Reaching into my pocket, I fished out my phone and began typing a message to my lawyer, David. Short and cryptic, it simply read: “URGENT. Need to meet 6 AM. House issue. Discretion needed.” I knew David would understand. He had been by my side through countless business battles, and I trusted him implicitly.

With that done, I turned my thoughts to Claire. My heart ached at the memory of her sitting on the balcony, her quiet sobs echoing against the night. I wanted nothing more than to rush to her, hold her, and tell her everything would be alright. But I couldn’t—not yet. Not without risking the element of surprise that was now my greatest ally.

I stood up from the bench and walked back to the house, careful to stay out of sight. I could still hear the voices inside, growing quieter as the night wore on. Sliding quietly through the back door, I made my way to the study, a sanctuary of sorts, lined with books and mementos of our life.

Inside, I pulled out a notebook and began to write out my plan. I needed to act quickly and decisively to protect Claire and our home. The first thing would be to secure the deeds and any relevant documents, placing them somewhere safe where Stephen and Amanda could never find them, even if they managed to manipulate Claire into signing anything.

Next, I needed to confront Stephen. But not in anger. I needed him to understand the gravity of what he was doing—not just the legal implications, but the moral ones. He needed to see that his actions were tearing our family apart, that this wasn’t just a business transaction, but a betrayal of everything we held dear.

Finally, I needed to remind Claire of our strength together. I would stand by her through this, and we would face it as a united front. The house, though magnificent, was just bricks and mortar. Our love was built on far stronger foundations, and no amount of scheming could shake that.

As the first light of dawn crept over the horizon, I felt an unshakable resolve settle over me. This “new reality” would end today. It was time to reclaim what was rightfully ours and remind everyone what family truly meant.