The months that followed were a whirlwind of legal battles and public relations. Marcus contested the will. He contested the letter. He contested everything. But in the end, the courts ruled in my favor. I was Eleanor's granddaughter. I was her heir. And I had a right to the company she had built.
I did not take over Calder Maritime. I did not want to. Instead, I negotiated a settlement. Marcus would remain CEO. He would run the day-to-day operations. But I would have a seat on the board. I would have a vote. And I would have the power to block any decision that harmed the company or its employees.
It was a compromise. It was not a victory. But it was enough.
Richard moved to Seattle that summer. We bought a house on Bainbridge Island, not far from the Calder estate. Charlotte transferr
