Esme paused for a moment, her gaze dropping to Ray's hands before lifting back to meet his eyes. "We've always divided our work, from the very beginning. It wasn't possible for me to handle everything—security, money, and every other detail—on my own. I had to have help."
Ray nodded, the logic settling in. It made sense. After all, a young girl managing everything would be nearly impossible. He understood that now.
Esme continued, her voice steady, yet laced with a mix of pride and nostalgia. "Aaron and Helga are not just my secretaries, assistants, or friends... or even family. They're my partners. Everything I do, they have an equal stake in. I own 50%, and they each own 25%. That's how it's always been."
Ray's eyes widened at that, surprised by the magnitude of it all. He had assumed, like most people, that Helga was the one handling most of the security. After all, Aaron was a mer—how could a mer be involved in something like security? It didn't add up.
