Franklin Camden slowly slid his calloused thumbs under the flap of the heavy black envelope. He was still trying to maintain his easy smirk—the practiced, masculine confidence that had commanded every room, every dinner table, and every board meeting he had ever walked into. But as his fingers pulled the thick parchment out, the smirk stiffened into something brittle.
The first page bore the gilded crest of a holding company named Aegis & Frame Management LLC. Beneath it sat the official seal of the state registry and a clear, bold title: NOTICE OF CONTROLLING SHARE ACQUISITION & CORPORATE RESTRUCTURING.
“What is this nonsense?” Franklin muttered, his brow furrowing as his eyes scanned the legal header. He pulled a pair of reading glasses from his shirt pocket, unfolding them with trembling fingers. “Aegis? I don’t know any Aegis.”
“Read the second line, Dad,” Maris said evenly. She didn’t raise her voice. She didn’t need to. The quiet strength in her tone held the entire backyard hostage.
