Instead, they walked straight in, eyes gleaming with expectation.
“Well?” Linda demanded. “Is it done? Is the money available?”
I nodded slowly. “Yes. The probate is finalized.”
Ethan smiled in relief and placed a hand on my shoulder. “That’s great, babe. Actually… Mom and I talked. We think the money should go toward Ryan’s debts.”
Silence fell like a sudden drop in temperature.
Ryan—his older brother—was a reckless failure who had destroyed every business venture he touched.
“My mother’s money?” I whispered.
Ethan’s tone stayed calm, as if this were reasonable. “He got in too deep with some investors. But with this money, we can fix everything.”
I stared at him, disbelief turning into something colder.
“You didn’t help me through any of this,” I said. “And now you want to give away everything she built?”
