She was going because her absence, all these years, had also been a choice, and tonight she was no longer willing to hand that choice to Crispin.

She picked up her phone and typed a brief message to the person coordinating her arrival: I’ll be attending.

Keep the schedule as planned. The reply came at once. Understood, Mrs.

Stroud. Lenore looked at those two words for a moment.

Not President.

Not Owner.