Samantha placed a protective hand on top of the cardboard lid.

“Before we open this box, I want to explain something vital to you, Claire.

Madeline was never trying to control your future from beyond the grave.

She was simply trying to protect your ability to make your own decisions freely.”

“Was she trying to protect me from Gavin?” I asked directly.

“She actually drafted these core documents long before you ever met Gavin,” Samantha revealed.

That fact caught me completely by surprise.