Ethan looked down at the paper, his jaw clenching so hard a muscle twitched in his cheek.

“Sophia,” he said, trying to keep his voice level, though it vibrated with anger. “We had an agreement.”

“We had a conversation,” I corrected him. “I never agreed to pay off Ryan’s bad debts.”

“It’s not just Ryan’s debt,” Ethan said, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper.

I watched him closely, noting the sweat forming along his hairline.

“What do you mean by that, Ethan?” I asked.

He didn’t answer, his eyes fixed on the blue stamp of the irrevocable trust.

“This is a betrayal,” Linda said, pointing a finger at me. “After everything this family has done for you.”

“Your family tried to pressure me into giving away my mother’s life savings three weeks after her funeral,” I said.

My voice remained steady, despite the drumming of my heart against my ribs.

“We are your family,” Linda said. “Your mother is gone.”

“That’s enough, Mother,” Ethan said, though there was no warmth in his voice toward me either.

He threw the documents back onto the table, scattering them across the dark wood.