“You shouldn’t push yourself,” he replied, and there was a faint edge now. “That’s why you should stay with us tonight.”
There it was again. Tonight.
“It’s practical,” Daniel continued. “The house is huge. Being there alone right now—it’s not good for you.”
“I’ve lived in that house for 30 years,” I said softly.
“That’s exactly my point,” he replied too quickly.
“What point?”
He hesitated. “Everything in that house will remind you of Dad.”
For a brief moment, the logic almost made sense. Almost. But Arthur’s voice echoed in my mind: Do not go home with Daniel.
“Maybe,” I said carefully, “memories are exactly what we need.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
Laura appeared beside him. “I agree with Daniel,” she said gently. “You shouldn’t be by yourself tonight.”
Ethan joined them. “You’ve had a long day,” he added, and his tone was polite, but his eyes were impatient.
I looked at the three of them standing there together. If I hadn’t read Robert’s note, if I hadn’t called Arthur, I might have believed this was concern.
Instead, I noticed something else.
Margaret was walking toward us, and she was carrying my purse.
My heart lurched.
“I found this on the chair you were sitting in earlier,” she said brightly, handing it to me.
I accepted it slowly. “Thank you.”
Margaret smiled. “You really should let us take care of you tonight.”
My fingers tightened around the purse strap. For a split second I wondered if she had opened it, if she’d seen the folded note inside. Her expression gave nothing away.
Then Daniel said, “There’s something we should talk about.”
My stomach tightened. “What is it?”
“Just a few small things regarding Dad’s affairs,” he said quickly.
“What kind of things?”
“Nothing complicated,” Daniel replied. “Just paperwork.”
The word hit me like a small hammer.
Paperwork.
Lucas’s warning echoed: If Dad starts talking about papers…
“Your father handled most business matters,” Daniel continued. “But now that he’s gone, we need to make sure everything transitions smoothly.”
Laura nodded. “It’s just a formality.”
“Exactly,” Ethan added.
They were watching me. Waiting.
“What kind of paperwork?” I asked.
Daniel smiled reassuringly. “Temporary management documents for the company.”
“And you want me to sign them tonight?” I asked.
He hesitated for a fraction of a second. “Well… yes.”
Arthur’s warning thundered in my mind. Do not sign anything tonight.
I lowered my eyes briefly like I was considering. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”
“It’s very simple,” Daniel insisted. “Mom—”
“I think,” I said slowly, “anything important can wait until tomorrow.”
Daniel’s expression tightened. “Tomorrow might be too late.”
The words slipped out before he could stop them.
A long silence followed.
“Too late for what?” I asked softly.
Daniel recovered quickly. “Certain deadlines,” he said.
“What deadlines?”
“The bank,” Ethan blurted.
“The investors,” Laura added too fast.
