I set the folder down on the coffee table.
It didn’t make much noise, but it didn’t need to.
“This is the deed,” I said.
Madison let out a nervous scoff. “You can’t just steal a house.”
“I didn’t steal it,” I said. “I bought it.”
Daniel snatched up the folder and opened it. I watched his face change as he read.
Confusion.
Disbelief.
Then panic trying to hold hands with anger.
“This is fake,” he snapped.
“No,” I said. “It’s filed.”
“That doesn’t make sense. I paid—”
“You paid nothing,” I cut in.
Silence again.
I leaned forward a little.
“My deployment bonus cleared the mortgage,” I said. “My settlement finished the rest. Every month that house stayed afloat, it was because of me.”
Madison’s voice shook. “So what, you’re just throwing us out?”
“I’m taking back what was already mine.”
Daniel stepped closer, trembling now. “You don’t do this to your family.”
I looked at him for a long moment and answered quietly.
“You already did.”
That landed differently.
Because it wasn’t drama. It was memory.
He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
Noah tugged my sleeve.
“Are we staying?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said.
Madison stared at me. “Where are we supposed to go?”
“You’ll figure it out.”