“I’ll be direct,” she said, her tone straightforward and unhurried.

“I’m organizing a small, dignified family gathering, not a social confrontation.

Ethan told me your divorce eight years ago was completely mutual and that neither of you has any unresolved claims.”

“Ethan has always been very precise about how he presents official records,” I said.

“I value absolute honesty very highly, Grace,” Natalie said, her eyes steady on mine.

“I don’t enter long-term partnerships built on selective memory or convenient omissions.

Was he fair to you when you signed those final papers?”