“I had to protect myself,” Vale said. “Margaret is… she is unstable.”

“We knew she was stealing from the trust,” I said, my voice shaking slightly. “But why?”

“It wasn’t for the estate,” Richard said, looking up from his phone screen.

He walked over to the desk and turned his phone so Nora and I could see the screen.

“It was to cover her personal debts,” Richard said. “Specifically, gambling.”

I stared at the screen, my eyes scanning the names of offshore casinos and holding companies.

“Baccarat,” Nora read aloud, her eyes widening slightly. “In Macau and Monaco.”

“She lost six million dollars in one weekend three years ago,” Richard said.

“And she used my daughters’ inheritance to pay for it,” I said, the anger rising hot in my throat.

Vale closed his eyes and nodded slowly.

“Yes,” Vale said. “She was desperate.”

“She threatened to ruin me if I didn’t authorize the transfers,” Vale added.

“You are her attorney, Thomas,” Nora said, her voice sharp. “You knew it was illegal.”

“She had leverage,” Vale said, his hands shaking as he set the USB drive on the desk.