"A petition?"
"Claiming you manipulated your son financially for years."
I blinked.
Then laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because it was absurd.
"She did what?"
"She's challenging several agreements."
My smile vanished.
Fiona's voice hardened.
"And Albert... she's asking the court to freeze certain assets until ownership can be reviewed."
For several seconds, I said nothing.
Then I stood slowly from my chair.
The old accountant inside me awakened immediately.
Calm.
Precise.
Dangerously attentive.
Because Chelsea had just made a mistake.
A very expensive mistake.
And she had absolutely no idea what was hidden inside the files she was about to force into public view.
By trying to take what wasn't hers...
She was about to discover exactly how much I had really been keeping secret.
PART 4 — The Discovery
The moment Fiona finished explaining the court filing, I understood something important.
Chelsea wasn't acting out of desperation anymore.
She was acting out of greed.
There is a difference.
Desperate people try to survive.
Greedy people convince themselves they deserve what belongs to someone else.
"How serious is it?" I asked.
Fiona sighed.
"Not serious legally."
"Then why do you sound concerned?"
"Because she'll force disclosure."
I leaned back in my chair.
That part gave me pause.
For decades, I had lived quietly.
Nobody asked questions.
Nobody cared.
I preferred it that way.
But if Chelsea continued down this path, my finances would become impossible to hide.
The very thing I had spent years avoiding.
Attention.
"What exactly is she claiming?"
Fiona flipped through papers.
"That your financial support created an implied ownership structure within the household."
I laughed.
"That's nonsense."
"Yes."
"Will she win?"
"No."
"Then what's the problem?"
Fiona paused.
"Because once we answer the petition, we'll need to disclose everything."
Everything.
The word lingered in the air.
The accounts.
The investments.
The trusts.
The properties.
The years of careful planning.
The truth about my money.
I suddenly felt tired.
Not afraid.
Just tired.
Because I had never wanted my son to learn about my finances this way.
Three days later, the first hearing took place.
Logan looked miserable.
Chelsea looked confident.
Overconfident.
She sat beside her attorney wearing an expensive suit she probably should not have purchased.
Meanwhile, I wore the same gray jacket I'd owned for seven years.
Appearances can be misleading.
The judge reviewed preliminary filings quietly.
Then Chelsea's attorney began speaking.
He described me as controlling.
