Chapter 15 - THE DEAL GETS BETTER Crestline raised its offer again.
$114 million.
Employee protections improved.
Frontline positions were largely protected.
Related-party leases were independently appraised.
No family consulting agreements.
No Delphine contract.
The deal was cleaner.
Stronger.
Better.
Ironically, Mother's attempt to rush the transaction had produced the opposite result.
Independent governance had forced a better negotiation.
Then Miles asked me something unexpected.
“Would you support eliminating the hereditary stewardship seat?”
I stared at him.
“Mine too?”
“Yes.”
The idea hurt.
My father had created that structure.
The seat felt like part of his legacy.
But it had become a weapon.
Mother had used it.
I had defended it.
The family had fought over it.
And Willa had been dragged into it.
I finally said:
“Yes.”
Not because I wanted less power.
Because I wanted no child in my family to ever become leverage for that power again.
I told Jonah.
He looked at me.
“You sure?”
“No.”
He smiled slightly.
“Good answer.”
Then Willa asked what I was reading.
“Company rules.”
“Hard?”
“Yes.”
“Can I draw?”
I handed her a blank sheet.
She drew three chairs.
Then she crossed one out.
I smiled.
“Why?”
“Grandma doesn't sit there.”
I laughed softly.
May you like
She was five.
And somehow she understood more about boundaries than most adults.
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