Page 71

I twist my face into a caricature of Lorenzo’s expression, lowering my voice. “Shall we?”

It’s not like me to be silly, but the beaming smile Ezra givesme makes it worth it. A revelation that takes me completely by surprise.

Who the fuck even am I lately?

“After you, Ms. Pierce,” he says with a gentlemanly wave of his hand.

I feel him close behind when we enter the courtroom, and for the first time since I’ve known him…the thought doesn’t irritate me.

•••

“One hundred andtwelve million dollars in assets, Your Honor, and yet Mr. Casiraghi is trying to hold my client to a parsimonious prenuptial agreement that we have more than enough evidence to prove is suspect. Mrs. Casiraghi is entitled to half of the assets as well as a reasonable continuing percentage of profits in his company.”

We’ve been at it for nearly an hour, our opening arguments bleeding right intoactualarguments that seem like they might never end, despite how badly I would like to end this session so that I can pick it back up later.

I hear the scrape of Ezra’s chair as he stands from their table. “I’m sorry to interrupt, Ms. Pierce, but the evidence you’re referring to is circumstantial at best.” He turns to face Judge Harding, a stern woman in her sixties who delivers edicts like she’s reading the weather. “Your Honor, there has been no solid evidence presented that my client has breached the terms of the prenuptial agreement that was set when he and Mrs. Casiraghi were first married. An agreement thatshesigned, I might add.”

There’s always been something slightly appealing about the air of confidence that Ezra projects, one that even the me beforethese past few weeks couldn’t help but appreciate. Now though…Now it feels more charged. Like every authoritative word zings through my bloodstream, leaving me with an urge to give him my attention, to lean into his voice so that I can hear more of it.

Not exactly prudent for his opposing counsel, to be sure.

I tuck those feelings away, rolling my eyes at his assertions of a lack of evidence to prove Lorenzo’s infidelity. Iknowthat he knows it’s bullshit, anyone with a working brain can see that, but I also know that it would be too easy for him to not drag me through the ringer, to not make me work for it. It just wouldn’t be Ezra if he didn’t.

“With all due respect,” I counter sweetly, “I would venture to say that pages uponpagesof salacious exchanges between Mr. Casiraghi and another woman can’t be called anything less than solid evidence.”

“As we’ve already discussed, Ms. Pierce,” Ezra says calmly, tucking his hands in his pockets as if he’s readying to take a leisurely stroll. “Those emails did not originate from Mr. Casiraghi. We have been conducting our own investigations in regard to who might have been using Mr. Casiraghi’s computer without his knowledge.”

“I’ll bet,” I scoff.

“Regardless,” Ezra says smoothly. “Inconsequential exchanges that can’t be proven in origin do not entitle Mrs. Casiraghi to over five hundred million dollars.”

“Mrs. Casiraghi has offered over thirty years of moral support in regard to her husband’s business,” I argue. “One might even say that she is the reason that Mr. Casiraghi is where he is today.”

“That isoutrageous,” Lorenzo growls suddenly, slamming hisfist on their table. “Bianca had nothing to do with my success. This is just a silly game.”

“I didn’t?” I turn to catch Bianca’s raised brow. “Who listened to your complaints night after night? Who hosted your silly parties for your terrible friends? Who was there, Lorenzo? Certainly not the woman you have been giving your tiny cock.”

“Ma chestronza—”

Judge Harding bangs her gavel, silencing Lorenzo’s insults. “Order!” She points at Ezra. “Mr. Hart, get your client under control.” She shoots me a look. “Yours as well, Ms. Pierce.”

“Yes, Your Honor,” Ezra and I say back simultaneously.

“Now.” Judge Harding nods at me. “You may continue, Ms. Pierce.”

I try not to feel gleeful when I catch Ezra casting a chastising glance back at Lorenzo, keeping my attention on the judge instead. “Your Honor, it has also come to our attention that the account that Mr. Hart claims is shared by his client and an ailing relative has no concrete ties to anyone in his immediate family. Furthermore, we’ve discovered that the funds within that account are being used to pay for not one buttwomortgages—one of which was not listed among Mr. Casiraghi’s assets during disclosure.”

Judge Harding laces her fingers together, turning her attention to Ezra. “Is that true, Mr. Hart?”

“Mr. Casiraghi holds the account in question so that he can deposit funds to be used at the discretion of his relative. It is not his responsibility to keep up with every purchase made with those funds.”

“How convenient,” I mutter. “Your Honor, it is our belief that this ‘relative’ mentioned is not a relative at all. In fact, we were justgranted a subpoena to obtain financial records from the woman in question as well as a DNA test.”

“A DNA test will be circumstantial at best,” Ezra chimes in. “She is a relative by marriage. A close friend from childhood.”

I cut my eyes to him, frowning. His answering smirk has me suppressing the urge to smile, weirdly enough. I can tell by the glint in his eyes that he’s enjoying the back-and-forth between us.

“I’m sure,” I say. “Nevertheless, we are confident that Ms. Kinsley, the woman Mr. Casiraghi claims is an ailing relative, will reveal that she has undergone no medical treatments. Not only that, but we believe there will be adequate proof within those records that will offer the ‘solid evidence’ that Mr. Hart mentioned. That they will substantiate our claims.”