Something inside me settled into absolute stillness at that moment, because the magnitude of his ignorance eclipsed even the pain of labor I had endured hours earlier.
“You cannot separate them,” I said steadily, forcing my voice not to tremble.
Patrick straightened his shoulders and replied, “You have no leverage and no property, so you do not have the standing to challenge me.”
Before I could respond further, the hospital door opened with abrupt authority, and two uniformed officers accompanied by Detective Laura Bennett from the Rhode Island Financial Crimes Division entered the room with measured professionalism.
“Mrs. Addison Grant,” the detective said, reading from a tablet while maintaining eye contact with me, “we need to discuss the Donovan residence on Cedar Bay Road.”
Patrick’s confidence flickered for the first time as he shifted uncomfortably near the foot of my bed.
“There is an active investigation concerning fraudulent documentation and unlawful transfer attempts tied to that property,” Detective Bennett continued in an even tone.
Patrick let out a dismissive laugh and said, “Savannah Pierce legally purchased that house months ago, so this must be a misunderstanding.”