Chapter 7
Lavinia struck back through family court.
Her attorneys argued that Cassian’s violent reaction in the dining room, combined with his reputation and control over the estate, created an unsafe environment for an elderly woman caught in a family dispute.
They did not ask for Lavinia to become Estelle’s guardian.
That would have looked self-serving.
Instead, they requested a neutral temporary guardian to oversee Estelle’s personal welfare while questions about coercion and capacity were investigated.
Rebecca swore when she read it.
Cassian did not.
It was smart.
Lavinia had helped starve Estelle.
Now she was framing Cassian’s response as the greater danger.
The court did not grant full guardianship.
It did appoint an independent elder-law investigator and ordered that neither Cassian nor Brennan exercise disputed financial authority over Estelle until the review concluded.
Cassian accepted the order.
Brennan publicly called it a victory.
It was not.
The investigator, Miriam Cole, had no family loyalty.
She interviewed everyone separately.
Greta.
Dr. Weiss.
The geriatric specialist.
Staff members.
The mobile notary.
The private nurse.
Cassian.
Brennan.
Lavinia.
Most importantly, Estelle.
Miriam spent nearly three hours with her.
No relatives present.
Afterward Estelle told Cassian only one thing.
“She asks better questions than all of you.”
He laughed.
Then stopped.
“Did she believe you?”
Estelle’s face hardened.
“Don’t ask me that.”
Cassian frowned.
“I’m not asking her to like me.”
“No.”
Estelle pointed at him.
“You’re asking whether I performed well enough to be believed.”
That landed.
Cassian sat down.
She continued.
“Brennan did it. Lavinia did it. Now you’re doing it differently.”
He felt ashamed.
“You’re right.”
“I know.”
“What should I ask?”
Estelle thought.
“How was my afternoon?”
Cassian smiled faintly.
“How was your afternoon?”
“Exhausting.”
She reached for tea.
“But I beat Miriam at gin rummy.”
That night Cassian realized how easily everyone had turned his mother’s mind into family property.
Brennan wanted to prove she lacked it.
May you like
Cassian wanted to prove she still had it.
Estelle wanted people to stop treating every sentence like an examination.
