I opened it.
The original deed.
Still crisp.
Still untouched.
Not in Richard’s name.
Not in some shared family trust.
Mine.
Transferred years earlier, quietly and legally, protected through layers they had clearly never bothered to understand.
My grandfather had made sure of that.
A general didn’t leave loose ends.
My heartbeat steadied.
Upstairs, I heard movement and laughter.
They thought this house belonged to them.
They thought I was the one who no longer belonged.
I looked at the deed and smiled.
Barely.
They had no idea what they had done.
I kept the folder beside me and pulled my laptop from my duffel.
If they wanted to play house, I was going to check the rest of my life.
The laptop screen lit the concrete floor.
I connected to the Wi-Fi.
Same password.
Of course.
Nothing in this house changed unless it benefited Chloe.
I logged into my military banking portal.
