Margaret crossed the patio in slow, deliberate steps, her cane striking the stone like a gavel. Elena stood beside Mia, one hand on her shoulder. The girl had stopped crying, but her lip still trembled.

Margaret lowered herself as far as her age allowed and touched Mia’s hand. “My dear, you should never have been put there. Not by children, and certainly not by adults who know better.”

“I brought Parker a puzzle,” Mia whispered.

“I’m sure it’s a thoughtful gift,” Margaret said. “And thoughtfulness is rarer than money in this family.”

Vanessa recovered first, though not gracefully. “Grandmother, I’m sure this is a misunderstanding. No one meant anything by it. Mia is sensitive, and Elena—”

“Elena is not the subject of your performance,” Margaret cut in.