Page 105 of Breadwinner
Nell raised an eyebrow. “Are you complaining?”
“Never.”
More quiet followed as they continued walking, fingers intertwined, enjoying the way the cool breeze wrapped around them. Mortimer had given up on the walk and was now neatly tucked under her arm, purring.
“I need to tell you something,” Nell said abruptly. Her mouth made up its mind to speak before her brain could catch up with her.
Sarah stopped, turning to face her, and Nell could practically hear the questions populating on the tip of her tongue.
“Nothing serious. Just some clarity I’ve recently come across.”
Sarah shifted, turning to look at her. “Does this have to do with why you changed your mind about going to your dad’s funeral?”
Nell couldn’t help her smile. Of course Sarah was already putting the pieces together; she was, after all, just like her—always a few steps ahead of everyone else.
“It does, yes.” She took a deep breath, the faint smell of cherry blossoms from a nearby tree filling her lungs. “Earlier this morning, I received a call from my father’s estate. He seems to have left me several of his companies. Which was unexpected, to say the least.”
A look of surprise crossed Sarah’s features as she tilted her head in question. “Wow, that’s... big. How do you feel about that?”
She shrugged. “Like I’m inheriting his ghost. He couldn’t claim me when he was alive, but he has no problem trusting me with his legacy in death.”
“That’s pretty fucked up,” Sarah said.
Nell burst out laughing. She couldn’t stop herself as she doubled over, Mortimer wiggling free from her grasp. Sarah smiled widely as she joined, their laughs mixing as they each tried to catch their breath.
“Yeah, it is pretty fucked up, isn’t it?” She sighed, wiping at the tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. “But it got me thinking. Actually, you got me thinking about this months ago.”She steadied her breathing, shaking off the last of her laughter. “I have a proposition for you.”
“Uh-oh. The last time you had one of those, we ended up in your little game of control.” Sarah slid her hands into her jacket pockets, but the smile never left her face.
“But that was so much fun,” Nell teased, her tone softening. “And it got us here.”
“It was, and it did,” Sarah agreed.
“This proposition is different,” Nell said, taking a breath. “You have this desire to do good, Sarah. I’ve seen it firsthand. Not only in your work, but in how you approach everything in your life. With your family, with how you helped Wren, and with me. You’re always trying to do the best thing for everyone.” She paused, biting down on her lip as she considered how exactly she wanted to position her offer to Sarah. “I know that case last fall shook you and has left you with more questions than answers about what comes next for your career. I keep thinking that maybe you’re supposed to be pointing that incredibly gifted mind of yours somewhere else, somewhere you can actually do some good.”
“Alright, I’m intrigued. Go on,” Sarah encouraged.
“I want you to come work at StanCorp,” Nell said plainly, “but not as a lawyer. We’ll come up with an impressive title for you, but I want you to figure out how to offload my wealth.” Sarah’s breath caught as her understanding set in. Nell continued. “I’m one person. I don’t have any children. I have more money than Nate and I could ever possibly need in this lifetime. And I want you to help me get rid of it.”
A short, stunned laugh escaped Sarah. “You can’t be serious.”
“I’m dead serious. I’ll need to keep about five billion?—”
“Just a casual five billion?” Sarah cut in.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Nell said, smirking. “That’s small change compared to what Thaddeus left behind and what I’malready worth. I’ll need the five billion to complete a few smaller projects I’m currently working on. But the rest? I want it gone, and I want you to be the one to decide where it all goes. Get me under nine hundred and ninety-nine million, and every time the number tips over, I want you to tell me what we’re doing with it. Charities, grassroots organizations, scholarships, political campaigns—wherever you think will make the most difference, you say the word.”
Sarah’s lips parted, but no words came out as she stared blankly at her, completely caught in disbelief. Finally, she found her voice. “Why?”
“Always with the questions.” Nell grinned unapologetically. She loved Sarah’s endless pursuit of understanding, and it only solidified her confidence that this was exactly why Sarah was the perfect woman for this job. “Because I spent years trying to prove myself to a man who decided long ago I didn’t count in his eyes unless I did exactly as he wanted.” Her throat tightened. “But now, it’s like I can see it all so clearly. None of it mattered. Even in death, he still tried to script my life. I don’t want to follow in the family footsteps of hoarding wealth and power for the sake of it.”
Sarah was still staring at her like she had suggested that the moon was made of cheese. “Fuck the money?” she asked.
Nell grinned at Sarah’s use of her rule. “Exactly. It’s time to use that money to build something that actually matters.”
Sarah laughed. “I don’t know if you’re delusional or brilliant.”
“Can’t I be both?” Her smirk relaxed as she reached for Sarah’s hand, the warmth of her touch spreading through her. “You were right that night in Vegas. You saw through me in a way I wasn’t ready to admit. People like me shouldn’t have as much wealth as we do. You said it best.” Her gaze locked onSarah’s, unwavering as the words left her mouth with complete and utter certainty. “Billionaires should not exist.”