Chapter 291. The Heir.
LAKE
Grandpa Parker asked me to come sit with him in his study. That was a big deal because his study had rules. No running. No touching the model ships without asking first. Quiet voices only, unless it was an emergency.
This felt like the kind of thing that would have rules attached to it, too. "Lake, I settled into the big leather chair across from his desk. My feet didn't quite reach the floor. They would in a year or two, probably.
"I want to talk to you about something important. Something to do with the future."
"Is this about the cake decision?" I said. "Because I already told Lucian. Chocolate with the fruit layer that's not too much fruit. I don't think that should be controversial."
"It's not about the cake," he said, with the particular patience he
