“Did you see the original loan documents?” Richard asked.

“I saw copies with Michael’s signature,” I said. “Vale said if I didn’t cooperate with Margaret, she would sue me for the remaining balance. She threatened to take the girls away, saying I was unfit because I couldn’t provide for them.”

“And you believed him,” Richard said, his voice gentle.

“I had no money for a lawyer,” I said. “Vale made it clear that no firm in Connecticut would take my case against the Whitmore family.”

Richard was silent for a long moment, staring at the desk.

“Michael was a smart man, Emily,” Richard said. “I knew him briefly through some charity work. He was meticulous with his finances.”

“He always told me we were safe,” I whispered. “I didn’t understand how he could have been so reckless.”

“Maybe he wasn’t,” Richard said.

I looked up at him, a faint spark of hope igniting in my chest. “What do you mean?”

“Thomas Vale has a reputation for cleaning up Margaret’s messes,” Richard said. “But he is also known to cut corners when he thinks no one is looking.”