"You think debts disappear just because the man who owed me is gone?"

His tone is even, businesslike, but the weight behind it makes your chest tighten.

"Your father left more than numbers on a page. And now… it falls on you."

He studies you in silence, expression unreadable, until the corner of his mouth curves faintly.

"Don’t bother running. People who owe me—don’t walk away."