Page 75 of Now Their Starlet

“Very well,” Judge Harvey nods.

Edison is sworn in, and the entire time, his warm gaze remains locked on me. He doesn’t look in Gina’s direction once. It makes something twist inside my chest. I’ve been used to Gina ruling my life in one way or another ever since I gained consciousness. I grew up around the cast and crew of her reality TV show that always turned to her first, even when something had to do with me, like I was just an accessory.

But here my father is, having been bonded to Gina, and he’s not sparing her a second glance.

“Mr. Wade, how did you feel watching the exhibits that showcased Miss Andi’s living conditions?” Charles asks, leaning against the desk, his demeanor showcasing how comfortable he is speaking with my father.

“Heartbroken—” Edison’s voice cracks on the word, and he clears his throat. “It was difficult to watch. I couldn’t help but imagine what it must’ve been like for Andi to have endured those conditions for the past month with no recourse or way to advocate for herself.”

“If appointed conservator, where would your daughter reside?”

“There are a couple of options,” Edison says, meeting my gaze like he’s speaking to me despite Charles being the one to ask the question. “I have her childhood bedroom ready. Updated furniture, I promise. There’s also a nest I’ve had renovated connected to it, though there’s absolutely no pressure for it to be used. There’s also a guest pool house on the property if she desires more privacy. It will be up to Andi.”

“Do you intend to isolate her?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Would you encourage reunification with her support system?”

“Yes, of course. It is a priority of mine to ensure that Andi feels safe and surrounded by people who care about her and with her best interests in mind.”

Charles asks Edison a few more logistical questions, but I can barely hear anything past the roar of my blood pumping through my veins.

Even though the recording of Gina admitting to throwing herself down the stairs wasn’t sustained as evidence, the judge still heard it, meaning that version of Gina exists in his subconscious.

And here my dad is, saying that if he becomes my conservator, he’s going to support me reuniting with my guys. It’s the best-case scenario if the courts are still going to rule that I’m not sound of mind enough to make full decisions for myself.

Charles takes a seat beside me once more as Collin steps up to start the cross-examination. The bubbling, frustrated energy radiating from that side of the room is palpable.

“Mr. Wade, how can you expect to be a good conservator considering your violent past?”

“Objection,” my dad’s lawyer, Daniel says automatically. “Hearsay. The charges against my client were dropped.”

“Sustained.”

Collin’s jaw works.

“Mr. Wade, were you present during Miss Andromeda Sterling’s childhood?”

“After the chemical unbonding, I was not allowed to see her, despite many attempts through all channels possible,” Edison says, staying calm. “My ex-bondmate made it very clear that she wanted me to have nothing to do with her or my daughter. Her name was even legally changed from Andromeda Wade to Andromeda Sterling after the first false emergency protective order was filed.”

I blink in surprise. For whatever reason, it never occurred to me that I was born with a different name, but it makes sense.

New bucket list to-do item, once I have my freedom: change my name back.

“How can you expect to take adequate care of her when you’ve admitted that you haven’t had any contact with her since your unbonding with my client nearly two decades ago?”

“By getting to know my daughter as she is now. An adult with her own life, her own support networks, her own hopes and dreams. If the court deems a conservator is required, I believe it’s only right that she receive the support she deserves.”

Collin does his best to tear apart Edison’s testimony with more questions. It honestly takes the longest out of anything that’s happened so far. The longer Edison stays calm through the questioning, the more agitated Gina and her team of attorneys seem to get.

“It’s well known that you and Ms. Sterling had a contentious split,” Collin says, careful of his wording to keep the question from being thrown out. “One could argue that you’re doing all this, ‘reconnecting’ with your daughter, who is quite literally a stranger to you, to get back at Gina because of how important Andromeda is to her.”

“Was there a question there, Mr. Wallace?” Edison asks.

I can’t help the quirk of my lips. I guess if you’ve spent as many hours as Edison probably has in a courtroom; you get pretty comfortable with certain conventions.

“Are you doing this to get back at my client, Mr. Wade?” Collin snaps.