“You don’t appear particularly surprised by these allegations, Mrs. Bennett.”

“I’m not.” Daniels cleared his throat.

“Mr. Bennett stated he tried to purchase emergency return flights this morning, but found his credit cards were systematically declined. He accuses you of draining the family accounts overnight.”

“I didn’t drain a single cent,” I replied smoothly. “But you did terminate the credit lines?” “Yes, I did.” Daniels pulled a small spiral notepad from his breast pocket.

“Could you elaborate on your legal justification for doing so?” Rather than trading verbal blows, I stood up. “Excuse me for a moment.” I retreated to my home office.

In my profession, I’d learned early that high-stakes confrontations are never won with raw emotion; they’re won with irrefutable documentation. Tucked inside a fireproof gray steel filing cabinet were folders categorized with surgical precision.