DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH THAT! YOU HAVEN'T EARNED IT!

Marcus didn't sleep that night.

At 2:17 a.m., he was still sitting in his home office, staring at the life insurance policy displayed on his computer.

Five hundred thousand dollars.

His fourteen-year-old son was the insured person.

Vanessa was the beneficiary.

And someone had forged his signature.

He enlarged the document until the signature filled the screen.

It looked convincing.

The same upward curve in the M. The same sharp ending on the final S.

But Marcus knew he hadn't signed it.

He remembered every insurance policy he had ever purchased. He remembered the paperwork for his construction company, his home, and his employees.

He had never authorized a half-million-dollar policy on Jordan.

His phone vibrated.

Daniel Reed was calling back.

Marcus answered immediately.

“Tell me you found something.””

“I did,” Daniel said.

“And I don't like it.””

“What?””

“The policy was issued through a company called Heritage Mutual. It was submitted online eleven months ago. The application lists you as the policyholder.””

“Can you tell who submitted it?””

“Not from the public record. But I requested the application history. There are some irregularities.””

Marcus stood.

“What irregularities?””

“The electronic signature was submitted from a device registered to your household internet connection. The application also includes a scanned copy of your driver's license.””

Marcus felt his stomach tighten.

“Someone used my identity.””

“That's what it looks like.””

“Can you stop the policy?””

“I'm contacting the insurer. Don't cancel anything yourself until we preserve the records.””

Marcus rubbed his forehead.

“Daniel, the beneficiary is my wife.””

“I saw that.””

“And there's a note saying to contact her former husband if anything happens to Jordan.””

Daniel went quiet.

“Her former husband?””

“His name is Richard Cole.””

“Do you know him?””

“I've met him twice. He lives in Ohio.””

“Then we need to find out why he's involved.””

Marcus looked through the glass office door toward the dark hallway.

Upstairs, Jordan was sleeping.

At least, Marcus hoped he was.

“Daniel, I need you to help me protect my son.””

“I will. But listen carefully. Don't warn Vanessa about the insurance policy yet. Let me investigate.””

Marcus agreed.

When the call ended, he opened the email again.

There was another attachment he hadn't noticed.

A scanned copy of a document titled:

*JORDAN WILLIAMS — MEDICAL AUTHORIZATION AND TEMPORARY GUARDIANSHIP.*

Marcus clicked it.

The document stated that Vanessa could make medical decisions for Jordan if Marcus became unavailable.

At the bottom was another signature.

His.

Again, he had never signed it.

And there was a second signature beside his.

Jordan's.

Marcus stared.

His son was fourteen.

He wasn't old enough to understand the legal implications of such a document, much less authorize something like this.

He printed both pages.

Then he heard footsteps.

“Dad?””

Marcus turned.

Jordan stood in the doorway wearing his pajamas.

His hair was sticking up on one side.

“Why are you awake?”” Marcus asked.

Jordan shrugged.

“I heard you talking.””

“Couldn't sleep?””

The boy shook his head.

Marcus pushed his chair back.

“Come here, buddy.””

Jordan walked into the room.

His eyes moved to the papers.

“Is that about me?””

Marcus hesitated.

“Yes. But you're safe.””

Jordan studied his father's face.

“Am I going somewhere?””

The question hit Marcus harder than he expected.

“No.””

“Vanessa said I might.””

Marcus crouched in front of him.

“Listen to me. Nobody is sending you away. Nobody is going to make you leave this house.””

Jordan's eyes filled.

“Promise?””

“I promise.””

The boy nodded.

Then he glanced at the papers again.

“Is that the thing she made me sign?””

Marcus went still.

“What thing?””

Jordan rubbed his sleeve.

“Vanessa said it was for school.””

Marcus slowly stood.

“Tell me about it.””

Jordan looked toward the hallway.

“She said you needed permission papers because you were always working. She gave me a bunch of papers at the restaurant.””

“When?””

“Last Christmas.””

Marcus felt cold.

“What did she tell you?””

“That I had to sign my name so she could take me to the doctor if I got sick.””

“Did you read them?””

Jordan shook his head.

“She said they were boring grown-up papers.””

Marcus closed his eyes briefly.

“Did she tell you anything else?””

Jordan hesitated.

“She said if I didn't sign, I might have to go live somewhere else.””

Marcus's hands curled into fists.

“Did she say where?””

Jordan looked at him.

“With my real dad.””

Marcus frowned.

“What?””

Jordan shook his head.

“I mean... my real father. Not you.””

For a moment, Marcus couldn't speak.

Jordan's biological father had died before he was born. Rachel had raised him alone until Marcus married her when Jordan was three.

Marcus had adopted Jordan legally.

He had never hidden that from him.

But Vanessa had repeatedly used the word stepfather when speaking about Marcus, as if the adoption didn't count.

Marcus gently touched his son's shoulder.

“You know I'm your dad, right?””

Jordan nodded.

“Yeah.””

“Nothing on a piece of paper changes that.””

Jordan looked down.

“Vanessa said you only adopted me because Mom wanted you to.””

Marcus swallowed.

“Your mother loved you. And I loved you. Adopting you was one of the happiest days of my life.””

Jordan's face crumpled.

Marcus pulled him into a hug.

For several minutes, neither spoke.

Then Jordan whispered something that made Marcus's heart stop.

“Dad, I think Vanessa has another paper.””

“What paper?””

“One she said you weren't supposed to see.””

Marcus pulled back.

“Where is it?””

“In her bedroom. Inside the blue folder.””

“What does it say?””

Jordan looked toward the stairs.

“I don't know. But she told Madison it was the paper that would make everything easier.””

Marcus kissed the top of his son's head.

“Go back to bed. Grandma is right across the hall.””

Jordan nodded.

Before leaving, he turned.

“Dad?””

“Yes?””

“Can I sleep with the light on?””

Marcus smiled sadly.

“Of course.””

After Jordan left, Marcus immediately called Daniel.

“There may be another document. A blue folder in Vanessa's bedroom.””

“Don't go searching through her belongings,” Daniel warned.

“We need to handle this carefully.””

Marcus understood.

He wasn't going to destroy evidence by acting impulsively.

At 7:30 a.m., Daniel arrived with another attorney and a private investigator named Robert Hayes.

They sat in Marcus's office.

Daniel placed a folder on the desk.

“I pulled the public property records.””

Marcus leaned forward.

“And?””

“Three weeks ago, someone filed a preliminary title inquiry involving your house.””

Marcus frowned.

“Who?””

“A company called Cole Property Holdings.””

Marcus recognized the name.

“Richard Cole?””

“Possibly. The company was registered in Ohio.””

Robert opened his laptop.

“I also checked the insurance application. The same email address was used to submit both the policy and the guardianship paperwork.””

Marcus looked at him.

“Whose email?””

Robert turned the screen around.

It was Vanessa's personal email address.

Marcus leaned back.

For a moment, he couldn't hear anything except the clock ticking on the wall.

Daniel spoke carefully.

“We're going to notify the insurer, preserve the digital records, and challenge the guardianship document. We also need to establish whether Jordan's signature was obtained under false pretenses.””

Marcus nodded.

“Do whatever you need.””

Robert closed his laptop.

“One more thing. I found Richard Cole.””

“Where?””

“Three streets away.””

Marcus frowned.

“What?””

“He checked into a hotel near the interstate yesterday afternoon. His vehicle was photographed entering your neighborhood twice.””

Marcus stood.

“Why is he here?””

Robert looked at Daniel.