Chapter 22 - THE LAST CONTRACT
The legal hearing began three weeks later.
Adrian Cross arrived with a team of attorneys.
He looked confident.
Victoria's criminal proceedings had already exposed several financial irregularities, but Adrian believed his own documents would protect him.
I sat beside Daniel.
Across the room, the judge examined the original Bellamere agreements.
Adrian's attorney began.
“Your Honor, our client acquired the relevant intellectual property rights through a series of commercial transactions. The opposing party has failed to demonstrate that those rights were never transferred.”
Daniel stood.
“We have original contracts signed by Eleanor Hayes and Edward Caldwell, along with authenticated recordings and financial records.”
Adrian's attorney objected.
Daniel continued.
“We also have testimony from Evelyn Morgan, the original independent witness, and evidence from Brittany Hayes establishing the involvement of Victoria Caldwell and Adrian Cross.”
The judge reviewed the documents.
Then Daniel presented the final contract.
It was dated 1989.
The agreement clearly stated that Eleanor Hayes retained permanent ownership of her original designs and all derivative works created independently from those designs.
The Caldwell family received only limited licensing rights.
A separate clause prohibited the transfer of ownership without Eleanor's explicit written consent.
Adrian's attorney attempted to challenge the signature.
But the handwriting expert had already authenticated it.
Then Evelyn Morgan testified.
She described the original agreement, the pressure placed on my mother, and Adrian's repeated attempts to obtain permanent ownership.
Brittany followed.
She admitted her involvement in the wedding dress theft and confirmed that Victoria had worked with Adrian to obtain access to the hidden records.
Finally, Daniel played the recording.
My mother's voice filled the courtroom.
“I created these designs. I own them.”
I lowered my eyes.
For years, I had wanted to hear her voice again.
I never imagined it would happen in a courtroom.
When the recording ended, the judge looked toward Adrian.
“Do you have any further evidence supporting your ownership claim?”
His attorney whispered to him.
Adrian remained silent.
The court ordered an immediate preservation of the disputed assets and referred the suspected fraudulent transactions for further criminal investigation.
Outside the courtroom, reporters gathered around us.
“Miss Hayes! Did you win?”
“Will you sue the Caldwell family?”
“Are you planning to restore the original collection?”
I stopped briefly.
“My mother spent her life creating beautiful things. I intend to make sure her work is remembered under her own name.”
Then I walked away.
Daniel smiled.
“You did well.”
I looked at the courthouse.
“We're not finished.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“What else?”
I opened the final folder.
There was one outstanding matter.
The original Bellamere collection had never been fully catalogued.
Twenty-three designs had been recovered.
But my mother's old records indicated there were twenty-four.
May you like
One was still missing.
And I had a feeling Adrian knew exactly where it was.
