He Put His Ex First So I Found My True Mate Chapter 21
The temporary territorial protective order was granted that same day.
Graham was barred from approaching my home or workplace and forbidden from contacting me by phone, message, or through a third party.
When the papers were served, he was at his mother’s house, in the middle of trying to call me again.
The moment they handed him the order, he stared, then let out a cold laugh.
“Mara isn’t actually afraid of me.”
The process server simply asked him to acknowledge receipt.
“This is an order from a territorial hearing officer. It does not depend on whether Ms. Ellis is afraid.”
Graham refused to take the pen.
“I only grabbed her once. She used to hate bringing private matters to outsiders.”
“You’ll have the chance to explain that at the hearing in ten days.”
His mother stood in the entryway, her eyes dropping to the order as her face grew steadily colder.
“You touched her?”
At last, a flicker of uncertainty crossed Graham’s face.
“Daniel provoked me. Mara’s only acting like this because of him. She can’t really want patrol involved.”
“When she canceled the ceremony two years ago,” his mother said, “you told me she would definitely come back then, too.”
Graham fell silent.
This time, his mother did not defend him. She simply took the pen from the process server.
“Sign.”
On my end, my attorney called.
“Service is complete. The full hearing is in ten days.”
“How did he react?”
My attorney paused.
“He still believes you won’t follow through.”
I wasn’t surprised.
At the cliff house, he had been the only one to write *No* under *Will she leave?*
Two years later, he was still living inside that answer.
That same evening, the civil arbitration packets were also delivered to Blair, George, Cynthia, and the other two.
The packet included only three pages: the itemized expenses and cost-sharing records, George’s line about putting it on my card, and Graham’s screenshot promising he would “calm her down and get her to pay” the next morning.
At the bottom, my attorney had added a note:
*Additional original files will be produced during evidence exchange.*
Less than an hour later, Cynthia called George.
“How much did she copy, exactly?”
George was quiet for a long time.
“That night… Graham’s laptop was in the main hall.”
“You mean she has all of it?”
This time, no one was laughing about me taking things too seriously.