Both men looked at me, Daniel with a look of deep sorrow, and Sterling with a cold, dismissive squint.

“I didn’t take a single cent,” I said, my voice shaking as a tear slipped down my temple.

“It sat in that bank account. I only wanted to see my boys.”

Sterling sighed, a sound like dry autumn leaves scraping across pavement.

“The court does not care about your sentimentality, Ms. Vance. The legal reality is quite clear.”

He turned his gaze back to Daniel, ignoring me entirely.

“We need to move her to another facility immediately, before the morning shift begins and the staff starts talking.”

“No,” Daniel said.

He stepped closer to Sterling, his chest rising and falling heavily.

“You will not touch her. You will not move her.”

“Daniel, be reasonable,” Sterling said, his tone dripping with patronizing patience.

“We did exactly what your late wife wanted. We protected the family.”

I froze at his words.

Evelyn.

I remembered her pale face, her fragile hands holding my own in the quiet room when she was so sick.

“Evelyn didn’t want this,” I said, my voice rising.