Chapter 2 - The Dinner With Four Chairs
Sunday dinner took place at Henry and Margaret's house in Lake Forest.
Olivia arrived at exactly seven.
The house looked unchanged from her childhood.
White columns.
Black shutters.
Perfect hedges.
Everything carefully designed to communicate stability.
Inside, the family was waiting.
Henry sat at the head of the dining table.
Margaret sat beside him.
Across from them sat Olivia's younger brother, Daniel.
Olivia stopped.
Daniel avoided her eyes.
That was the first warning.
The second was the folder sitting beside Henry's wineglass.
"Sit," Henry said.
Olivia remained standing.
"Hello would work."
Margaret sighed.
"Olivia."
Daniel muttered, "Hey."
Olivia took her seat.
Dinner began normally.
Too normally.
Margaret asked about clients.
Henry complained about taxes.
Daniel discussed an investment project in Milwaukee.
Nobody mentioned the folder.
Until dessert.
Then Henry pushed it toward Olivia.
"I've solved something."
Olivia did not touch it.
"What?"
"The family problem."
"I wasn't aware we had one."
Henry's mouth tightened.
"This attitude is exactly why we're doing this."
He opened the folder himself.
Inside was a proposed corporate restructuring agreement.
Olivia read the first page.
Then the second.
By the third, she understood.
Reed Family Holdings would create a new management company.
The management company would acquire an ownership interest in Olivia's law firm's real estate operations, administrative infrastructure, and several affiliated consulting entities.
Henry would become executive director.
Daniel would receive a salaried strategy position.
Margaret would serve as family liaison.
Olivia slowly closed the document.
"No."
Henry blinked.
"You haven't read all of it."
"I read enough."
"You would retain complete legal control of the firm."
"It gives your company authority over my office leases, vendor agreements, branding entities, and operating reserves."
"Administrative authority."
"Financial authority."
"Don't be dramatic."
Olivia looked at Daniel.
"Did you read this?"
He shifted uncomfortably.
"It's supposed to help everybody."
"Everybody?"
Margaret placed down her fork.
"Your father spent decades building this family's name."
"My firm isn't built on his name."
Henry laughed sharply.
"It's literally Reed."
"It's my name too."
That silenced the table.
Henry leaned forward.
"This family financed your entire life."
"You paid for private school until I was eighteen."
"We raised you."
"And I'm grateful."
"Then act like it."
Olivia looked at him.
There it was.
The transaction hidden inside every favor.
Gratitude had never been enough.
Henry wanted ownership.
"I won't sign."
Margaret's expression changed.
"Think carefully."
"I have."
Henry shoved his chair backward.
"You think you're untouchable because a few corporations pay you ridiculous fees?"
"No."
"You think those clients stay if you lose your offices?"
Olivia watched him closely.
"What are you planning?"
Henry smiled.
"Nothing."
Daniel looked down.
Olivia caught it.
"What does that mean?"
Henry reached for his wine.
"It means everybody depends on somebody."
Olivia's instincts sharpened.
The lease.
Malcolm.
"Did you ask Uncle Malcolm to terminate my lease?"
Henry did not answer.
Margaret smiled.
"You see conspiracies everywhere."
Olivia turned to Daniel.
"Did he?"
Daniel remained silent.
Henry slapped the table.
"Stop interrogating your brother."
Olivia stood.
"Then we're done."
Margaret rose too.
"You walk out that door, don't expect us to protect you when things get ugly."
Olivia picked up her handbag.
"Protect me from what?"
For the first time that evening, Henry hesitated.
Only slightly.
But she saw it.
Then he recovered.
"Your own arrogance."
Olivia walked toward the foyer.
Daniel followed her.
"Liv."
She stopped.
He glanced toward the dining room.
His face had gone pale.
"Don't sign anything Dad sends."
She stared at him.
"I wasn't planning to."
"I mean anything."
"What happened?"
Daniel swallowed.
"I can't tell you."
"Then why warn me?"
"Because this isn't about the firm anymore."
Olivia stepped closer.
"What is it about?"
Henry's voice thundered from the dining room.
"Daniel!"
Daniel flinched.
Then he whispered:
"Ask Malcolm who owns the debt."
Olivia frowned.
"What debt?"
Daniel walked away.
Henry appeared in the doorway behind him.
"Don't poison your brother against us."
Olivia stared at her father.
Then at Daniel disappearing upstairs.
Something was wrong.
Not family-drama wrong.
Not business-dispute wrong.
Something deeper.
On the drive back downtown, Olivia called Malcolm.
He answered immediately.
"Daniel told me to ask who owns the debt."
Silence.
"Malcolm?"
"I was hoping you wouldn't hear about that yet."
"What debt?"
"Your father's."
"Who owns it?"
"That," Malcolm said slowly, "is the problem."
Olivia tightened her grip on the steering wheel.
May you like
"Who?"
"We don't know."
