**Alaric's POV**
The call came at 9:47 p.m. on Sunday.
My lawyer's voice was tight on the other end of the line.
"We have a problem," he said. "Selin's team is using the school appearance. They're arguing that Thalia's presence…specifically Liora's emotional attachment to her is evidence of manipulation."
I sat down slowly.
"That's ridiculous. The evaluation showed…"
"The evaluation showed a child who's bonded to someone she's known for weeks. Selin's legal team is framing it as emotional manipulation. They're suggesting that Liora is being groomed to accept Thalia as a replacement mother in order to strengthen your custody case."
The words landed like a physical blow.
"Liora called her that naturally. It wasn't…."
"I know. But that doesn't matter. What matters is how it looks to
