“Wife?” Barbara let out a small, strangled cry as it finally registered.

I was not some abandoned woman. I was protected.

“You can’t take anyone to court with your accounts frozen, Reginald,” the attorney — Kendrick — said calmly, tapping his tablet without looking up. “A judge froze them this morning, on the strength of the fraud evidence your daughter provided.”

“Frozen?” Reginald breathed, pushing himself off the wall. “You can’t do that. You don’t have the authority!”

“The government does,” Kendrick said. “Pembroke Development’s assets are frozen while investigators go through the books. They’re aware of the forged documents and the money your son Raymond took.”

Barbara collapsed into the visitor’s chair, gripping her pearls. “Raymond — no! You’re destroying Raymond! Florence, tell them to stop! He’s your brother!”