The settlement meeting took place in Avery's office the following Tuesday. I was there, seated at the end of the conference table with my documents arranged in front of me. Caleb sat beside his lawyer. Across from us, Elise Ward and Northline's attorney opened a thick folder.
I had expected to feel afraid. Instead, I felt the familiar focus of a delivery morning: each label checked, every tray counted, no time wasted.
Northline's lawyer began by summarizing their position. They had paid the deposit in good faith. They had incurred costs based on the contract. They wanted the full amount returned and their expenses reimbursed.
Avery answered with the trust records, the company operating agreement, and the email chain.
"Mr. Rowe represented that his wife had approved the sale," the North
