for the microphones.
“Thank you, darling,” I replied, gently untangling myself from her grip and stepping up to the podium.
I adjusted the microphone. The room fell into a respectful, heavy silence. Three hundred pairs of eyes locked onto me.
“Thank you,” I began, my voice booming through the state-of-the-art sound system. “Many of you are here tonight because you believe you are witnessing a transfer of power. A passing of the torch to the next generation.”
I looked over at Preston, who puffed out his chest slightly.
“You are,” I said. “But before we talk about the future, I think it’s important to reflect on the past. To understand the foundation upon which this family is built.”
I gripped the edges of the podium. “People often ask me, ‘Richard, what is the secret to a forty-year marriage? How do you maintain such loyalty, such devotion, in a world full