Evelyn produced an original letter Lorelei had written shortly before her death.

In it, Lorelei explained that she’d discovered the illegal trust withdrawals, that Manuel’s father had been helping her stop the fraud, that she feared her husband, and that Dr. Callaway was quietly swapping her daily medications.

The final line read: If anything happens to me, know that it was never an accident.

The hearing to strip Emmett Durham of control over the family trust took place in downtown Minneapolis.

Judges, bank executives, journalists, and half of high society filled the room, expecting a quiet private proceeding. Rosalie made sure the truth was public.

She walked in wearing a tailored emerald-green dress, her neck bare, her hair swept back to show the birthmark plainly.