people had emergencies, and Olivia rearranged herself around them.

Not anymore.

“I’ll come at noon,” she said.

Rebecca sounded relieved.

“Good.

We’ll fix this.”

“No, Mom.

We’re going to discuss it.”

She ended the call.

At noon, Daniel drove her back to Maplewood Drive.

A second vehicle followed them carrying a trust accountant named Margaret Sloan.

Rebecca opened the door before Olivia reached the porch.

Her mother had prepared coffee.

There were pastries on the dining table.

Flowers sat in a vase.

Olivia almost laughed.

The previous night, she had been a burden.

Today, she was apparently an honored guest.

Ethan sat at the table with his arms folded.

“I don’t see why lawyers need to be involved,” he muttered.

Daniel corrected him.

“I’m here as trustee during the transition.”

Margaret placed several binders on the table.

Rebecca’s eyes widened.

“What are those?”

“Financial records.”

Rebecca immediately looked at Olivia.

“You brought accountants into our family?”

Olivia sat down.

“No.

Dad did.”

That silenced her.

For nearly two hours, Margaret explained what they knew.

Two trust-owned rental homes had produced substantial income.

Most of the money should have gone into designated accounts.

Instead, rental payments had repeatedly been routed through an account controlled by Rebecca.

Some funds paid legitimate property expenses.

Others did not.

Vacations.

A luxury SUV.

Furniture.

Credit card payments.

And, most surprisingly, transfers to Ethan.

Olivia stared at one line.

“Twenty-eight thousand dollars?”

Ethan shifted in his chair.

Rebecca said quickly, “He needed help.”

“For what?”

“His business.”

Ethan stared at the table.

Olivia knew about Ethan’s business.

He had announced three years earlier that he was starting an online marketing company.

It had disappeared within months.

She had assumed he lost a few thousand dollars.

Apparently, he had lost twenty-eight thousand of hers.

“And this?” Olivia pointed at another transfer.

Rebecca didn’t answer.

“Fourteen thousand.”

Ethan finally spoke.

“Car.”

Olivia looked toward the driveway.

His silver sports sedan sat gleaming outside.

She almost admired the audacity.

“You bought your car with money from my trust?”

“I didn’t know where Mom got it.”

Rebecca snapped, “Leave him out of this.”

Olivia looked at her mother for several seconds.

That sentence clarified everything.

Even now, Rebecca’s instinct was to protect Ethan.

Not apologize to Olivia.

Not explain.

Protect Ethan.

Olivia closed the binder.

“I’ve made my decision.”

Rebecca immediately reached across the table.

“Whatever Daniel is telling you, don’t do something you’ll regret.”

Olivia calmly moved her hand away.

“I’m not selling the house.”

Rebecca relaxed slightly.

“But you’re moving out.”

Her mother froze.

“What?”

“I’ll give you sixty days.”

Rebecca stared at her.

“You would evict your own mother?”

“You evicted your daughter with no warning at midnight.”

“That was different.”

“How?”

Rebecca opened her mouth.

Nothing came out.

Olivia continued.

“You have sixty days to find somewhere else.

Daniel will make sure everything is handled legally.”

Rebecca’s eyes filled with tears.

“After everything I did for you?”

Olivia’s voice remained quiet.

“I will always be grateful that you raised me.

But raising me did not give you permission to steal from me.”

“I did not steal!”

“Then the accountants can prove that.”

Rebecca looked toward Daniel.

“You’re enjoying this.”

Daniel’s face remained unreadable.

“No, Rebecca.

Michael was my closest friend.

There is nothing enjoyable about discovering