My mother left me hungry and lonely at 16. When my…

He was her boyfriend. Or maybe her new husband. The distinction hardly mattered.

He was a man in his fifties who tried too hard to look forty, wearing a suit that was too shiny and a watch that was too big. When Marvin said the words, “$40 million,” Grant’s eyes widened and he licked his lips. He reached into his leather briefcase and pulled out a thick blue folder.

He slid it across the polished table toward Marvin with an arrogant smoothness. Grant cleared his throat. “We assumed the estate would be complex,” he said, his voice oily and confident.

“So, to save everyone time, Paula and I had our legal team draw up some preliminary family settlement terms. We are willing to be generous with Morgan, of course, a flat payout to set her up, and then Paula will take over the administrative burden of the company. We want to honor Elliot’s legacy by keeping it in experienced hands.”