“He is trying to cut you out too, Dad,” I said, looking at him.

“He doesn’t want to share the legacy with you.”

“He wants it all.”

My father did not look at me.

He walked over to the wide glass window that overlooked the city skyline.

The rain was starting to streak the glass, turning the distant office lights into smeared yellow blurs.

“William,” my father said to the phone.

“Can the board halt the patent application based on these allegations?”

“The board will table the approval,” Dr. Sterling replied.

“But Hunter has already submitted the revised patent application under his own name.”

“He used the data he took from Evelyn’s office.”

“With the fraud allegations hanging over Evelyn, his application will be the only clean one on file.”

“The regulators will look at his submission first.”

I took a step back toward the office door.

The brass handle felt solid and cold.

“They think they have won,” I said.

My father turned around from the window.

His face looked pale in the dim light of the desk lamp.

“Evelyn, stay here,” he said.