The certified letter arrived at Cletus's workshop on a Tuesday morning three weeks after Jackson's stroke, delivered by a courier who required Aryyah's signature and identification before handing over the thick manila envelope embossed with the logo of Whitmore & Associates, one of the city's most prestigious corporate law firms.

Aryyah signed for it with her six-month pregnant belly pressed against the counter, and the courier's eyes lingered on her condition with barely concealed curiosity ...