She opened the ledger to a page covered in blue ink.

There were dates for deliveries, signatures from site supervisors, and copies of notices she had sent to the office.

One line showed a payment reference number that Wayne had identified as belonging to the unfamiliar consulting company.

“My youngest apprentice is buying his first house,” Elena said.

“He keeps asking whether he should cancel.

I hate that I don’t know what to tell him.”

Her words turned the corporate balance sheets into something tangible.