“The Hartwell name is built on my family’s money, Vivian,” I said.

“And the world you built with it is falling apart.”

Vivian looked at me for a long moment, her eyes cold and empty, before she turned to Vance.

“Get the commissioner on the phone,” she ordered the attorney.

“Find out who authorized that freeze.”

Vance nodded, his face grim, and began packing his files into his briefcase.

Lydia sat down beside me, her expression calm.

She opened her briefcase and placed her pen inside.

“How are you holding up?” she asked me.

“I am fine,” I said.

My hands were cold, but they were steady.

I looked at the window, watching the rain slide down the glass in long, clear streaks.

The courtroom felt smaller now, the high ceilings less intimidating than they had been this morning.

Across the aisle, Carter was speaking in a furious whisper to his mother.

Vivian didn’t look at him; she was watching the double doors at the back of the courtroom.

The clerk sat at his desk, typing slowly on his computer.