A door opened, and Lily looked down the hall behind Edward. It was almost ten o'clock, the time court was scheduled to begin. Two women were coming down the hall, one of them with an armload of files. Court clerks, Lily thought. But Edward didn't turn around. He had eyes only for Lily. It was as if everyone, even Marisa, had just melted away. She was his opponent. He was here to defeat her and no one else.

The crowd began to rustle a little. Lily felt an electric buzz coming off Liam. She wanted to look at him, but she was mesmerized by Edward. She had loved him once; even now, she wanted to ask him, couldn't he just see reason and go away? They both knew that he cared nothing for their child. . . . His eyes were black holes, burning with hate.

Joe cleared his throat, and Lily's attention was torn away from Edward's eyes. Joe was grinning, and as Lily looked around, she saw that so were Patrick, Tara, Bay, and Danny. Marisa too. Lindsey. And even Liam.

“What is it?” Lily asked Liam.

The two women got closer, right behind Edward. As they approached, Lily saw Joe raise his eyebrow at one of the uniformed marshals, giving him the high sign. The marshal acknowledged it with a nod, but didn't move.

“Liam?” Lily asked, looking up at him.

“Getting nervous?” Edward asked, smiling.

“She has no reason to be,” Patrick said.

Edward just stared him down.

“You know,” Patrick said, “there's someone else that Joe and I thought Lily and Marisa should meet.”

Edward just stood there, his face red and smug.

“Who's that?” Edward asked.

“Hi, Ed,” said one of the two women behind him. Midway between Lily's and Marisa's height, she had the same dark brown hair. Her eyes were soft, warm, blue. She had a long thick scar all the way up the right side of her face.

Beads of sweat popped out on Edward's forehead. A few reporters pressed forward, and the other woman—younger, in a business suit, looking very much a lawyer—opened one of her files and handed them some photographs.

Lily saw the pictures flash by: a woman bruised and broken, head and face bandaged in some shots, cut and stitched in others, one with her broken-toothed mouth hanging open as if she had no jawbones.

Suddenly, Lily knew.

“Judy?” she asked, her eyes filling with tears.

Judy Houghton smiled and nodded, and with blue eyes gleaming stepped forward to give Lily a big hug.

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Judy Houghton,” Lily said. “The one before me.” “Yes,” Judy said. “I'm so sorry for what you've been through.”

“Judy, this is Patricia,” Lily said, and the three women stared at each other, smiling and holding hands.