It was clearly Henry Smith’s own doing, but I still couldn’t help worrying about him. For the first time since entering the room, I looked over at him. Even after hearing Howard's sharp remarks, he didn’t show a hint of regret about handing over the shares. He looked completely at ease. He even spoke up for Jason, trying to convince his mom, “This was always meant for Evan. Grandpa never played favorites. If I have a kid in the future, he’ll get his share too.” Mrs. Smith didn’t have much of a case to argue. She had no choice but to go along with it and then shifted gears, urging Henry to marry Vera as soon as possible — saying a man needs a family if he wants a career. Even Howard backed off, as if silently agreeing with Henry’s take. So the whole thing today wasn’t just

