I went silent.
It was a brutal sentence.
It was also true.
“You threw her out,” Marcus continued. “You froze her money. You refused to hear her. If you suddenly appear at her door with power, money, lawyers and security, what do you think she’ll feel?”
I knew the answer.
Fear.
So I did something I should have done a long time ago.
I gave Laura control.
My attorney contacted a nonprofit family advocate and asked them to reach out to her.
Laura rejected the first meeting.
Then the second.
On the third attempt, the advocate was permitted to tell her one thing:
“Mr. Whitmore has discovered evidence showing that someone intercepted communications from the hospital and may have fabricated evidence during your divorce.”
Laura agreed to twenty minutes.
Public place.
Advocate present.
No Serena.
No security team inside.
No surprise contact with the twins.
I accepted everything.
We met at a diner beside Interstate 40.
I arrived thirty minutes early.
Laura arrived exactly on time.
The moment she walked through the door, I stood.
She stopped.
Her eyes hardened.
I sat down again.