Chapter 2: The Letter from Arthur
An hour later, the bank’s board of directors had gathered in the executive glass conference room on the top floor. The room boasted a breathtaking view of the city skyline, but no one was looking outside. All eyes were fixed on Leo, who sat at the head of the long mahogany table, his small feet dangling inches above the polished floor.
Beside him sat Evelyn, the board’s cynical vice chairperson, who had spent the last decade turning Vance Financial into a cold, ruthless money machine. She inspected the legal trust documents handed to her by Arthur’s personal attorney, Mr. Harrison.
""This is absurd,"" Evelyn hissed, though her eyes betrayed her anxiety. ""Arthur died three years ago. Leaving controlling shares of a hundred-billion-dollar institution to an uneducated child living in a shelter? The shareholders will destroy us!""
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""Arthur was never foolish, Evelyn,"" Mr. Harrison replied calmly, unrolling a second document bearing Arthur’s authentic seal. ""He hid Leo away to protect him from the corporate greed that destroyed his own parents. The trust specifies that Leo becomes the active Chairman today, guided by a singular mandate: human dignity over corporate profit.""
Leo looked up at Evelyn, his bright hazel eyes completely free of malice. ""I don't want your money, Miss Evelyn,"" he said softly. ""I just want to finish what my grandfather started.""
