"Of course," he says.
But the instinct is there—to direct, to manage, to decide.
I watch all of it closely.
As the discussion continues, I become aware of how easily I fall back into listening mode. How familiar it is to let him lead.
The rhythm of his voice, the way he frames decisions—it all pulls at something deeply ingrained.
I catch myself nodding once and stop.
This isn't a staff meeting. I'm not here to agree. I'm here to participate.
Evelyn shifts in her seat, drawing both our attention.
"This would require mutual agreement," she says. "Not assumption."
Arthur exhales through his nose, controlled. "Of course."
But I see the gap—between what he understands intellectually and what he's acknowledged emotionally.
Equality is an idea to him right now. Not a habit.
And still…
I find myself thinking that this version of him—focused, contained, utterly reliable—is the man I secretly admired from a careful distance.
The man I never thought would look at me twice.
And yet, he asked for me.
Arthur leans forward slightly, elbows resting on his knees. "What do you think?"
The question is straightforward.
I answer honestly.
"I'm terrified," I admit. "Not of you. Of everything else. I've read the statistics—lottery winners who lose everything within five years. People who end up worse off than they started. Isolated. Broken."
I grip the edge of my chair, grounding myself.
"I don't want to be one of those stories," I continue. "I don't want to wake up in two years and realize I've lost myself because I didn't know how to handle this."
Arthur listens. Really listens.
Not interrupting. Not correcting.
His expression shifts subtly—less CEO, more human.
"That won't happen," he says, with the certainty of someone used to preventing outcomes.
"You don't know that."
"I do." His voice is firm, but not dismissive. "Because I've seen what happens when people mismanage sudden wealth. I've watched companies collapse under poor stewardship. I know the patterns."
He leans forward again, gaze unwavering.
"You're not starting from ignorance," he says. "You're starting from awareness. That's already better than most."
