Chapter 6 - No one touches Felix’s trust
My first financial order after the birthday was:
Do nothing to Felix.
Naomi asked:
“Meaning?”
“No distribution freezes unless legally required.”
“Barton controls that anyway.”
“I know.”
“Then why say it?”
“Because Genevieve will claim I’m punishing her son.”
Felix had a separate descendants trust.
Current value:
Around $3.7 million.
Mostly nonvoting family units and diversified investments.
Primrose’s Ravelle descendants share:
Around $3.4 million.
Separate from Evelyn’s trust.
Why Felix slightly higher?
He was older.
Earlier contributions.
No scandal.
Could I freeze it?
No.
Independent trustee.
Good.
Could Genevieve access it?
Limited parental/custodial pathways subject trustee discretion.
No blank control.
Then birthday gifts.
Genevieve had told guests:
“Felix will inherit Benedict’s seat.”
Felix had received congratulatory gifts from two elderly relatives.
Ridiculous.
We returned them.
Not because Felix wrong.
Because a ten-year-old should not receive a gold pen engraved:
Future Chairman
I called the giver.
“My nephew is not campaigning.”
The old man laughed nervously.
“No offense intended.”
“I know.”
Then I spoke to Felix again.
Genevieve objected, but Adrian still had parental rights and agreed through counsel that I could see him at family events.
No court barred.
I asked:
“What did your mother tell you?”
“That Grandpa Dominic wanted a boy.”
“Did she tell you Primrose loses things?”
“She said I have to protect the family.”
“Do you want that?”
Felix looked at the floor.
“No.”
“What do you want?”
“Horse.”
Still.
Then:
“Does Primrose hate me?”
“No.”
“How do you know?”
“She asked whether you could come to her rescheduled birthday dinner.”
He looked up.
“She did?”
“Yes.”
We held it the next week.
Small.
No Genevieve.
Adrian did not attend because he was under legal pressure and staying away.
Felix came with a court-approved? No custody case. He came with his nanny and father’s written consent.
He brought Primrose:
A model horse.
Of course.
She gave him:
May you like
One of her cupcakes.
The children solved inheritance more competently than the adults.
