Guilty As Charged.

The moment she signed the papers, she turned her gaze to him, "Are you happy now, Bruno?"

"Happy?" he repeated flatly, a chuckle escaping his lips. "This isn’t about happiness, Alison. Let's stop lying to ourselves."

She stared at him, her heart shattering into pieces.

Without another word, Alison walked out of the room, unable to hold in anymore.

She had no one else now, except her son and her mother. She headed to his room so they could leave since they no longer belonged to the Francisco's.

When she pushed the door open, the room was eerily quiet. The bed did not look like it was even touched. It was still neatly arranged, unlike other times.

Panic rose in her as she called out, "Theo? Sweetheart, are you hiding?"

But the only thing that greeted her was the silence that followed her words.

She hurried out of the room and found a maid, who was just about to enter the kitchen. "Where is Theo?" Alison asked, her voice tinged with desperation.

The maid looked startled. "I haven’t seen Theo all afternoon, ma’am," she replied, wearing a surprised expression.

Alison's heart sank. She rushed back to Bruno's room, bursting inside. "Where is Theo?" she asked, her voice shaking.

Bruno did not respond immediately. He poured the liquid into his glass and sipped it casually as if savoring her desperation.

"Bruno, answer me!" she screamed.

Before he could reply, the door swung open, and a tall woman appeared from behind her.

She was Bruno’s mother, Margaret, who did not try to hide her hatred for Alison.

"Your son," Margaret said, "is safe where he is. Safer than he ever would be with you."

Alison turned to face her, confusion and anger mixed in her expression. "What are you talking about? Where is Theo? What have you done?"

Margaret's lips curled into a small, victorious smile. "It is not what I have done, Alison. It is what you have done. As of this moment, you no longer have custody of Theo. He is where he belongs—away from a mother who sought to destroy his future."

Alison's knees weakened, and she moved back, hitting the wall. "What are you saying? This is not legal. This... this is impossible! You cannot just take my son away from me!"

"Tell him, Bruno," Margaret turned to Bruno, who just turned the last content in the glass into his mouth.

Bruno finally spoke, his voice sounding like one with no emotions. "It is not impossible. It is all there in the divorce contract you just signed. You willingly gave in the custody of Theo."

"No," Alison whispered, shaking her head. "That is not true. I didn’t... I did not agree to this."

Margaret stepped forward, her gaze merciless. "Perhaps you did not read the agreement, dear. But that’s not all. Theo is fine where he is, and as a concerned grandmother, I need to groom him well to be a true Francisco. You cannot, therefore, see him anymore."

"No! I will sue you in court. You don't have any right to take my son away from me. I'm his mother," she cried out.

"The court reviewed evidence that you attempted to smuggle Theo out of the country—without Bruno’s knowledge or consent. It’s a crime, Alison, punishable by law." Margaret added.

"You’re lying," she said, "I never did that. You— wait! What did you do to Theo? Where is my son?"

Margaret smirked. "If you really want to see Theo again, you need to face the law. Of course, I cannot let Bruno or myself get arrested, it's bad for the company. So, you will have to pay the price."

Alison's legs gave weakened further, as she held the chair for support. "You want me to take the blame for your crimes? How... you—"

Margaret's smile widened. "Do this for the sake of your son. You will thank me later." She said, and walked out.

Bruno got up to his feet, "see you in court, wifey."

***

The courtroom was filled up as Bruno’s legal team presented their case. Photographs of Alison meeting with a travel agent were displayed on a large screen, alongside screenshots of text messages and emails—all of which were fabricated.

"This is solid evidence," Bruno’s lawyer declared, pacing before the judge. "Ms. Harper sought to illegally migrate Theo to another country without parental knowledge, violating both parental agreements and international laws. This happened a few days before her divorce."

The judge turned to Bruno’s side. "Mr. Francisco, are you requesting full custody of your son?"

"Yes, Your Honor," Bruno replied. "And for the safety and stability of my son, I urge the court to ensure that I take full custody of my son, even as his mother had signed in the divorce agreement."

Alison's lawyer attempted to counter. "Your Honor, my client is innocent of the crime accused. This evidence is photoshopped and fabricated."

"Is there any proof that they are fake?" Bruno's lawyer chipped in. "Words are not enough to counter the law."

The judge silenced the room with a single raised hand. He turned to Alison, whose face was filled with a mix of anger and astonishment.

"This court has reviewed the evidence thoroughly," the judge said. "Alison Harper’s actions were dangerous and illegal. In the best interest of the child, full custody is awarded to Bruno Francisco. Furthermore, the court finds Alison Harper guilty of attempted child abduction, and has been sentenced to three years imprisonment."

After the case was dismissed and closed, Alison walked up to her ex-husband.

"You manipulated everything," she said, her voice hoarse. "You set me up."

Bruno sighed. "Theo deserves better, and he will do just fine. Mother and I will take care of him.

Alison glared at them, her fists clenched to the sides. "You may have won this battle, but I will fight. I will return. I will expose you for the monsters you are."

Margaret laughed sarcastically. "Oh, darling, you can try. But you’ll find the system doesn’t favor criminals."

She stood face to face with Margaret, and spat out.

"I, Alison Harper, will be your worst nightmare. Mark my words."