There, in faded blue ink, was my late father’s signature.

Beneath his was another signature, written in a small, delicate cursive.

*Claire Bennett.*

My breath caught in my throat.

I stared at her name, my thumb brushing against the ink.

I turned to the next document in the pile.

It was a legal addendum, dated three months after the twins were born.

The letterhead belonged to my father’s personal law firm, Stern & Croft.

I read the first paragraph, the words blurring before my eyes as the truth began to settle in.

The document was a forced settlement.

It stated that Claire Bennett had waived all maternal rights under duress, receiving a one-time payment of fifty thousand dollars.

But it was the next page that made my stomach turn.

It was a formal warning letter, drafted by my father’s lead attorney.

The letter threatened Claire with immediate criminal prosecution for extortion if she ever attempted to contact me or the boys.

It accused her of violating the non-disclosure agreement by trying to visit the estate.

The language was cold, sharp, and terrifying.