Inside were my original passport, my birth certificate, a flash drive, and printed copies of hundreds of frightened texts I had sent her over the preceding months.

She had printed every one. I did not ask her, that day, why she had printed them and never called anyone, and she did not offer, and it would be six years before either of us said a word about it.

My father split the materials into two files.

“The assault, the threats, and the imprisonment go to the state prosecutor,” he said. “The fraud, identity theft, and money laundering go to the federal authorities.”

Samuel nodded.

Chapter 6 — Frozen

By the end of the day, an emergency judge signed a restraining order against the whole family. Two weeks later, police cruisers pulled into the villa’s driveway and a court officer served Logan and Brenda with papers barring them from coming within five hundred feet of me, contacting my phone, or reaching me through anyone else.