Miriam continued.
“Did you ever tell her something like, ‘Get a proposal together’?”
His head lifted.
“No.”
Then he stopped.
“Wait.”
The room went still.
“What?”
“Two months ago.”
He rubbed his face.
“She asked what succession would look like.”
“I said I didn’t know.”
“She said her firm could sketch options.”
“I said, ‘Fine, put something on paper.’”
My chest tightened.
Grant looked at me.
“I forgot.”
I believed him.
That did not make it harmless.
Miriam asked:
“Did you give parameters?”
“No.”
“Did you ask her to allocate shares to her company?”
“No.”
“Did you approve the draft?”
“No.”
“Did you ask her to upload it into Northstar’s folder?”
“No.”
Grant stared at the pages.
“I didn’t even know she finished anything.”
There.
The truth was messier than betrayal.
Grant had opened a door carelessly.
Paige walked much farther through it than he expected.
Celeste asked:
“Did you tell Paige your mother would likely sign documents during Mother’s Day weekend?”
His face changed.
“No.”
“Think carefully.”
He did.
Then:
“I told her Mom hated board meetings on family weekends.”
“That is the opposite.”
“I know.”
“Anything else?”
Grant went silent.
Then:
“I said if succession came up naturally while we were all together, maybe it would be easier.”
I closed my eyes.
Of course.
No formal meeting.
No counsel.
Family warmth.
My son had been willing to blur business because direct governance conversations made him uncomfortable.
Paige apparently converted that discomfort into strategy.
Miriam said:
“That is enough for today.”
Grant looked surprised.
“What happens now?”
“We interview Paige.”
“Review access logs.”
“Review invoices.”
“Determine which amounts are unsupported.”
“Then the board decides.”
He turned to me.
“Board?”
“Yes.”
“You’re putting this before the full board?”
“Yes.”
His face tightened.
“Mom.”
I looked at him.
“Northstar is not our kitchen table.”
He went quiet.
That sentence hurt both of us.
Still true.
Grant left the room after surrendering no title, no badge, no dramatic authority.
He remained president pending review.
