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Maggie explained how positive the interview turned out to be in my, our, favor. Like in real life, everyone adored Ollie and doubted the voices of dissension.

And today, as we walked up the steps of the courthouse, hand in hand, we waved off questions, ready to get inside. Thomas worked to keep the fans from crowding in on us, but when I glanced over at Ollie, there was a bemused expression on his face, which made me hold back a laugh.

As we traveled through the hallways and entered the assigned courtroom, we left behind the noise and camera shutters, which drew a relieved breath from me.

Ollie wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer. As I caught his scent, I relaxed.

We found Maisie near the double oak doors just inside the room and took our seats on the uncomfortable benches next to her.

“Good morning, Maisie. How are you today?” Ollie asked.

The harried woman looked up from her notes and gave my boyfriend a smile, reaching over to squeeze his hand. “Good, honey. And you?”

“Nervous for Connor.”

“Oh, there’s no need to worry.”

“Why?”

She took off her reading glasses and crossed her hands over the papers in front of her.

“Because in all the years I’ve worked with Connor, he’s never lied to me. There have been things that have slipped his mind or contracts he forgot to forward for me to go over, but lying, especially about family, goes against everything he believes in and stands for.”

With a smile, Ollie leaned against me, looking up at me with such a loving smile. My heart thudded hard in my chest at the adoring expression, and I thanked all the gods above for this man in my life. Unable to stay away, I leaned closer and pressed a kiss to his nose, causing it to scrunch, which was adorable.

“Thanks, Maisie,” I mumbled.

“Calling it like I see it,” she said before going back to her paperwork.

Within minutes of our arrival, the rest of the seats inside the courtroom filled up. We stood as the judge was called to the bench, but sat back down, waiting for the first case to be called.

As Maisie concentrated on the forms in front of her, I settled in, thinking it would take a while before we had our opportunity to face the judge. Several minutes later, the doors opened, and my attention turned toward a woman I recognized as she walked in with a toddler on her hip and took a seat several rows up.

“Is that her?” Maisie asked.

“Yeah, but she was blonde when I met her.”

Ollie kept his head on my shoulder, but I knew his keen eyes were tracking over her and the child. He sucked in a breath.

“Do you have anyone in your family with blue eyes? Grandparents? Great grandparents?” Ollie asked.

“No. Both my parents have brown, and so do both my maternal and paternal grandparents. I don’t know about great grandparents. I’ve never met them.”

The door opened again, interrupting Ollie’s train of thought. Spencer and Lee walked in, followed by Kaid and Lewis, all of them dashing in suits and ties. I gasped, wondering what they were doing there, but Ollie waved and patted the seats that were open next to him.

“You guys look great, but what are you doing here?” I asked.

Spencer smiled at me, patting my shoulder, before he said, “I told Maisie we could testify for you because both of us remember the night you showed up at the hotel with the man and woman.”

Maisie leaned over and whispered to Spencer, “Do you think that’s her?”

Both of my friends turned to see where Maisie pointed and I watched their faces to see if there was any recognition.

“Yeah, that’s her. But she has dark brown hair now, whereas when we saw her at the hotel all those years ago, she was blonde,” Lee said.

The smile on Maisie’s face said everything. She hadn’t been worried about the paternity test, but now, with witnesses and what I and my two friends remembered, it changed the game.

“I wasn’t worried about the judge dismissing the case, but I can call your friends if she disputes her boyfriend being with you both that night. But I don’t think it’ll even get that far, since the judge will read the outcome of the paternity case first.”