Chapter 16 - Richard Returns to Practice
Richard completed suspension.
He did not return to Whitmore law.
Joined small mediation practice.
At sixty-three, close to retirement.
He asked Marissa one last meeting.
She agreed.
He brought no envelope.
“I owe Evan something.”
Marissa:
“He’s dead.”
“I know.”
Then:
“I can stop using him to make myself feel guilty.”
Good.
He apologized for withholding.
Marissa asked:
“Did Thomas threaten you?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Career. Client. Litigation.”
“Did you fear physically?”
“No.”
“Then you chose status.”
“Yes.”
There.
“Why did you finally deliver?”
“Adrian found your name.”
“So not conscience?”
“Partly. But urgency came because concealment was about to become impossible.”
Honest.
Then:
“Do you forgive me?”
Marissa thought.
“Yes.”
No restoration needed.
Then she asked:
“Do you still have Evan’s notes?”
Copies with counsel/estate archive.
She requested.
Received.
One note:
Richard is decent but too trained to protect institutions.
Marissa laughed.
Richard did too.
Then he gave Owen a gift?
No, inappropriate. He gave Marissa nothing.
Good.
Then Richard later retired fully.
No secret comeback.
Then company governance.
Harbor State as 18% trust shareholder voted independent director.
This diluted Thomas influence but not Adrian control? Adrian 32 largest.
Board now 7 members:
Adrian CEO/chair? Maybe separate chair after reforms.
Nora Jenkins independent chair.
Adrian director.
Employee rep.
Harbor-nominated independent.
Two investor reps.
One operations executive.
No family board majority.
Adrian gave up chair, remained CEO.
Healthy.
Then Whitmore Infrastructure grew.
Not because scandal.
Business.
By Owen age five, company valued ~65m.
Trust’s 18% worth more.
Owen richer on paper.
Still kindergarten.
Marissa said:
“He thinks twelve dollars is infinite.”
Good.
Then trust education:
Paid preschool? Marissa could, but trust purpose. Harbor approved half cost of a specialized bilingual preschool? Why specialized. Let's just say trust contributed to childcare/education according standard, while Marissa also contributed. Fine.
Then Marissa’s career.
She became senior finance manager at nonprofit housing org by Owen five.
Proud.
No dependence.
Then Adrian at forty-five remained single? Could. Maybe had partner later unrelated. No need.
Some relatives expected him to marry Marissa due story.
No.
They were cousins-in-law-ish? Actually no blood relation between Adrian and Marissa; her husband was cousin. Still weird but possible. Better not.
They became family-friends.
Owen called me Uncle Adrian? Technically cousin once removed, but families simplify.
“Uncle Adrian.”
I allowed.
May you like
Thomas hated initially.
Then accepted.
