I looked down at myself.
A clean white shirt.
Dark trousers.
The only decent pair of shoes I owned.
I nodded.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Richard smiled.
“Good.”
He opened the passenger door.
“The board is waiting.”
I climbed inside.
As we drove toward downtown, the skyline came into view through the windshield.
At its center stood the Brooks Holdings headquarters.
Thirty-two floors of glass and steel.
My grandfather’s company.
My company.
At least, that was what the documents said.
But I still couldn’t quite believe it.
“Richard?”
“Yes?”
“What if they don’t accept me?”
He glanced toward me.
“They will.”
“How do you know?”
“Because your grandfather planned for everything.”
The elevator carried us to the thirty-second floor.
When the doors opened, I stepped into a boardroom larger than my entire old house.
Seven people sat around a long black table.
Executives.
Lawyers.
Accountants.
Senior partners.
And at the far end sat the chairman.
An elderly woman named Margaret Ellis.
She rose as I entered.
“Nathan Brooks.”
I nodded.
“Ms. Ellis.”
She smiled.
“Your grandfather spoke very highly of you.”
I swallowed.
“He knew me?”
“Better than you think.”
Richard placed a folder on the table.
“Before we begin,” he said, “there is one issue we need to resolve.”
