I kept my hands flat on the mahogany.

“Walter left four thousand shares in Sterling Construction,” I said quietly.

Brandon stopped chewing, his fork hovering three inches above his plate.

He cleared his throat loudly again before he spoke.

“Those are passive non-voting shares, Avery,” Brandon said, his loud voice filling the dining room.

“They carry zero weight without the board’s consent.”

“Page seventeen of the corporate charter says otherwise,” I said.

Victoria kept turning her empty diamond ring setting on her finger, the gold band clicking against her skin.