Six months before they dismantle everything my father built and hand it to someone they can control.
The silence stretches.
“No formal vote,” Malcolm says. “But you should understand the temperature of the room.”
I understand.
They think I’m a liability. They think I’ll slip. They think I’ll self-destruct.
“Understood,” I say.
There’s nothing to argue with.
Graham studies me. “We’ll support whatever strategy you choose. But you need one.”
Strategy.
Control the narrative. Stabilize perception. Prove discipline.
Six months.
“I’ll handle it,” I say.
***
I leave without another word, walking back to my office with measured steps. Only when the door closes behind me do I allow myself to breathe fully.
I sit at my desk and turn the problem over methodically.
Press tours would take weeks to organize. Media cycles are unpredictable. Performance metrics move slowly. Philanthropic initiatives take months to gain traction.
An ERS relationship moves immediately.
This is what it's come to. Fake a relationship with a stranger or lose everything I've rebuilt. Let someone into my life or watch the company my father built get dismantled by men who care more about quarterly reports than legacy.
I open the folder again, reading through the terms with careful attention. It's as close to safe as a situation like this could be.
I think about my father. What he would say if he were still alive. Probably something about duty. He built this company through pragmatism, not sentiment. He would tell me to sign the paperwork.
I pick up my phone and stare at it.
A relationship means proximity. Even a structured, contractual one.
Someone close enough to notice things I've worked hard to contain.
But the alternative is losing everything.
I make the decision.
I tell myself this is a calculated response to an untenable situation. I tell myself that my boundaries will hold, that I can maintain distance even in proximity.
I dial.
It rings twice.
"Elite Relationship Solutions," the woman on the other end sounds calm and professional.
I don't hesitate.
