“Public court filings and property liens are a matter of public record, Vanessa,” I snapped. I tossed the heavy folder onto the snow-covered hood of Rob’s Range Rover.

It landed with a definitive thud.

Margaret took a slow, agonizing step toward the car. Her trembling hands pulled the documents from the folder. She didn’t need to parse the legalese; the bold red numbers of the liens against her property and the zeroed-out balances of her trust accounts spoke a universal language.

“Vanessa?” Margaret whispered, the paper shaking in her grip. “My retirement account? The equity line?”

Robert scoffed, running a hand over his face. “Margaret, relax. It’s a temporary liquidity issue. We just need to move some capital around. If Daniel would stop being so selfish and help his family—”

“You stole from me,” Margaret said. The realization hit her body like a sledgehammer. She staggered back against the cold metal of the car. “You took everything your father left.”