Eric stood before the massive oak desk where his grandmother, Elena, sat like a queen on her throne. The air in the Dowager Duchess's study became heavy with silence. The morning light streamed through the tall windows, but it did little to warm the cool, somber atmosphere of the room.
Without a word, Eric placed a small stack of papers on the polished wood before her. They were crisp and official-looking, but they felt tainted, wrong.
"What is this?" Elena asked, her voice calm, but her sharp eyes were already assessing her grandson's grim expression.
"These are the papers that played the major role in getting the Kirk family to settle so quickly and quietly," he replied, his voice low and even.
Elena picked up the top sheet, her fingers tracing the bold headline at the top of the first page:
Designation for Textile Supervisor - Workshop Division.
