Korey in, and then it was time to get to work.
“Mr. Abrams, who is the primary caretaker for your daughter, Chloe?” I asked.
Korey folded his hands in front of him diplomatically. “Due to the terms of our original custody agreement, Natalie is.”
“And you obtain custody of your daughter two weekends per month and a full week during summer and winter break, correct?” He nodded, so I added, “You need to give a verbal response so our court reporter can record your answer.”
Korey gave me a stony “Yes.”
“Have you ever not taken Chloe during one of those designated times?”
He shrugged, like the question wasn’t a big deal. “I was traveling over Christmas this past year, so Chloe stayed with her mother.”
I knew that already, of course, but I raised a brow for dramatic effect. “For the full week?”
“Yes,” he answered, but he sounded a lot less sure of himself that time.
“Any other times that you did not abide by the custody agreement?”
“Just once or twice.”
“Which one? Was it once or twice?”
He cleared his throat. “Twice. There were unavoidable work trips.”
“Over a weekend?”
He cleared his throat a second time. “Yes.”
“And what about prior to your divorce and original custody agreement?” I questioned. “Who was the primary caretaker during your marriage?”
“We split those responsibilities,” he said, rather vaguely.
We’d fix that.
“Evenly?”
Korey hesitated. “My wife has always preferred to take the lead in matters involving childcare. And I have obliged her, until now.”
I stared at him for a long moment, wondering if he was going to correct himself. When he didn’t, I clarified. “You are referring to your ex-wife, correct?”
Korey’s lips flattened, his annoyance growing.
“Yes.”
I nodded, but he continued.
“Sorry.” He shifted in his chair, arranging himself in a way meant to convey nonchalance—leaning back, slung arm over the empty chair next to him. But his fingers balled into a fist, giving him away. “Divorce or not, I’ll always think of her that way. Old habits and all. You get it.”
I hated that I couldn’t punch him.
“I don’t.”
How Natalie had endured this man for so many years? Just the thought alone bothered me so much I had to fight a look of disgust off my face.
“Would you like to discuss the habit that constituted the grounds of your divorce?” I forced myself to ask.
His brows furrowed. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“I’m referring to recurring habits of infidelity.”
“Objection,” Keller cut in, as I expected. “Relevance.”
But, also like I expected, Korey answered anyway. Because, of course, he just had to correct me.
“Recurring? It was only one woman,” he said, eyes glittering with a sort of dangerous spark now. Good. My goal today was to crack Korey’s facade and show the calculating, narcissistic man beneath the suit. “And no, I don’t believe that is necessary to discuss.”
“I only bring it up because that woman works at the same company as you, correct?”
“Objection.” Keller’s voice was harder this time, and I fought a smile. “Relevance.”
Korey heeded his lawyer this time but gave me a look like he wanted to know where I was going with this so he could somehow prove me wrong.
“When you say that my client chose to take the lead in childcare prior to your divorce, are you claiming that was a voluntary choice on her behalf?” I asked, continuing regardless of his lack of answer, and Korey muttered a yes.
“So it had nothing to do with the extra hours you spent at work as a result of the affair you had with your coworker?”
The glint in Korey’s gaze intensified. I watched his fingers curl in and out of that fist and was disappointed when I realized it was probably out of the lens of the camera.
“No,” he said, but his tone was icy. “It had nothing to do with that.”
I lifted a brow. “You took an oath today to answer truthfully, right?”
Keller aggressively cleared his throat. “Objection, form.”
Dragging my gaze to him, I flashed an unimpressed look before turning back to Korey. I didn’t really need an answer to that one anyway.
“Why have you changed your mind to no longer oblige my client regarding childcare responsibilities?” I asked instead.
He gave me a blank look, and I clarified. “Why are you now filing for sole physical custody?”
“I am relocating for work, and sharing custody will be more challenging given the distance. Plus, it is in Chloe’s best interests for her to be closer to her grandparents and other family. My schedule at the office is consistent, normal. Unlike Natalie’s.”
I stiffened at the jab at Natalie but didn’t let it deter me from my line of questioning.
“Is your affair partner relocating as well?”
Korey gave a slow nod. “Yes.”
“Are the two of you in a relationship?”
The room fell into silence. Korey stared ahead, sort of blank-like, as though he couldn’t quite decide what the right answer would be. Which was a fail on his lawyer’s part because they should have covered this ahead of time.