It was on a sunny Sunday afternoon, Elena had received a mail say unread in her inbox for over an hour before she could finally get the courage to open it. A royal custody petition had been filed. It wasn't just any petition, it had already passed the first stages of approval. This time, Maxwell wasn't asking for custody. He was taking it.
Her fingers trembled over the keyboard as she forwarded the email to her lawyer. There had to be a way to fight this.
Minutes later, her phone rang. She snatched it up, desperate.
"Elena, I need you to understand something. This isn't a normal custody battle." Her lawyer's voice unusually strained.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean…" A pause. A reluctant sigh. "It's already being processed under royal law. That means we're not fighting in a normal courtroom."
The words sent cold shivers down her spine. "Then where are we fighting?"
"The Royal High Court."
"The royal court?" She exclaimed. "That is his territory. His domain." The realization hit her. She knew at that moment that this was a battle she couldn't win.
Maxwell didn't fight fair. He controlled. She had to act fast, find a way around it before it was too late.
Elena didn't waste a second. She grabbed her phone and dialed the one person she knew could help. Judge Whitmore, an old family friend who had once assured her that if Maxwell ever tried to take Theodore, she would have options.
The line rang twice before his voice came through, clipped and professional. "Elena."
Relief rushed through her. "Hello Judge, I need your help. Maxwell is trying to…"
"I know." He cut through her words before she could even finish
"Then you understand why I need to fight this."
"Elena," he cut her off, his voice lower now, almost regretful. "There's nothing I can do."
Her grip on the phone tightened. "That's not true. You said…"
"I know what I said," he interrupted, a sigh slipping through the line. "But this case has already been escalated to the Royal High Court. My jurisdiction doesn't apply. Even if it did… this is his Majesty we're talking about."
Elena's breath hitched. "You're afraid of him."
A long silence. Then, softly, "You should be too."
The call ended.
Heart pounding, she rushed to her laptop, searching for another way out. There had to be a loophole. A legal technicality. Something. But every avenue led back to the same dead end. Maxwell had maneuvered the case into his territory.
A cold sweat prickled at her skin. She tried another lawyer, an independent family law expert known for taking on powerful opponents. But before she could even explain the situation, the woman sighed and said, "I'm sorry, I can't take your case."
Elena swallowed. "Why not?"
"I was advised to decline."
Elena's stomach dropped. "By who?"
The call dropped.
Elena stared at the screen, her heart hammering. One by one, every escape route was shutting down. And that's when she understood.
Maxwell wasn't fighting her. He had already won.
Later that evening.
Elena sat on the edge of Theodore's bed, watching as his small hands toyed with the blanket. His wide, innocent eyes, so full of trust, met hers, unaware of the storm raging inside her.
She had spent the last few hours fighting, grasping at any possible way to stop Maxwell, but every door had shut in her face. She could take this to court, drag Theodore through an ugly legal battle, force him to sit in rooms where strangers would discuss who had more right to him.
But what would that do to him? He was eight. He didn't deserve to be a prize in a war. Taking a shaky breath, she reached for his hand.
"Theo," she began softly, "do you know how much I love you?"
He nodded instantly. "A lot, Mummy."
She swallowed the lump in her throat. "And do you know how much your daddy loves you?"
Theodore hesitated before shrugging. "I don't know. He never said it."
This sent a piercing pain through her throat. She pushed past it, smoothing his curls gently. "He does, sweetheart. And he wants you to live with him now."
His face scrunched in confusion. "But… I live with you."
Tears burned behind her eyes, but she forced a smile. "I know, baby. And I wish you could stay here forever. But sometimes, mummies have to make really hard choices to keep their little ones safe and happy. And right now, going with your daddy is the best thing for you."
Theodore stared at her, "I don't wanna go."
Elena's heart cracked, but she kept her voice steady. "I know, my love. But you'll be okay. You're so brave. And I'll always be here for you, no matter what."
Theodore climbed into her lap, burying his face in her shoulder. "Will you come with me?"
Tears slipped down her cheeks as she held him close. "Not right now, sweetheart."
Not until she had a way back in.