“You told her?”
Renee cried.
“She found trust paperwork.”
Adrian turned.
“What?”
Renee looked at him.
“Insurance renewal.”
“Your file was open.”
“Simone saw the trust name.”
Simone laughed.
“I asked.”
“She finally told me.”
Adrian’s expression hardened.
“You had no right.”
Renee’s face changed.
“No right?”
“You were planning to tell Maya tomorrow.”
“My daughter was making business decisions based on what she thought this family owned.”
“You knew she thought this house belonged to us.”
“You knew that was not true.”
Adrian stared.
Renee continued.
“You let ambiguity do your lying.”
The sentence landed.
Maya looked at her father.
He did not defend himself.
Good.
Adrian turned toward Simone.
“That does not justify this.”
He pointed toward the fire.
“No.”
Simone wiped her face.
“It doesn't.”
“Then why?”
“Because I wanted her to lose one thing.”
The honesty made Maya stop crying for a second.
Simone looked directly at her.
“One thing that mattered.”
“You were going to put that dress on tomorrow.”
“Everybody was going to say how beautiful you looked.”
“Dad was going to give you the keys.”
“You would cry.”
“Everybody would talk about your mother.”
“And I would stand there in another room of a house I helped make useful and smile.”
Maya stared.
“So you burned my dress.”
“Yes.”
Simone’s voice broke.
“I wanted one thing to hurt.”
Renee covered her mouth.
Adrian’s expression became almost unreadable.
“Thank you for telling the truth.”
Simone laughed.
“That's it?”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“Truth is where consequences start.”
He looked toward the sliding doors.
“Pack a bag.”
Simone froze.
“What?”
“You are leaving tonight.”
Renee stepped forward.
“Adrian.”
He looked toward her.
“Not forever.”
“Not from the family.”
“But from this house.”
Simone laughed in disbelief.
“Her house.”
Adrian’s face tightened.
“The trust’s house.”
“And after what happened, I am not allowing you to remain here tonight.”
Simone pointed toward Maya.
“So she wins.”
Maya flinched.
Adrian’s voice sharpened.
“This is not a competition.”
Simone shouted:
“Then stop keeping score in property!”
Silence.
Adrian looked at her.
“I agree.”
That answer surprised everyone.
He turned toward Maya.
“I helped create that.”
She stared.
“I should have told you sooner.”
“Not full legal control.”
“You were younger.”
“But enough.”
“This house has been treated like family property while legally being held for your benefit.”
“I allowed everyone to become comfortable with a version that was easier than the truth.”
Maya wiped her face.
“And now I get keys because she burned a dress.”
“No.”
Adrian looked at the keys.