David unscrewed his silver pen and laid two stapled legal documents on the glass desktop in Mark’s office.

“Sign the blue tabs first, Mark,” David said, his baritone flat and measured.

Mark took the pen, his knuckles turning white against the black barrel.

His hand shook so hard that the first signature jagged across the bottom margin of the page.

Arthur pulled a thick manila envelope from his leather satchel and drew out an official cashier’s check issued by the escrow company for eighty-five thousand dollars.

“This returns the home sale contribution in full,” Arthur said quietly.