Chapter 5 - The Signature

"That's not what I signed," Nathan said.

Vale glanced at the two men. "We can discuss this calmly."

"Tell them to leave."

"They're private security, Nathan. Your mother asked them to ensure nobody gets upset."

"My daughter is ten. She's already upset."

Nathan photographed the document. The petition described him as volatile, frequently absent, and unable to provide a stable home. It cited the overturned table—an incident that had occurred less than an hour earlier. Someone had prepared the petition in advance and added the last accusation afterward.

"How did you file something that happened tonight?" he asked.

Vale's gaze flickered. "The supplemental statement is being prepared."

"So none of this is an order. It's a request."

The attorney said nothing.

Nathan drew Lucy closer. "Move."

He walked past them, down the stairs, and out the front door. The rain had stopped. He buckled Lucy into the back seat of his car and let Duke jump in beside her. In the driveway, Evelyn stood beneath the porch light, holding her phone against her ear.

"You've made a serious mistake," she called.

"I made my mistake when I left you alone with her."

Nathan drove to the one person Hannah had trusted almost as much as him: her best friend, Nora Ellis, a lawyer who had quit the corporate world to represent families in crisis.

Nora lived in a modest house with yellow porch lights and children's chalk drawings on the steps. When she opened the door and saw Lucy, she didn't ask questions. She handed the girl a blanket and directed her to the living room.

Once Lucy was eating toast at the kitchen counter, Nora studied the documents.

"This guardianship petition is not an order," she said. "But we need to take it seriously. We document everything and get legal help in front of a judge if necessary."

Nathan showed her Hannah's letter. "Lucy says my mother replaced the original."

Nora went very still. "Hannah called me from the hospital. She said she was frightened someone would manipulate her estate."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because she asked me to wait until I could confirm something first."

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Nora opened her desk drawer and removed a sealed photograph.

"Nathan, there's a reason your mother wanted that blue box."