He closed the document and looked directly at Aryyah. "Catherine told me in our final meeting that you were the strongest person she'd ever met, that you'd survived things that would have destroyed most people, and that you deserved the resources to ensure you and Grace would never be vulnerable again; she wanted you to have the power to protect yourself from any threat, to build any future you choose, and to create a legacy of compassion rather than calculation."

Aryyah felt tears streaming ...