“That is a lie,” she said. “Elias Cross was a laborer. He was a contractor we hired.”

“I designed the foundation of every building from Loop to the lakefront, Miranda,” Elias said.

He stepped forward, his back straight.

“Arthur knew he couldn’t build them without my engineering,” Elias added. “He gave me the controlling shares to secure my silence about his structural shortcuts.”

“You have no proof of that,” Miranda said, her voice rising.

“We do,” Nathaniel said, pointing to the parchment in my hand.

“That document contains the key to the master trust,” Nathaniel said. “The one Arthur set up before he died.”

“He knew you would try to steal it, Miranda,” Nathaniel added. “He left instructions that if the Cross family ever claimed their right, the assets would freeze.”

Julian walked to the desk and picked up the blue ledger.

He flipped through the yellowed pages.

His eyes scanned the signatures at the bottom of the first charter.

“This is Arthur’s signature,” Julian said quietly.

He looked at his mother.

“And this is Elias Cross’s signature,” Julian said. “It has been here the entire time.”