“A father who hid his wealth and made his teenage daughter wear second-hand clothes and eat cheap food just to satisfy his own paranoia.”

“That is psychological abuse, Daniel,” she said, a cruel smile returning to her lips.

“And I have the medical records to prove the stress it caused me.”

“I will make sure the court sees you as an unstable, manipulative monster who is unfit to be a parent.”

“I will petition for sole custody of Sophie, and I will block you from ever seeing her again.”

My father’s face went pale.

The calm, collected mask he had worn all morning began to crack.

“Sophie is sixteen, Claire,” he said, his voice cracking slightly. “She can choose where she wants to live.”

“Not if I prove you brainwashed her,” Claire shot back.

“Not if I prove you used your wealth to manipulate her after keeping her in poverty.”

“By the time my public relations team is done with you, Whitaker Construction will be a toxic brand.”

“No client will want their name associated with a man who abused his family for a social experiment.”