Morgan’s eyes lingered on Ethan, then darted to me, curious, sharp. Recognition. Evaluation. She had expected his obedience, his compliance, and instead she was met with the opposite: clarity. Calm. Proof.

“You filed something?” she asked, voice measured, not accusatory, but intensely interested.

“Yes,” I said evenly, letting the words land between us all. “Notice of Marital Interest. It was recorded yesterday. Any unilateral action is officially contested.”

Morgan’s eyebrows lifted slightly, not in surprise, but in respect—or calculation. She was measuring the new terrain, seeing the balance of power shift in real time.