He carried a leather folder under his arm and a sleek, silver fountain pen.

He walked over to a large mahogany desk in the center of the room.

He laid the folder down and opened it.

Inside, I could see several pages of dense, legal text.

“You have a very important decision to make, Clara,” Leo said.

He tapped the silver pen against the desk.

“This house is very old,” Leo said. “And the rules of the family are older still.”

He looked toward the folding screen, his expression hardening.

“My brother thinks he can leave his empire to a pair of bastards,” Leo said. “But the board of directors does not agree.”

He turned the document so it faced me.

“This is a full relinquishment of custody,” Leo said.

“And your birthright.”

“I don’t care about the money,” I said, my voice trembling.

“You should,” Leo said. “Because without it, you are of no use to me.”

The folding screen in the corner creaked.

A pale, thin hand reached out from behind the wood, grasping the edge of the panel.

The fingers were trembling.