Chapter 8 - ETHAN MET LILY AND BEN WITHOUT ASKING ABOUT MONEYThe first time Ethan saw them after the wedding, they met in a child-services office.
No ballroom.
No cameras.
No lawyers in the room except outside.
Lily was coloring.
Ben was building a tower.
Ethan sat awkwardly.
Ben looked at him.
“Are you mad at Mom?”
Ethan thought.
“Yes.”
The boy frowned.
“Do you hate her?”
“No.”
That answer surprised Lily too.
Ethan continued:
“I’m angry about choices she made.”
Then:
“That’s adult stuff. It isn’t your job to fix.”
Lily asked:
“Are you taking our money?”
“No.”
“Grandpa said you might.”
“He was wrong.”
“How do you know?”
“Because it isn’t mine.”
Simple.
The trust belonged for their benefit.
Ethan could contest liability questions through company counsel.
He could not simply take it because his surname appeared in an old settlement.
That distinction calmed her.
Then Ben pushed a toy block toward him.
“You can build.”
So Ethan did.
May you like
For twenty minutes, nobody discussed billions.
Good.
