My mother signed the authorization to move all the investment accounts into my primary account.

The notary read every clause aloud, reviewed each one, and confirmed that every signature was given freely.

“Once the four hundred thousand lands, we split it evenly, right?” Paige asked, already dreaming out loud.

Chapter 3 — The Reckoning

At three the next morning, I moved Gwen out of that house.

I drove her straight to a specialized oncology hospital in Kansas City, where doctors confirmed the tumor was still treatable — though her severe malnutrition made immediate surgery too dangerous.

They admitted her to stabilize her vital signs and get food into her body.