“Her father established this reserve six years ago,” Yvonne pointed out, “naming Astrid as the successor trustee — not a beneficiary.” Attached to the founding agreement was a handwritten memorandum in Alistair’s precise script.

This account exists solely to guarantee that funds pledged to children’s medical care can never be diverted into family business debts, it read.

And below that, a second line: Whatever our family name is worth on the market, it is worth far less than a broken promise to an innocent child. And a final warning: If questions ever arise regarding our integrity, follow the money before you listen to the family narrative.

It was undeniable proof that Alistair had seen the rot in his own family long before he died, and had built a locked vault to protect the children’s money from the people who shared his name.