CHAPTER 191: The unexpected twist 

POV: Selene Castellano

They got home to find Maya at the apartment.

She was sitting on the floor with Elena on the play mat, talking to her niece about something that had clearly been going on for a while given the depth of Elena’s attention.

Maya looked up when they came in.

“Sit down,” she said. “Both of you. I’ll make coffee. Someone tell me what happened.”

“My father filed a civil claim against me,” Selene said.

Maya went very still.

“He’s alive,” Selene said. “He’s in Fresno and Daniel Reyes found him.”

The apartment was completely silent except for Elena making a small sound on the play mat.

Maya stood up slowly.

She crossed to Selene and looked at her for a long moment.

Then she said: “That man has taken enough from us.”

“Yes,” Selene said.

“He doesn’t get this too,” Maya said. “He doesn’t get the foundation or Elena or any of it.”

“No,” Selene said.

“Margaret,” Maya said. Looking at Avalon. “Today.”

“Already called,” Avalon said.

“Good,” Maya said. She looked at Selene. “We end this.”

“Yes,” Selene said.

“All of it,” Maya said. “Daniel Reyes, Sandra Cole, the investors, and him.” Her voice was steady and completely certain. “We end all of it.”

Elena made another sound.

They all looked at her.

She was looking at Maya with Nene’s expression.

“She agrees,” Selene said.

“Of course she does,” Maya said. “She’s a Castellano Pierce.”

That night after Elena finally slept, Maya had gone home so the apartment was quiet. Selene sat on the kitchen floor while Avalon sat across from her.

“Tell me what you’re actually feeling,” he said. “Not the plan. The feeling.”

She looked at her hands.

“Like I built something real and someone is trying to use the most broken parts of my history to take it apart,” she said. “My daughter. My dead daughter. My father who left.” She paused. “Like they went looking for the cracks specifically.”

“They did,” he said.

“That means the building is strong enough to threaten them,” she said.

“Yes,” he said. “That’s exactly what it means.”

She looked at him.

“I know,” she said. “I know that. I just need to feel it for a minute before I know it.”

“Feel it,” he said. “I’m here.”

She looked around the kitchen.

“He’s not going to win,” she said.

“No,” Avalon said. “He’s not.”

“None of them are,” she said.

“No,” he said.

“The center holds,” she said.

“Always,” he said.

She reached across and he took her hand.

Her phone buzzed.

Margaret.

A text.

The civil claim. I’ve reviewed it. It’s not just frivolous. It’s fraudulent. The financial damages he’s claiming are fabricated entirely. No basis in fact or law. A pause. Then: Selene. He didn’t just file this for Daniel’s investors. He filed it because someone promised him money. I have the wire transfer.

Then one more message.

The money came from an account you’ll recognize.

Then the account number was sent.

Selene looked at it and showed it to Avalon.

He looked at the number.

Looked at her.

“That’s a Pierce Holdings account,” he said slowly. “A dormant one. One that was supposed to be closed after the estate audit.”

“Who had access to it,” she said.

He was already calling Margaret.

“Who had access to that account,” he said when she answered.

Margaret was quiet for three seconds.

“Three people,” Margaret said. “Me, Nene’s estate lawyer.” A pause. “And Catherine.”