Chapter 85
The house woke in order.
Franz was already downstairs when he heard a sound from the hallway above. He had finished checking his email and was pouring himself coffee when the twins’ door opened.
Lily came downstairs first. Her hair was messy from sleep, and her school uniform was only half-buttoned. She took out her chair but didn’t sit down right away. Instead, she looked over at the kitchen counter.
“Is Auntie working today?” she asked before sitting.
“Yes,” Franz said. “Board call at nine p>
Lily nodded as if that answered everything.
Leo followed several minutes later. He paused briefly at the top of the stairs, looking down into the living room. His gaze did not shift toward Arianne’s door. After a moment, he came down and took the seat beside Franz quietly.
Arianne entered the kitchen dressed for the office, tablet in hand. She didn’t greet them loudly. She set the device on the counter, poured herself a glass of water, and took a sip before speaking.
“Breakfast first,” she said when Lily began talking too quickly.
The twins quieted.
Leo finished his plate and carried it to the sink without being reminded. Meanwhile, Lily was about to leave hers behind, then caught Arianne’s look and doubled back to fix it.
No one rushed.
By the time the car pulled up outside, the dishes were done and bags were already by the door.
At the entrance, Franz rested a hand lightly on Leo’s shoulder.
“We’ll be here when you get back p>
Both twins nodded. Neither asked about the afternoon.
When the car pulled away, the engine sound faded past the gate and the house went still.
Arianne remained standing by the dining table, reading something on her tablet. Franz returned from locking the door and saw the slight change in her posture.
“You have something,” he said.
“Yes p>
She turned the screen toward him.
Infrastructure Governance Forum — Montreux.
Public consolidation panel.
Private institutional roundtable (by invitation)
“They requested both of us,” she added.
Franz read the two sections carefully, his attention lingering briefly on the attendance cap.
Franz did not respond immediately. He scrolled once through the list of attendees instead, slower the second time. One pension fund he had dealt with before. A sovereign delegate whose absence he noticed more than the names present. Blackwood’s confirmation was positioned near the top of the public panel.
He set the tablet flat on the table rather than handing it back.
“They want proximity,” he said, more to the document than to her. He didn’t clarify whether that was a problem.
Arianne didn’t correct him.
The room remained quiet except for the faint hum of the refrigerator
“If we go out in public,” he said, “people will notice us p>
Arianne did not move. “And if we don’t p>
“We control the room p>
A brief pause followed.
“You recommend we decline the panel p>
“I do p>
“Why p>
Franz looked at her. “Public events invite comments. The roundtable limits exposure — fewer investors. No press. No cameras p>
She reviewed the list again, her finger resting against the edge of the tablet.
“Twelve seats p>
“That’s the cap p>
A brief pause.
“No media p>
“None listed p>
Arianne set the tablet down.
“We prioritize governance p>
A slight nod from Franz.
They went through the rest the same way — secondary entrance, no photographs, no public comments. No one raised their voice. No one circled back.
Only then did she send the response, declining the stage and accepting the private session.
Gil called almost immediately.
Franz answered, remaining where he stood near the table. “We declined the public panel p>
“Roundtable only?” Gil asked.
“That’s right p>
A brief pause came through the line.
“Julian will attend. Nate won’t p>
“Understood p>
“And Arianne agreed p>
Franz glanced toward her. “She did p>
He passed the phone over.
Arianne listened, her expression unchanged, then said, “Coordinate private access with Julian p>
The call ended less than two minutes later.
The day passed without disruption.
When the twins returned from school, Lily carried the leftover container Nate had given her and insisted on heating it herself under supervision. Leo went to their room briefly and returned with the small square of sandpaper Julian had given him the night before.
He placed it carefully on the dining table. Adjusted it once so it lined up with the wood grain, then left it there. Franz noticed but didn’t comment. One corner of the sandpaper had already softened from use.
During dinner, Leo’s fingers drifted back to it once, pressing lightly against the surface before pulling away.
Franz let it stay where it was longer than necessary. Eventually, he moved it aside to clear space for the plates.
“You’re keeping it,” he said.
Leo nodded.
Dinner continued. Lily described a classroom argument in too much detail. Leo ate quietly. Once or twice, his fingers brushed the sandpaper again, just to check.
After finishing their homework, the twins went upstairs without a fuss.
Later, Franz checked their room. Lily was asleep. Leo had put the sandpaper next to the keychain on the nightstand, with both items lined up near the edge.
The hallway light remained off.
When Franz returned downstairs, Arianne was seated on the couch, reviewing a printed document.
“The board?” he asked.
“Stable,” she said, then lifted her eyes. “You adjusted the advisory structure p>
“Yes. It needed tightening p>
“You didn’t consult me p>
“No. It was already moving p>
She looked at him for a moment, her gaze steady.
“It was the correct call p>
He didn’t acknowledge it as praise.
The discussion shifted back to Montreux.
“If they try to position us against each other,” Arianne said, “we don’t engage p>
“We arrive together,” Franz replied. “Sit together where appropriate. Decline speculation p>
She tested the edges of the plan once, then gave a small nod.
“Acceptable p>
Their tone never rose.
At the stairs, she paused and looked back.
“You said earlier you would stand beside me p>
Franz held her gaze.
“You don’t stand beside me,” she said quietly. “You stand with me p>
A brief beat passed.
“I understand p>
She went upstairs.
Later that night, Franz completed his usual lock check. The house felt steady.
He had just turned off the downstairs lights when he noticed Arianne still awake in the living room, reviewing Montreux’s preliminary agenda.
“The speaking order places you first,” she said without looking up.
Franz glanced at the document. “Intentional p>
“Does it bother you p>
Franz glanced at the document again. “No p>
She closed the folder, switched off the final lamp, and headed upstairs.
Franz followed after a short delay.
He checked the front door twice, not because it required it, but because he had always done so. The metal latch settled with a click. In the kitchen, he straightened the chair Lily had left slightly angled away from the table.
He stood at the base of the staircase for a moment longer than usual before heading up.
The hallway remained dark.
He did not turn the light back on.