Because grown-ups sometimes don’t respect boundaries, he said finally. But we’re going to make sure you’re safe. He signed Emma out of school and drove her back to the office building downtown. She was quiet in the passenger seat processing and Noah wished he could protect her from all of this. Victoria was waiting in the lobby when they arrived.
She’d changed from her business clothes into jeans and a sweater, looking less like a CEO and more like a regular person. She crouched down to Emma’s eye level. Hi, Emma. I’m Victoria. Your dad’s told me a lot about you. Emma looked at Noah, then back at Victoria. You’re the pregnant lady he saved. That’s right.
He said, “You’re really rich and kind of famous.” Victoria laughed and it was genuine. Also true, but right now I’m mostly just someone who needs to apologize to you. Why? Because some reporters tried to bother you today and that happened because of me. Because I hired your dad and some people are too nosy for their own good.
Victoria’s expression was serious. I promise we’re going to fix this, but in the meantime, I have a conference room upstairs with a TV and all the snacks you can eat. Sound okay? T Emma considered this. What kind of snacks? What kind do you like? Gummy bears and goldfish crackers and those little cheese sticks. I’ll make sure we have all of those.
Victoria stood up and held out her hand. Deal? Emma shook it solemnly. Deal. Clare appeared with a smile and led Emma to the elevator, already chatting about what movies were available to watch. Once they were alone, Victoria turned to Noah. I spoke with Metro News’s editor. Made it very clear that sending reporters to harass an 8-year-old at school crosses every ethical line.
They’ve agreed to pull back. Will they? Actually, they will if they want to maintain any access to Sinclair Global for future stories. I’ve also had our legal team draft a cease and desist for any other outlets that try similar tactics. Victoria’s voice was steel. Emma is completely off limits. That’s non-negotiable. Thank you. I don’t thank me.
I’m the reason this is happening. She ran a hand through her hair, looking tired. I knew there’d be media interest. I should have prepared for this better. Noah wanted to tell her it wasn’t her fault, that she couldn’t control what reporters did, but he was too angry and scared to be generous right now.
How do we make sure this doesn’t happen again? Quotes, we establish clear boundaries publicly. I’ll release a statement saying, “You’re working for the foundation in a professional capacity. Our personal lives are private, and my legal team will pursue harassment charges against anyone who approaches Emma.” Victoria met his eyes.
And you tell me right now if this is too much. If you want to walk away before things get more complicated. Noah thought about Emma in that conference room, about the reporter at her school fence, about David Reeves’s condescending smile. Then he thought about the proposal they’d worked on this morning, about families they could help, about building something that actually mattered.
“I’m not walking away,” he said, “but we need better boundaries for both our sakes.” Agreed. Victoria pulled out her phone. Let’s go talk to Emma and figure out how to make this work. They spent the rest of the afternoon in the conference room with Emma, who was surprisingly adaptable once she understood what was happening.
Victoria explained things in simple terms. That some people were interested in her life. That it might be annoying, but they’d deal with it together. That Emma should tell an adult immediately if anyone strange tried to talk to her. Like stranger danger, but for reporters, Emma said. Exactly like that, is by 6:00, Emma was curled up on the conference room couch, watching a movie and eating her third cheese stick, seemingly unbothered by the day’s drama.
Victoria walked Noah to a quiet corner. How are you holding up? Been better, Noah admitted. But we’ll survive. I know you will. You’re tougher than you think. Victoria glanced at Emma. She’s great, by the way. smart, funny, handles stress better than most adults. Gets that from her mom. I doubt that’s entirely true.
Victoria smiled. Go home, get some rest. Tomorrow, we’ll start fresh with better security protocols. Noah collected Emma, Victoria again, and drove home through evening traffic. Emma was quiet until they were almost at their apartment. Dad. Yeah. Is this what our life is going to be like now? All weird and complicated.
Noah wished he could promise her it wouldn’t be. Maybe for a while, but we’ll figure it out. We always do. Victoria seems nice. She is nice. And she’s having a baby all by herself, like how you had me by yourself after mom died. Yeah, sweetheart. Kind of like that. Emma was quiet for another moment. Maybe we could help her with the baby stuff since we know about being alone.
Noah felt his throat get tight. His daughter, 8 years old, already thinking about how to help someone else instead of just worrying about herself. Maybe we could, he agreed. They ordered Chinese takeout for dinner because Noah was too exhausted to cook. Emma did her homework at the kitchen table while Noah answered emails from Clare about security protocols and media relations.
