“It wasn’t just about the money,” Martha said, turning to a fresh yellow page on her legal pad.

“Julian needed leverage.”

“Leverage for what?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

“If you were facing felony fraud charges for stealing Leo’s trust money, you’d sign anything to stay out of prison,” Martha said, her tone razor-sharp.

“They wanted you so scared of criminal prosecution that you’d hand over the house, the business, and your fifty percent share of Vance Contracting without asking a single question.”

“They set me up,” I said.