Kayla sat next to him, her hand resting on her pregnant stomach, her eyes darting around the room.

Her fingers clutched the strap of a brand-new leather handbag.

Jerome and I sat on the opposite side of the table, our folders closed in front of us.

“Thank you all for coming,” Pendelton said, his voice like dry leaves.

He adjusted his glasses and looked at a thick stack of documents.

“We are here to finalize the distribution of the estate of Margaret Collins,” he said.

Scott leaned forward, resting his elbows on the polished wood.

“Let’s get this over with,” Scott said. “The delay has already cost us a lot of time.”

Kayla nodded in agreement, giving me a smug look.

I kept my face perfectly still and looked at the brass nameplate on Pendelton’s desk.

“Mr. Collins, your grandmother’s will was very specific,” Pendelton said.

He pulled a document from the top of the pile.

“Article Four states that any beneficiary must remain free of financial impropriety and marital misconduct during the probate period,” Pendelton read.

Scott scoffed, shaking his head.