Maya's POV
Amberplains afternoon light filtered through our living room windows as I made final touches to the floral arrangement Beatrice had delivered that morning—her thoughtful gesture to brighten the house for Leo. Penny lay stretched across the couch next to me, lazily browsing through a Ostarian fashion magazine she'd purchased for what she called "research for my upcoming adventure."
"It's incredible how quickly the legal system moves when you have resources and connections," I remarked, positioning the final blooms in their vase. "Within weeks, nearly everything has been resolved."
"Cash makes the world spin, sister," Penny responded without glancing up, her voice carrying that familiar sardonic edge I'd grown to love. "Add expensive attorneys, influential allies, and concrete proof to the mix, and suddenly the wheels of justice become remarkably efficient."
