Helping each other.
Interesting phrase for theft.
I calmly opened the small fireproof box hidden behind my closet wall and removed the documents my father had told me never to lose.
The deed.
The trust paperwork.
The notarized inheritance transfer.
And one sealed envelope labeled:
FOR NORA — ONLY IF THEY FORCE YOU OUT.
My chest tightened.
I had never opened it before.
My father gave it to me six months before he died.
At the time, I thought he was being overly cautious.
Now I realized he had seen this coming long before I did.
My hands trembled slightly as I broke the seal.
Inside was a single handwritten note.
Nora,
If you are reading this, then I failed to protect you from them while I was alive.
That sentence alone nearly broke me.
I sat slowly on the edge of the bed.
Your mother loves comfort more than loyalty. And Violet will eventually want everything she sees. I hoped grief would soften them. But if it didn’t… then you need to remember something important:
This house was never just a gift.
It was bait.
My pulse stopped.
