Slowly, deliberate in every movement, Margot capped the pen and placed it quietly on top of the leather folder.

She reached into her cardigan pocket, pulled out a fresh manila envelope, and laid it directly over his legal documents. Inside was not her signature, but a formal petition for legal separation, a temporary restraining order freezing all marital accounts, and a subpoena for a complete forensic accounting of Stephens Management Services.

Lucas stared at the envelope, then at her. The practiced smile faltered, crumbling from the corners of his mouth until his face was entirely blank. The silence in the room stretched until it felt absolute, the low click of the living room clock the only sound remaining in the house they had shared for three decades.