My father stopped talking mid-sentence.

“Are the closing contracts fully executed?” I asked.

“Yes, Director.” “Then authorize the transfer.” “Under the sixty-forty equity structure?” “Make it fifty-five, forty-five,” I said.

“I don’t want the founding team losing operational control in the first eighteen months.” “Understood, Director Kestrel.

Processing now.” I ended the call.

And when I looked up, my mother was staring at me as though at an alien species.

“What… what was that?” she whispered.