The man walked forward without hurry and placed one steady hand on Emily’s shoulder from behind.
“Are you finished, sweetheart?” he asked.
The word echoed in the silence.
Emily nodded.
“Yes, Dad.”
Ethan’s face changed completely.
Vanessa’s phone slipped from her fingers.
The man standing behind Emily was Alexander Reed — founder and chairman of Reed Financial, one of the most influential private investment firms in the country.
He also happened to own the building they were all standing in.
When Confidence Becomes Recklessness
Ethan tried to recover, the way people do when they realize too late that they have badly misjudged a situation.
“With all due respect,” he said carefully, “this is a private matter.”
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