Past-due notices.
A lovely reminder that I’m already drowning.
My jaw clenches as I bend down and rifle through them.
Property taxes—months overdue.
Legal fees—piling up from fighting Mike and Peggy.
Utilities—final notice.
I slap the envelopes onto the kitchen counter and let out a slow, shaky breath.
This is it.
This is why I’m even considering this insanity.
Because without Konstantin’s offer?
I lose everything.
And worse? I lose Julian and Lila.
My stomach knots. That’s the one thing the contract doesn’t cover.
Where do my siblings fit into this deal?
Julian is 17—technically old enough to choose where he wants to be.
But Lila?
Lila is only 14.
She needs me.
My hands are shaking when I call Elena.
She picks up on the second ring. “What happened?”
I take a breath, but it comes out shaky. “Mike and Peggy were here.”
A beat of silence. Then her voice drops. “What did they do?”
I collapse onto the couch, pressing the heel of my hand to my forehead. “They brought a realtor.”
Her gasp is sharp. “They’re actually selling it?”
“They’re trying.” My stomach twists. “They think I have no money left to fight.”
Elena curses under her breath. “What are you going to do?”
I stare at the contract on the table.
The words blur together. But I don’t need to read them again—I already know what they say.
I suck in a breath. “I have an offer.”
Another pause. “From who?”
