He did not open it yet.

Instead, he rested his hand on one of the wet iron bars of the gate.

“I am giving you one chance to open this gate voluntarily, Victoria,” Arthur said.

Victoria laughed, a short, sharp sound that was swallowed by the wind.

“Or what?” she asked. “You’ll sue us?”

“The estate is currently under probate review,” Charles said, though he looked at his sister for reassurance.

“The probate court has not finalized anything,” Arthur noted.

“It doesn’t need to,” Victoria said. “We have the signed deed from 2018.”

“The deed that Garrett told me he revoked,” I said.

Victoria’s eyes flicked to me, cold and full of venom.

“Garrett was a dying man who didn’t know his own mind at the end, Eleanor,” she said.

“That is a lie,” I said, my fists clenching at my sides.

“He knew exactly what he was doing when he married you,” she scoffed. “He was lonely.”

“He loved me,” I said, the words tasting like iron in my mouth.

“He loved his family name,” Victoria said. “And this house belongs to that name.”