There it was.
“Chloe needs stability,” he continued. “You’re not here enough to justify holding on to a property like this.”
Holding on to.
Interesting.
“I’m here now,” I said.
He ignored that.
“You’ll go down to the office tomorrow,” he said. “Sign the documents. Make it official.”
Not a request.
“And if I don’t?”
His tone shifted.
“I still have connections,” he said. “People who remember what I’ve done, who I’ve helped.”
The old colonel emerged.
“You’re up for major soon,” he added. “It would be a shame if something complicated that process.”
I looked at him carefully.
This wasn’t family.
It was leverage.
Pressure.
Control.
Same tactics.
Different battlefield.
He still thought he was in command.
I let the silence sit.
Then I smiled.
“I’ll make sure the paperwork is handled exactly as it should be, Dad.”
He searched my face for resistance.
