In court, my stepmother swore and said, “She can’t handle this. She needs a guardian.” I remained calm. The judge took off her glasses and said, “You really don’t know who she is?” Her lawyer turned pale. My stepmother was speechless…

Vivian flinched visibly.

“He knew about the altered invoices. He knew his medication was being delayed. He knew you were pressuring him to rewrite the trust while he was medically impaired.”

“That’s disgusting,” Vivian hissed. “You are a sick little girl.”

I turned toward the judge. “May I play the first recording?”

Judge Maren nodded once.

My father’s voice filled the courtroom, thinner than I remembered but still carrying iron beneath it.

“If Vivian or Mason petition for control over Eleanor’s inheritance, they are acting directly against my wishes. Eleanor is not weak. She is my designated successor, legal proxy, and majority voting trustee. I built Vale Biologics for her to protect, not for them to sell.”

Vivian’s face turned white.