The study didn't clear out right away.
My grandfather left first. Cane tapping once against the floor before the door shut behind him. Final.
Noah was the first to speak.
"Say you didn't mean it," he said, turning to me. "Say it was shock or pressure or whatever the hell that was."
I stayed seated. Ivy was still beside me, her hand warm and shaking in mine.
"I meant it," I said.
Lucas laughed under his breath, pacing the length of the room. "No. You didn't." He stopped in front of me. "We'll figure something out. There has to be a way around this. Grandpa can't just...."
"He can," I interrupted quietly.
Lucas's jaw clenched. "Then we push back."
"You've tried that before," I said. "You know how that ends."
Noah rubbed his face, frustration bleeding through his usual calm. "Elaine, listen to me. We're not letting you do this. We'll talk to people. We'll delay it. Hell, we'll drag this out until he gets bored."
Zane bored. I almost smiled at that.
