Brian nodded, understanding. “We can approach this carefully. The aim is to secure your rights and protect the ranch. If Alan pushes, we push back. But I’ll do everything I can to keep Avery out of the courtroom.”

By the time Brian left, we had a plan. Alan wasn’t going to know what hit him. I’d spent too long in the shadows, trying to be the reasonable one for my daughter’s sake. But that time was over. Alan had awoken a side of me that had been dormant, and I was ready to fight—to protect my legacy and remind those around me of what integrity truly meant.

As I watched Brian’s car disappear down the road, I felt a renewed sense of purpose. The ranch was my life’s work, my heritage, something I intended to pass down under the right circumstances—not through manipulation or deceit. This battle was just beginning, and I was prepared to see it through to the end.