My husband had spent years warning me never to set foot on that farm. So after he passed away and the lawyer handed me the key, saying that from now on the place belonged to me, I was ready to sell it right away and put everything behind me. But before making my final decision, I still wanted to see it once for myself. When the door opened, I finally understood why, all those years, he had never wanted me to set foot there.

Then I said, “I want you to leave this property. Permanently. I want you to cease all efforts to contest my ownership, contact my daughter regarding financial claims, or negotiate in my name. In exchange, these materials remain confined to the people in this room.”

Harrison stood first.

“I believe Northern Extraction’s involvement in this matter is concluded.”

He gathered his papers with sharp, offended efficiency and left without another glance at the brothers.

Thomas Reeves, by contrast, remained seated, fingers steepled, interest sharpened rather than diminished.

“The extraction challenges on the western section are significant,” Robert snapped, desperate now to muddy the field. “Access, depth, terrain—”

“Western Plains has updated recovery methods better suited to that geology,” Reeves said calmly. “Frankly, it’s one of the most intriguing undeveloped reserve structures I’ve seen in years.”

Which meant, translated from executive into English: this land is worth even more than Robert fears.

The room went very still.