Mr. Ellery walked beside me with a look of quiet anticipation.

“Are you ready for this, Julian?” he asked as we approached the security desk. “Your late wife’s nephews, Thomas and Robert Sterling, are holding a board meeting right now to finalize the sale of the company’s tech division.

If it goes through, they’ll have successfully liquidated the last assets Hazel fought to protect.”

“I’m ready.”

The nervousness I’d felt that morning was gone, replaced by a sense of duty to the woman who had trusted me with her final wish.

We bypassed the turnstiles, Mr. Ellery presenting a legal injunction that made the guard’s eyes widen. We took the private elevator straight to the penthouse floor.