The Declaration

The document Julian’s lawyers produced on Wednesday was four pages long, beautifully drafted, and would have ended her career by Christmas.

Meera read it twice at her kitchen table with the printout flat in front of her and a pen she did not use, and then she rang him.

“You’ve read it,” Julian said.

“Clause three.”

“Meera—“

“Clause three.” She put the pen down before she snapped it. “The architect shall be recused from all investor-facing decisions for the duration of the project, with design authority for such decisions vesting in the project partner. Julian, do you know what Bellweather’s investor-facing decisions are? They’re the roof. They’re the timber procurement. They’re the entire northeast garden terrace. They are the building. Everything else is bathrooms and fire stairs.”

“It is the arrangement that protects you from the accusation.”

“It’s the arrangement that makes the accusation true.” She was on her feet…