"Mom, *please*, don't make me leave!" She buried her face in her hands. "I promise I'll be good. I won't take anything that belongs to my sister! I know everything here is hers. I won't fight for the inheritance. I just… I missed you so much. I just wanted to come home."
Katherine's composure shattered. She spun around, channeling her grief into immediate rage—all of it aimed at me.
"Kate! Where the hell have you been fooling around?" she shrieked. "I heard the marriage partner didn't even get to see your face! Do you think just because you're an adult, this family can't control you?"
"I was negotiating a cooper—"
"Enough." Logan's voice cut through like ice. "Kate. Look at this first."
He signaled Peter, who grabbed a document from the table. Peter's glare was venomous. He didn't hand me the paper—he smashed it into my chest.
The sharp edge of the folder sliced my cheek.
Ignoring the sting and the warm trickle of blood, I crouched to retrieve the report. The conclusion was bolded: *Biological relationship excluded.*
"You occupied the nest and stole Summer's life for years," Peter sneered, disgust dripping from every syllable. "And you don't even have the grace to repent."