He tapped the paper with his index finger.

“And you know the value of an honest dollar.”

“That is more than anyone else in those offices can say.”

The wind outside rattled the glass panes, bringing a fresh flurry of snow from the lake.

I looked toward the hallway, where I could hear the faint sound of Emma laughing.

She was playing with her wooden blocks in the small parlor.

She had no idea of the storm that had just passed over us.

She had no idea that her future was being decided in this quiet room.

“The trust,” I said, looking at the first document. “It’s too much.”

“It is exactly what is required to keep her safe,” Julian replied.

“If anything happens to me, that money is locked away where no court, no creditor, and no rival can touch it.”

“It ensures she will never have to struggle the way we did.”

I touched the edge of the parchment, the paper thick and expensive.

“Thank you,” I said softly.

He nodded once, a gesture of quiet respect.