Page 60 of Love on the Edge
The judge exhales. “Proceed.”
Margo rises gracefully, smoothing her skirt as she walks toward the stand. She places her hand on the Bible, voice perfectly composed. “I do.”
She sits, crossing her legs neatly. Callum steps forward.
“Mrs. Crosse, why are we here today?”
Margo exhales, looking down as if gathering herself. “Because I want my daughter back.”
Her voice trembles just enough to seem real. “Because for months, I have been denied my rights as a mother. Because the man I trusted—the man I built a life with—has taken that away from me.”
My jaw locks.
Callum paces. “Can you tell us about your relationship with Cassidy?”
Her face softens. “Cassidy is my world. I gave up so much for her. I put my dreams on hold, because that’s what mothers do.” She sniffs. “And it breaks my heart that she doesn’t know that.”
Ryan sits perfectly still.
“Did you have any reason to believe Ethan would cut you out of your daughter’s life?” Callum presses.
Margo shakes her head. “No. We had an agreement. He knew this tour was important to me. But when I came back… everything was different.” She exhales sharply, shifting forward slightly. “Because I came back to find another woman in my place.”
My hands clench into fists under the table.
“I came back to find my husband had moved on. That my daughter had bonded with someone else. That I had been made to feel like I didn’t belong in my own family.”
She turns, eyes locking onto me with something cold. “Valeria Blaze took everything that was mine.”
A murmur ripples through the courtroom.
Callum turns to the judge. “Your Honor, we will prove that Mr. Crosse’s relationship with Ms. Blaze directly contributed to the alienation of Cassidy from her mother.”
Margo presses a hand to her chest, whispering, “I just want my daughter back.”
Callum nods. “Your witness.”
Ryan stands, adjusting his cuffs, his expression unreadable. He approaches the stand, resting one hand lightly on the table.
“Mrs. Crosse, at what point did your love for Cassidy include actually being present in her life?”
Margo stiffens. “I have always been there for my daughter.”
Ryan lifts a brow. “Really? Because the evidence shows you didn’t visit, didn’t call, didn’t even acknowledge her birthday.”
Margo’s jaw tightens. “I was on tour.”
Ryan doesn’t blink. “And in all those months, how many times did you reach out to see her?”
Silence.
Ryan nods. “You claim Cassidy was manipulated into loving Ms. Blaze. But the reality is, she was never given the chance to have a mother who put her first.”
Margo shakes her head. “That’s not true.”
Ryan pulls out a folder. “We have witness testimony—including Cassidy’s. Would you like to hear her own words?”
The screen flickers. A trembling voice fills the courtroom. “She doesn’t like me.”
