At my sister’s funeral, her boss slipped me a sealed envelope and whispered, “Don’t tell your family—you could be in danger,” while my grieving brother watched us from ten feet away like he already knew what she had left behind.

Before we could get deeper into logistics, the door swung open. Natalie stepped in like she owned the place, this time without Madison.

“Oh, perfect,” she said, spotting Mark. “I was hoping to have a word about the estate.”

Mark didn’t even turn toward her. “You’re not listed on any of these documents. There’s nothing for you to be involved in.”

Her smile went thin. “Colleen, don’t you think that’s a bit cold? We’re family.”

“We could—”

“We could nothing,” I cut in. “You’ve made it clear we’re not on the same team. You’ve been circling this thing like a vulture since the second you heard the amount. I’m done pretending you’re here for my well-being.”

She straightened her shoulders, that fake calm slipping just enough to show the crack.

“You’re making enemies you don’t need to make.”

“I’m identifying them,” I said.

Mark slid the signed folder back into his case like he was locking away classified intel. “This conversation is over.”

Natalie left without another word, but I caught the flash of something in her eyes. Calculation. She wasn’t retreating. She was regrouping.

Once she was gone, Mark sat back down. “You realize she’s going to try to get at you through other means, right? People, influence, public perception. Hell, she might even dig into your service record if she thinks it’ll help.”

I’d already considered that. “Let her try. She won’t find anything she can weaponize. And if she does, I’ve got a few things in reserve.”

Mark didn’t press, but his expression said he knew I meant it.

By early afternoon, I was discharged with a stack of papers, a bag of prescriptions, and Denise’s parting words.

“Don’t let her near your front door.”

Boyd drove me home. The city was cold but clear, sunlight bouncing off the glass buildings and turning the Ashley River into a sheet of silver.

My townhouse looked exactly the same from the outside, but stepping in felt different now, like the walls knew what had just shifted.

I dropped my bag in the hall and went straight to my home office. New passwords, new accounts, new encryption on my devices. I even called a contact from my old unit who owed me a favor. He set up a secure server for sensitive files before the day was out.

Natalie wasn’t going to get within a mile of my finances.

The first test came faster than I thought. Around six, the phone rang. Unknown number. Against my better judgment, I picked up.

“Colleen, it’s Mom.”

Her voice was warm, but a little too sweet, like she was rehearsing friendliness.

“Natalie told me you’ve been through a lot. She’s worried about you.”

I could practically hear Natalie in the background feeding her lines.

“I’m fine, Mom.”