“Ma’am,” one officer said cautiously, stepping toward me. “We’re going to need you to—”
Then Daniel looked at me.
Really looked.
And everything changed.
“Judge… Olivia Carter?”
His voice dropped.
Recognition.
Shock.
Respect.
The room went still.
I held his gaze, my breathing uneven but steady enough.
“Yes,” I said quietly.
Daniel immediately removed his cap.
“Stand down,” he ordered his team.
The officers froze.
Margaret blinked, confused. “What is going on?”
Daniel stepped forward slowly, his tone calm but firm.
“Ma’am, please return the baby to his mother.”
