---
Richard found us twenty minutes later in the library. He had removed his jacket and looked ten years older.
“Sit down,” he told us.
We did.
He poured himself a drink, then surprised me by pouring one for Jamal too.
“Your daughter,” he said, looking at May who was now coloring quietly on the floor with crayons someone had brought her, “just exposed something I’ve apparently been blind to for months. Maybe years.”
He took a long sip.
“I built this company from nothing. Trusted Marcus like a brother. Trusted Vanessa…” His voice trailed off.
Richard looked at me. “I owe you an apology. Both of you. I’ve been hard on Jamal because I saw ambition but never quite trusted his judgment. Tonight, your little girl showed more honesty than most adults in my life.”
He turned to Jamal.
“You’re promoted. Regional Director, effective immediately. And I want you to head up a new integrity task force. We’re cleaning house.”
Jamal looked stunned. “Sir… I don’t know what to say.”
Richard smiled sadly. “Say you’ll help me make sure no one else gets blindsided by the people closest to them.”
---
**The Days That Followed**
The scandal exploded across business circles. Vanessa and Marcus’s affair had been going on for nearly two years. Photos, texts, and security footage from the mansion later confirmed May’s innocent observation. Richard filed for divorce and removed Marcus from the company.
