I came home after five years and my sister pointed at my shoulder and asked if that was my rank. It was a unit patch.

The courtroom went dead silent.

Tiffany gasped loudly, grabbing Brad’s arm so hard he winced. My mother slumped back into the wooden bench behind the defense table, her hands covering her mouth.

"Sole Executrix?" Richard finally managed to croak out. "That’s impossible! I am her son! I’ve been managing her accounts for three years!"

"And that is precisely why she changed it, Mr. Sterling," Marcus Vance said calmly, turning to face him. "Because three years ago, Clara discovered that you had quietly transferred $180,000 from her personal money market accounts into your firm’s commercial development fund without her knowledge."

"That was a loan!" Richard shouted, taking a step toward Marcus.

Gavel slam.

"Mr. Sterling! Sit down and shut your mouth!" Judge Higgins barked, pointing her gavel straight at my father. "One more outburst like that and I will have the bailiff hold you in contempt immediately!"

Richard sank back into his chair, his breathing ragged, his face bright red.

Judge Higgins picked up the codicil, reading through the pages slowly. The quiet in the room was heavy, broken only by the soft rustle of paper as the judge turned each page.

"The codicil appears to be fully executed, witnessed, and filed in accordance with Colorado state law," Judge Higgins stated, looking over her reading glasses. "Furthermore, given the credible evidence of potential document fraud and unauthorized notary execution presented by the Executrix, this court is issuing an immediate temporary restraining order."

She began typing rapidly into her computer terminal.

"First," Judge Higgins declared, "Richard Sterling is hereby removed from any administrative role regarding the Estate of Clara M. Sterling. All financial accounts associated with the estate are frozen pending a full forensic audit. Second, Captain Sloane Sterling is recognized as the sole Executrix with immediate effect."

"Your Honor, please!" Tiffany cried out, stepping toward the bar. "My wedding is in three months! We were supposed to build our house on that land! We already hired contractors!"

Judge Higgins looked down at my sister with a look of cold disdain. "Ma'am, who you marry and where you build a house is not the concern of this court. What is the concern of this court is the law. If you have entered into construction contracts based on land you do not own, I suggest you consult a lawyer immediately."

"Brad!" Tiffany sobbed, turning to her fiancé. "Do something!"

Brad looked like he wanted to crawl under the bench. He shrank back, avoiding the judge's gaze entirely. "Tiff, calm down... let's just talk outside—"

"Don't tell me to calm down!" she shrieked.

"Bailiff, clear the gallery if the parties cannot maintain decorum," Judge Higgins ordered flatly.

"We're leaving, Your Honor," Marcus said smoothly.

I looked at my father as I turned to leave the courtroom. His head was in his hands. The man who had spent five years treating me like an embarrassment, who had laughed while his daughter mocked my uniform and my rank, was now staring at total financial audit and potential criminal indictment.

As I passed my sister in the aisle, she glared at me through tear-smudged mascara. "You destroyed our family, Sloane! You satisfied now?"