Everything wore a good suit. Estate preservation.

Family continuity.

Asset stability.

Residential heritage. But laid beside Ivan’s texts, the polite phrases translated themselves.

One message from Ivan, to his associate: Mom figures six months and it’s a clean sweep — Meredith will be worn down and she won’t have the capital to field a real defense. And under it: We just need her to sign the residency waivers first.

I thought of Marguerite squaring the edges of those folders on the marble. Sign these.