The Billionaire Playboy’s Secret Family
Chapter 58

Regina jerked to attention at the sound of the gavel dropping like a hammer. She looked at the older man who gave her an understanding and respectful smile. He stood nodding to the bailiff stationed off to the side. Regina slowly rose to her feet seeing her sister and mother were equally confused. Was this really the end? Stepping off the witness stand in a stupor. She didn't awaken until a happy shriek caught her attention, "Mommy!"

Regina turned immediately scooping up Gabriella and squeezing her tight as the others crowded around her. Renata and Ulima hesitantly joined them casting fugitive glances and wondering if that was really the end. They looked at Tracy who gave them an encouraging smile. "It's all right," Tracy assured them. "But..."

"I know your last experience in a courtroom wasn't the best but Judge Matthews is one of the good ones," Tracy said. "Honestly we didn't even have to go as far as we did. I could have asked for dismissal earlier but I wanted to see how far they would go and Regina was willing to help."

She looked to the opposing side. Not surprisingly the lawyer had made a hasty retreat. The social worker was standing in the far corner in tears. Tracy's sharp gaze did not see the woman who had attracted her attention from the beginning but there would be time enough for her later.

Tracy was certain Renata and Ulima had questions but they could wait until they were in the privacy of their home. Regina had confided several secrets and Tracy advised her to tell her family sooner rather than later but they could wait awhile longer. "Are we really going home now?" Gabriella asked looking at Tracy as a sort of authority figure in this strange environment.

"Yes, sweetie. No one is taking you away from your mommy. Promise."

"Yeah!" Gabriella clutched her mother.

Staying with the foster person had not been terrible. In some ways it was like her stay in the hospital with her aunt. Even so she wanted to go home. Regina kissed her cheek taking her first deep breath in days. Her babies were safe and coming home. "Come on, I have a car waiting to take all of you home."

"I'm hungry," Tony suddenly complained.

"If you like we can stop somewhere, McDonalds. My treat."

"Yeah!" the boys pumped their fists into the air earning a chuckle from the adults though Savannah rolled her eyes and shook her head.

Tracy escorted them out walking them toward the large doors after collecting the children's bags from the conference room. Almost to the door Regina spotted a figure she never thought she would see again. Why was he even here? "Renata, take Gabriella to the car please."

Her sister gave her a questioning look but didn't say anything as she took Gabriella and carried her after the others. Carlos and Tony were too busy telling their grandmother about their adventures at the foster family to notice their mother had dropped behind. This suited her fine. She didn't need an audience as she turned and marched toward the figure waiting off to the side.

There was a strange longing expression on his face Regina couldn't decipher. She didn't know what was going on in his mind. Why was he even here? Did he want to gloat? Did he want to threaten her?

"What are you doing here?" Regina demanded as soon as she was in front of him.

***

Marcus had waited on pins and needles for Tailor's call. Savannah's cry for help had him on edge. He wanted nothing more than to rush to her side and reclaim the kids himself but he didn't want to make the situation worse. Just what was going on? Finally his phone rang. Marcus snatched it up so quickly he almost dropped it, "Tailor?"

"I'm here."

"Did you find out anything? What's going on?"

"I did. It seems CPS has indeed removed the kids under an eminent danger clause." "How can that be?"

"Well, normally it is because the home environment is so bad they deem it unsafe." "Impossible. Their apartment is cleaner than my room."

"....Rumor has it they received an anonymous complaint."

"Complaint? When they went to the apartment shouldn't they have seen it was false?"

"Yes. Assuming they were doing their job properly and were not being goaded into action.

"Who would do that?"

"Who indeed?"

Tailor's contemplative inquiry frustrated Marcus. It didn't matter how or why this happened. The important thing was to get the kids back. Trying to rein in his panic he asked, "So what do we do? You can help them, right?"

Tailor cleared his throat, "If you want I can certainly offer my services but that will probably not be necessary."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Sarah has already taken care of that."

"Sarah?"

"My niece, Sarah Stanton. If I'm right then the young lady you mentioned is the same one she called about. Apparently her housekeeper is Miss Torres's mother."

"Oh...right," Marcus had completely forgotten about Tailor's connection to the rather infamous Stanton heiress.

He recalled seeing Lucas at the Mixer as well as Sarah, Silas and Avalynn. They all seemed rather chummy with each other. Lucas was completely smitten with his wife despite the rather rocky nature of the start of their marriage. Wait...Regina's mother worked for them? "By the sound of it Sarah asked Tracy Conroy to handle the case."

"Tracy Conroy?"

"Used to be Lamont before she married Thomas Conroy. Memory serves he still works for the Prescotts," Tailor said. "Anyway Tracy is a good lawyer."

"Better than you?"

"Actually she reminds me of me when I was younger. Your friend is in good hands."

That's what Tailor said but Marcus found little comfort in his words. As the week slowly dragged on Marcus paced and worried. He barely slept worrying about how the kids were doing as well as Regina. Since Tailor was not handling the case there was little news for him.

He wanted nothing more than to rush to Regina's side but he hesitated. Something Tailor said kept bothering him: assuming they were not being goaded into action. But who would have reason or clout to push the CPS like that? That thought festered and he couldn't help but think of someone vindictive enough to do exactly that...but how? She didn't even know Regina existed.

Though Tailor couldn't give him details about the case he did inform Marcuse the date and time of the hearing. Unable to bear it any longer Marcus cleared his schedule and headed to the courthouse. The secretary gave him a strange look when he asked where the Torres hearing was being held, but it was not closed to the public so there was no reason to deny him the information either.

As luck would have it he ran into Tailor who was there on some legal matter of his own. Tailor led him to the correct courtroom and they managed to find an unobtrusive corner where they seemingly went unnoticed. It took everything in Marcus not to interrupt the proceedings especially when they began attacking Regina.

She stayed so quiet in the beginning he worried the situation had completely broken her but once the opposing counsel went on the attack her fighting spirit awakened. Seeing her fiery temper on display filled him with relief and pride. Tracy was every bit the lawyer Tailor promised. What was more Regina seemed to have a good rapport with her.

He didn't fully relax until the kids were finally returned to their mother. Watching how they swarmed around Regina had Marcus itching to join them. But would Regina even allow it?

"Are you going to go up there and congratulate them?" Tailor quietly asked.

As much as he wanted to his courage failed him. Then his gaze glimpsed another figure making a hasty retreat from the courtroom. What was she doing here? Marcus snuck out after her but she was gone before he made it to the hallway. He stepped aside letting others pass as he collected his thoughts and scanned the crowd. Marcus thought he managed to go unseen until Regina marched directly toward him.

"What are you doing here?" Regina glared at him.

"Regina..."

"Don't! Don't you dare say you have nothing to do with this," she demanded. "You think I don't know? You think I'm that stupid? You think I wouldn't notice you and that bitch of yours?" "Regina, I swear I had nothing to do with this."

"Of course not. What she does had nothing to do with you, right? She just does things on her own and you ignore the lives she ruins because you're on to the next girl in line." "Regina it's not..."

"You and that witch stay away from me and my children! I don't ever want to see you again," Regina spun around without another word.