“The board will vote on the temporary removal of the chief executive and an immediate freeze on Nico Rutherford’s corporate access.”

“This is insane,” Leopold whispered.

“No,” Adele said.

“Insane was bringing a surrender document to the bed where your grandson was born seven hours ago.”

Bram turned away from her parents then, as though they had already become a thing handled and filed, and looked down at Adele with a softness that transformed his whole face.

“May I hold him?”