The courtroom was colder than Grace expected.
Not just the air—but the feeling of it. The hard benches. The quiet voices. The sense that every word mattered now.
She sat beside her lawyer, hands folded in her lap, breathing slowly.
Ted entered in handcuffs.
He didn't look at the judge.
He looked at Grace.
For a moment, the old instinct kicked in—the urge to look away, to shrink. But she didn't.
She met his gaze and held it.
Ted was the first to look down.
The prosecutor laid everything out.
The escape.The break-in.The messages.The calls.The letters.
Each violation stacked neatly on top of the last.
Ted's attorney tried to argue instability. Emotional distress. A man pushed too far.
The judge wasn't impressed.
"This court sees a clear pattern of obsession and intimidation," she said calmly. "Not a momentary lapse."
Grace felt something loosen in her chest.
Ted stood when it was his turn to speak.
"I just wanted to see my daughter," he said, his voice steady. "I never meant to scare anyone."
Grace's lawyer didn't even look at him when she stood.
"Intent doesn't erase impact," she said. "And the impact here is ongoing psychological terror."
The judge nodded.
Then she spoke the words Grace had been waiting for.
"Bail is denied. The no-contact order is now permanent. Any further attempt to reach Ms. Miller or her child will result in additional charges."
Permanent.
Ted turned sharply.
"What?" he snapped, control slipping for the first time.
The gavel struck.
"Court is adjourned."
Ted was led away, his protests echoing until the door closed behind him.
Grace didn't move.
Not until it was over.
Outside, the sun felt warmer than it had in weeks.
Her lawyer smiled. "You did it."
Grace shook her head.
"No," she said quietly. "He did."
That night, Grace tucked Belinda into bed.
"Is everything okay now?" Belinda asked sleepily.
Grace brushed her hair back.
"Yes," she said. And this time, she meant it.
Later, alone in the living room, Grace allowed herself to breathe.
The phone stayed silent.
For the first time in a long time, silence didn't feel dangerous.
It felt earned.
Grace turned off the light.
And somewhere behind concrete walls, a man who had built his life on control finally realized something.
He had lost her.
Forever.