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The odds aren’t terrible.

I tell myself that twice before reaching for the phone. Charlotte answers on the second ring.

“Blaire,” she says.

For a moment, I look at the Kensington file on my desk and feel the strange pressure of seven years narrowing down to one sentence.

“I’ve reviewed the preliminary material,” I tell her.

“I’m willing to take the engagement.”

The words are out before I can reconsider them.

Charlotte pauses briefly before replying.

“I’m very glad to hear that.”

I lean back in my chair, suddenly aware of my own heartbeat.

“I want to keep the scope tight,” I say.

“I’ll start with the archive review, confirm the provenance documentation, and then we can decide how best to approach the Kensington side.”

“That works for me,” she replies.

“I should be in London within the next two weeks.”

“Excellent,” she says.

We confirm the remaining logistics, and when the call ends, I sit there for a few seconds with the phone still in my hand. There is no dramatic rush of panic.There is something quieter and worse.

Recognition.

I know exactly what I have just agreed to.

I forward the acceptance to my team and begin moving the pieces into place. Flights. Client coverage. School schedule. Hannah. My parents. Emergency contacts. Every practical question has an answer. That should make the decision feel contained, but it doesn’t.

For the first time in seven years, I am choosing to walk back into the Kensington orbit. It’s professional. It’s manageable. If I do the work I need to do before I get there, keep the scope tight and stay focused on Charlotte’s objective, this should be a straightforward assignment.

Chapter Twenty-One

Ross

The acquisition has been on the agenda for forty minutes, which is about twenty minutes longer than it deserves.

Everyone at the table has already seen the same numbers, the same regulatory notes and the same revised timetable. The only thing left is deciding whether we keep moving or let another round of caution slow it down.

“We’re not extending the timetable again,” I say, looking toward the head of European operations.

“If the regulatory review clears on schedule, we close in six weeks. If it doesn’t, we revise the structure. We don’t keep paying for uncertainty indefinitely.”

David Mercer shifts slightly in his chair.

“The Frankfurt team still believes another thirty days would improve the leverage.”

“It would improve their comfort,” I reply.

“That isn’t the same thing.”