Chapter 7
Conrad filed the petition anyway.
Monday morning.
His lawyers revised it after seeing the full camera footage.
They did not claim Shepherd attacked without provocation.
That would have been impossible.
Instead they argued:
Shepherd intentionally assaulted an elderly co-trustee with a metal object.
The conduct occurred during a family dispute involving the trust.
Whatever Conrad did to Calloway was separate and would be addressed separately.
Shepherd’s judgment had become compromised.
Temporary suspension was prudent until the criminal investigation concluded.
Lena did not laugh.
The argument was not absurd.
That was the dangerous part.
Shepherd had hit Conrad.
The judge could care about context while still questioning whether Shepherd should immediately vote on a transaction involving his father.
Lena asked Shepherd:
“Do you still want to vote Thursday?”
“Yes.”
“Wrong answer.”
He stared at her.
“You’re emotionally involved now.”
“I was involved before.”
“Now your son is too.”
Shepherd hated it.
She was right.
First Hudson also refused to hold Thursday’s vote.
The institutional trustee postponed it.
Not as punishment.
Because the family trustees were now opposing parties in litigation.
Conrad’s immediate rescue plan stalled.
Then he threatened Shepherd with the discretionary trust again.
A separate fund—created by Shepherd’s grandfather—allowed Conrad, as distribution adviser, to recommend certain family distributions.
Conrad could not erase Shepherd’s vested company interests.
Could not take Calloway’s education trust.
Could not seize Shepherd’s house.
But he could influence future discretionary money.
Lena looked at the documents.
“He has less power than he tells people.”
Shepherd nodded.
“He’s always done that.”
“So why does the family believe him?”
“Because usually no one wants to test it.”
That was the system.
Threat enough people long enough and the limits of authority stop mattering.
Then First Hudson sent an important notice.
Because Conrad was both seller and trustee in the Clearwater Ridge transaction, and because possible undisclosed related-party payments had surfaced, the institutional trustee was opening a special fiduciary review.
Conrad objected.
Shepherd supported it.
Lena warned him:
“If you support a full review, they should review you too.”
“Fine.”
“Not rhetorically.”
She handed him a list.
Trust-paid travel.
Security.
Family property expenses.
Related-company reimbursements.
Historical approvals bearing Shepherd’s signature.
“You may have mistakes.”
“I probably do.”
“Your father will use every one.”
Shepherd looked toward Calloway playing in the waiting area with toy cars.
“That doesn’t make them not mistakes.”
Lena studied him.
Then asked:
“Full review?”
Shepherd nodded.
May you like
“Everything.”
Part 8 would cost him more than he realized.
