Page 178 of Secret Heir For The Billionaire Twin

“You understand family-controlled companies better than almost anyone on staff,” Nina says.

“You’ve spent years writing about succession, legacy, governance, private wealth, and executive power. On top of that, you already understand Blackwell’s institutional history.”

“We have other writers who can learn it.”

“They can,” Claire says.

“They’d be starting from zero.”

“That’s what research is for.”

Mark leans forward slightly.

“Research won’t replicate the access you already had. You interviewed Julian and Adrian directly. You spent time inside their New York headquarters, Boston operations, European offices, and family archives. Most journalists would spend weeks just trying to understand how the pieces fit together.”

I set my coffee down.

“That doesn’t mean I’m the only person capable of doing the story.”

Claire’s expression stays steady.

“They do have other excellent writers.”

I wait.

“None of them know Blackwell the way you do,” she says.

The words land harder than I want them to. I glance toward the packet.

“That was seven years ago.”

“And the company has changed,” Nina replies.

“Which is exactly why your perspective matters. You know what Blackwell looked like before the investigation, and you’ve spent the last seven years covering enough major companies to understand what transformation actually looks like afterward.”

I look back at her. “So you want institutional memory.”

“We want judgment,” Nina says.

“The access agreement is broader than anything Blackwell has granted since the antitrust case. Executive interviews, selected internal archives, historical records, West Coast operations. We need someone who knows how to use that access without being impressed by it.”

Claire gives me a pointed look.

“That’s you.”

I exhale slowly.

No one threatens my position. No one tells me the assignment is already mine whether I want it or not. They simply sit there making an argument I can’t dismiss as unreasonable.

That almost makes it worse.

“I still haven’t said yes,” I tell them.

Claire nods. “I know.”

I stand and reach for my coffee.

Nina looks toward the packet.