Why doesn't this work when $direction is 'from'?

function checkRelation($id, $direction)
{
    if ($direction == "to") {
    $connected = new WP_Query([
        "relationship" => [
            "id" => $id,
            "to" => get_the_ID(),
        ],
        "nopaging" => true,
    ]);
} else {
    $connected = new WP_Query([
        "relationship" => [
            "id" => $id,
            "from" => get_the_ID(),
        ],
        "nopaging" => true,
    ]);
}

$count = $connected->found_posts;

while ($connected->have_posts()):
    $connected->the_post(); ?>
    <a>"><?php the_title(); ?></a>
<?php
endwhile;

wp_reset_postdata();
return "Connected posts/pages: " . $count;

}