The call came two days later, framed as routine in a way Willow recognized immediately as a choice rather than a truth. The voice on the line was measured and pleasant, trained to deliver complexity without alarm, as if anything consequential could be softened by tone alone.
"We would like to continue the conversation," the banker said. "Not about approval. About structure."
Willow paused, pen still in her hand, already registering the shift. "Structure how?"
"Given the constraints you outlined," he replied, "a straight facility may not be the most efficient path forward. There are alternative configurations worth discussing. Governance, participation, layered capital."
The language was precise and carefully stripped of names.
"I thought the next step was internal review," Willow said.
"It is," he confirmed. "This would be part of that process."
She let the silence hold long enough to acknowledge what had not been said before responding. "All right," she said. "When?"
