"His father was a demanding man," she continued. "A lot. With him, above all."
My eyes moved involuntarily to the portrait I had seen as I entered.
"Excellence was the least acceptable thing in this family," she said with a half-smile that was not cheerful. "And when he died... everything was in my hands."
Her tone was not one of complaint. It was in fact.
"Alexander was twenty-two. His sister was barely seventeen. The company was at a delicate point. We learned quickly."
I imagined that woman, alone, facing together, balances, decisions, while supporting two children and a heavy legacy.
"It wasn't easy," she added. "But I understood something: strength is not toughness. It is perseverance."
I swallowed hard.
"He inherited that from you."
She looked at me attentively.
"He learned
