The following morning, Walter placed a thick folder beside my breakfast. Gerald and Walter had once financed Preston’s first business together, and Walter had kept copies of the original documents. Years earlier, I had advanced nearly $180,000 from the sale of my apartment toward Preston’s business and the renovation of his house. It had never been a gift. A signed family loan agreement secured the money against the property, and Preston had stopped making the required payments shortly after I moved in.

Walter’s attorney reviewed everything before we contacted Preston. During that process, I also mentioned my missing jewelry. Nora later called me privately and said she had seen Camille wearing my sapphire brooch at a charity dinner months earlier. When confronted through the attorney, Camille returned both the brooch and Gerald’s anniversary bracelet, claiming she had merely “borrowed” them. I did not argue about her explanation. I simply documented their return.