Uncle Mallory stood on my other side, hands folded loosely, eyes tracking me instead of the crowd. He placed a hand on my shoulder—not heavy, not intrusive. “This is your year to announce the recipient,” he said quietly. “Do you have your speech prepared?”
I nodded. I’d written it weeks ago. Rewritten it twice. Deleted half of it. None of that was the problem.
Uncle Axel cleared his throat. “Before we get pulled in separate directions—there’s one more thing.” He hesitated, then went on. “As of your birthday this year, you’re acting CEO of Arden Home and Landscape Design.”
I turned to him slowly. “What?”
“Interim,” Uncle Axel amended quickly. “Operational oversight. Board-facing. You won’t be handling design review.”
My jaw tightened—not from nerves. From something sharper. “I’m a lawy
