Defendant: Elena Vance.
Cause of Action: Undue Influence, Fraud, and Mental Incapacity.
I looked at the summons. Then I looked at the framed law degree and the presidential commission hanging on my wall.
I did not call a lawyer.
I did not panic.
I went to the kitchen, poured myself coffee, opened my laptop, created a new folder, and named it Operation Inheritance.
The district courthouse hallway was loud with morning chaos—lawyers negotiating, clients crying, officers calling names.
I arrived early in a plain charcoal suit. My hair was tied back in a tight bun, and I carried only one thin manila folder.
My parents arrived five minutes later dressed like they were attending a gala. My mother wore Chanel. My father wore a custom Italian suit. Beside them stood Mr. Sterling, a lawyer known for billboards and brutal courtroom tactics.
