“The trust administration was handled by three people back then,” he said.

“My father, our head of compliance, and my senior business partner, Richard Vance.”

I watched his jaw tighten.

“My father was already sick in the hospital five years ago,” Ethan continued, almost to himself.

“He wasn’t reading trust petitions.”

“And Richard was managing the entire preparation for our initial public offering.”

The pieces were beginning to fall into place, even for someone like me who didn’t know anything about high finance.

“An IPO,” I said.

“A public offering.”

“A multi-billion dollar transition,” Ethan said, his voice turning ice-cold.

“Any scandal, any sudden paternity suit involving the heir to the Caldwell fortune, would have delayed the filing.”

“It would have cost the firm hundreds of millions of dollars.”

He stood up again, unable to sit still.

He began to pace the narrow hallway, his hands shoved deep into his pockets.

“Richard Vance was the one who pushed for the IPO,” Ethan muttered.

“He was the one who insisted we keep our private lives completely locked down.”