“This court finds the partition claim filed by the petitioners to be entirely without merit.”

The words washed over me like a wave of cold water.

“The ownership of the property located at 442 Cedar Hollow Road is hereby declared sole and absolute to the respondent, Meredith Lane.”

I closed my eyes for a single second.

The cabin was safe.

The towering hemlocks, the quiet creek, the porch where I drank my coffee every morning—they were still mine.

“The cloud on the title created by the fraudulent deed of trust is ordered struck from the public record,” the judge continued.

He wrote something down on his notepad with a heavy black pen.

“But we are not finished here today,” Judge Whitaker said.

He looked directly at Trevor.

“The evidence presented regarding the loan applications and the forged signatures raises serious criminal concerns.”

Trevor’s attorney reached out and touched Trevor’s arm, whispering to him to remain silent.

“This court is referring this entire file, including all exhibits and transcripts of today’s proceedings, to the District Attorney for the twenty-eighth prosecutorial district,” Judge Whitaker said.