The lawyer adjusted his glasses and read Clause Nine slowly. Any family member who contested the will, sought guardianship over me, or pressured me in any way would forfeit every trust, allowance, and property my grandfather had ever given them. Then the sealed files in Exhibit C would go straight to the authorities. My father gave a short, brittle laugh and said no judge would ever uphold such a thing. Dominic pushed back his chair so hard it scraped across the floor.

I stayed still. The lawyer opened a leather folder, and a recording began to play, my father’s voice instructing a doctor to call Everett unfit. Mom’s face drained of color. Then the conference room door swung open, and two investigators in dark suits walked in. One of them looked at my father and said, “Mr. Hollis, we have been waiting a long time for this meeting.”