As I stood there, still holding her hand, I realized something unsettling.
I had removed every external threat.
I had secured her employment.
I had ensured benefits for her and others.
I had spent an unreasonable sum to do so.
And yet, she felt farther from me than she had the night she slept in the guest room.
I did not understand why.
And that unsettled me more than any corporate negotiation ever had.
35
BELLE
Iwoke before the sun because my brain wouldn’t let me sleep.
The house was quiet in that heavy, expensive way it always was in the early morning. The river beyond the windows looked like brushed steel. I slipped out of bed carefully.
In the kitchen, I made coffee the way I always did. Measured grounds. Steady pour. The normalcy of it grounded me.
I made breakfast too. Eggs. Toast. Cut fruit arranged neatly on a plate.
Then I covered it with foil and left it on the counter.
I didn’t wait for him to come downstairs.
I couldn’t. I still had too much thinking to do.
Buying my company. Buying my boss. Buying my problem. Was that protection? Or was that control dressed up in good intentions?
I grabbed my keys and left before I could spiral further. The drive to Tripp’s office felt familiar and tense all at once. My stomach twisted the closer I got.
I needed this check. Dad’s payment was due. With this one, I might finally be caught up. Fully caught up. That thought alone steadied me.
I parked and sat in the car for a moment, bracing myself. I’d rehearsed responses in my head the whole way over.
When I stepped inside, the receptionist barely looked up.
“I’m here for my check,” I said evenly.
She handed it to me.
“Do I need to talk to Tripp first?”
“That won’t be necessary,” she replied. “He’s in a meeting.”
My heart skipped. “With who?” I asked before I could stop myself.
“With his father.” Of course he was.
She reached into a drawer and handed me an envelope.
“There you go.”
