Chapter 37 Justice #2
"I'm not here to represent Reverie Bell in this case."
Silence.
Complete shocked silence ripples through the courtroom like a shockwave.
I slowly look up at him with wide confused eyes. Theo and Grayson both turn in their seats.
What? He's not representing me? Then who is? What's happening?
Nash continues smoothly, his voice casual but with steel underneath.
"I may be deemed a small lawyer from Oakridge by some people in this room.
Just a local attorney handling minor cases in a rural town.
Nothing impressive. Nothing important. But I think everyone in this courtroom seems to have forgotten something rather crucial about my professional background and credentials. "
He pauses deliberately, letting the tension build throughout the room.
Timothy looks confused and slightly worried. Kael's smirk falters just slightly around the edges.
"I was part of Morrison & Associates," Nash says casually, dropping the name like a bomb.
"One of the most prestigious law firms in the entire state.
Perhaps you've heard of them, Mr. Hamilton?
Considering they've beaten your firm in several high-profile cases over the years.
The Henderson case. The Millbrook Development lawsuit.
The State vs. Thornbury. Should I continue? "
Timothy's face goes visibly pale. Morrison & Associates is legendary in legal circles.
Everyone knows their reputation, or more importantly fears going up against them.
"And I'm still part of that firm," Nash adds with a sharp dangerous smile.
"I didn't leave. I didn't retire. I simply relocated my practice to serve clients in rural communities who couldn't afford city lawyers.
But I maintain my full partnership. I maintain my complete access to firm resources.
I maintain all my professional connections and network.
I never stopped being a Morrison & Associates attorney. "
He looks directly at Kael with cold eyes.
"Which is perfectly ironic, because our actual lawyer…
Ms. Bell's proper legal representation for this proceeding…
has been watching you and your pack's movements ever since Reverie arrived in Oakridge six months ago.
Long before we even met her. Long before she ever walked into our lives.
We've been documenting everything. Recording everything.
Preserving everything. Building a case."
The courtroom erupts in shocked whispers and exclamations. Kael's face turns bright red. Timothy looks like he just got punched in the stomach. The judge bangs her gavel for order.
Nash turns smoothly toward the back of the courtroom and gestures with one hand to the double doors.
"Your Honor, if I may formally introduce Ms. Bell's actual legal counsel for this proceeding."
The heavy courtroom doors swing open dramatically with a loud creak.
A man walks in with long confident strides that echo on the hardwood floor.
"I present Harold Morrison from Millbrook," Nash announces clearly. "Or as he's known officially in legal circles throughout the state—Harrison Gregory Markif. One of the best and longest-running lawyers in state history before his brief semi-retirement to Millbrook five years ago."
Wait.
Harold Morrison.
The sweet kind older man who helped us with Millie on the road when we reached Millbrook. The one who seemed like a harmless retired grandfather who liked helping young couples in trouble.
But the man walking down the center aisle doesn't look like that gentle grandfather anymore.
Not even close.
He's cleaned up in an immaculate three-piece suit—navy blue with subtle pinstripes, perfectly tailored to his frame.
His gray hair is professionally styled and slicked back instead of the messy windblown look from Millbrook.
His beard is trimmed neat and precise instead of slightly wild.
He wears expensive-looking designer glasses with thin metal frames.
Polished Italian leather shoes that probably cost a thousand dollars.
A silk tie with a subtle pattern. A watch that gleams gold on his wrist. He walks with the confident bearing of someone who's spent decades commanding courtrooms and winning impossible cases and destroying opponents.
He looks easily ten years younger than the man we met in Millbrook. More vigorous. More sharp. More dangerous. More powerful. This is a man who could destroy careers with a single motion. This is a man who wins cases.
He fooled us all.
Harold—Harrison—reaches the front of the courtroom with purposeful strides.
He sets his expensive leather briefcase down on our table with a solid thunk.
He gives me and the pack a quick wink, a flash of the warm kind man we met in Millbrook, before his expression shifts completely to pure professional intensity and legal focus.
He's been helping us this whole time.
Nash knew.
"Your Honor," Harrison says with a voice that fills the entire room with authority and command.
"Thank you for allowing me to present on behalf of my client, Ms. Reverie Bell.
I apologize for my theatrical entrance, but I thought it important to make a statement about underestimating small towns and the people who choose to live in them. "
Judge Hawthorne smiles slightly. "Mr. Markif. I wondered if we'd see you before you fully retired. Welcome back to my courtroom."
"Always a pleasure, Judge Hawthorne," Harrison says warmly before his expression hardens. He pulls a thick folder from his briefcase and opens it deliberately.
"Let's get right to the point, shall we?" Harrison says, his voice cutting through the tension. "The plaintiff's entire case is built on fraudulent documentation. Every single piece of evidence they've presented is fabricated."
Timothy jumps to his feet.
"Objection! That's a baseless accusation—"
"Is it?" Harrison interrupts smoothly. He starts pulling out documents.
Spreads them across the table. Each one has official seals, stamps, signatures.
"I have here the original documentation of Ms. Bell's pack dissolution, retrieved from the County Clerk's Office in Oakridge.
Filed on June 15th of this year. Properly signed by all parties.
Properly notarized. Properly processed."
He holds up another document.
"I also have verification from the State Pack Registry Office confirming Ms. Bell's dissolution was entered into the central database on June 16th. I have the confirmation number. I have the processing clerk's signature. I have the official timestamp."
Harrison walks toward the judge's bench, holding up document after document.
"I have statements from three separate pack lawyers who consulted with Ms. Bell during the dissolution process. I have testimony from witnesses who were present during the signing. I have Ms. Bell's bank records showing she paid all required filing fees. Everything was done correctly and legally."
He turns to face Kael and Timothy.
"Now let's examine the documentation the plaintiff presented. Shall we?"
Harrison picks up one of their documents. Holds it up to the light.
"This supposed 'original' dissolution form that they claim shows errors? It's a photocopy of a photocopy. No original seal. No original signatures. Just copied versions. And when we compare the document ID numbers to the official registry, we find something interesting."
He pauses dramatically.
"These document ID numbers don't exist in any official database. They're completely fabricated. Made up. The plaintiff and his lawyer created fake documents to support their fraudulent claim."
The courtroom explodes with noise. The judge bangs her gavel.
"Order!"
Harrison waits for silence, then continues calmly.
"But here's where it gets truly interesting. The plaintiff couldn't have known this, but there's a new protection law that was recently enacted. House Bill 2847, also known as the Omega Protection and Relocation Act."
He addresses the room.
"This law was specifically created to protect Omegas who leave urban areas and relocate to small towns to start over. It's designed to prevent exactly this kind of harassment and fraudulent reclamation attempts."
Harrison pulls out another thick document with official seals.
"Under this new act—House Bill 2847, the Omega Protection and Relocation Act, which was enforced statewide on June 1st of this year—any Omega who files dissolution paperwork and relocates to a designated small town has their documentation immediately secured in a protected digital database maintained by the state.
The original documents are flagged in the central registry system.
No copies can be made without specific court authorization.
No alterations can be processed. No third parties can access the records.
Everything is locked down under encryption protocols. "
He addresses the entire courtroom, making sure everyone understands.
"This law was created specifically because of cases exactly like this one.
Abusive pack Alphas who try to reclaim Omegas who legally left them.
Omegas fleeing to small towns for safety only to be harassed and stalked.
The state legislature recognized this pattern and created protections.
This act has teeth. It has enforcement mechanisms. It has serious consequences for violations. "
Harrison looks directly at Kael with steel in his eyes.
"Ms. Bell's dissolution was filed on June 15th at 2:47 PM according to the official timestamp.
She relocated to Oakridge on June 18th at approximately 10:30 AM based on gas station receipts and witness statements.
She was one of the very first Omegas in this state to have her documentation secured under this brand new protection act.
Which means her records were immediately locked down in the system within 24 hours of filing. "
He holds up a certification document.