The question is whether you’re brave enough to do it.” “I don’t feel very brave right now,” Rachel confessed. “Brave people never do,” Jack said. “Courage isn’t the absence of fear. It’s doing what needs to be done despite the fear. And from where I’m sitting, you’re one of the bravest people I’ve ever met. You’re about to walk into a boardroom and face down people who’ve betrayed you, knowing it might cost you everything.

That takes serious guts. Or serious stupidity, Rachel said with a rofful laugh. Sometimes there’s not much difference between the two, Jack acknowledged. But you’ll figure it out. And whatever happens, you’ll land on your feet. People with your intelligence and determination always do. When Rachel finally retreated to the guest room well past midnight, her mind was clearer than it had been in days.

She spent another hour reviewing the documentation Laura had sent, making notes, and building her case. The evidence was damning. Clear patterns of embezzlement, financial ties between Andrew and board members, email trails that revealed the coordination of their efforts to marginalize her authority. But beyond the specifics of corporate corruption, Rachel found herself thinking about the broader question Jack had raised.

Who did she want to be if not CEO of Morgan Technologies? What did she actually value beyond professional achievement? What would bring her the kind of contentment she’d witnessed in Jack’s modest life? The answers didn’t come easily, but pieces were beginning to form. She thought about the cancer detection software and how proud she’d been when her team first developed it.

not because of its profit potential, but because of the lives it could save. She thought about the early days of Morgan Technologies when it had been her and a handful of passionate engineers working out of a converted warehouse, united by the belief that technology could solve real problems for real people.

Somewhere along the line, that mission had gotten lost beneath quarterly earnings reports and investor presentations and the relentless pressure to grow faster, scale bigger, dominate markets. The company had become an end unto itself rather than a means to a greater purpose. And Rachel had let that happen because she’d been too busy proving herself to question whether what she was building still aligned with what she actually believed.

Sunday morning arrived with church bells from a nearby parish and the smell of coffee brewing. Rachel emerged from the guest room to find Jack already up and working at the small kitchen table, his laptop open and paper spread around him. Morning, he said, looking up with a smile. You’re up early.

Couldn’t sleep, Rachel admitted. Too much to think about. Join the club, Jack said, gesturing to his own work. I’m trying to finish a certification requirement for work before tomorrow. Nothing like waiting until the last minute. Rachel poured herself coffee and sat across from him, appreciating the companionable silence as they each focused on their respective tasks.

It felt oddly domestic, this shared space and mutual productivity. And Rachel found herself imagining what it would be like to have this as a regular part of her life. Mornings spent with someone who demanded nothing from her except occasional conversation and respect for their shared space. Sophie wandered out around 8, still in her pajamas and dragging Mr.

Hopscotch behind her. She climbed into her father’s lap without a word, clearly not yet fully awake. And Jack automatically adjusted his position to accommodate her while continuing to type one-handed. “Morning, baby girl,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Is it pancake day?” Sophie mumbled. “It can be if you want it to be,” Jack said.

“But you have to actually wake up enough to help me make them.” “Five more minutes,” Sophie negotiated, burrowing deeper into her father’s chest. Rachel watched this exchange with a mixture of tenderness and envy. There was such easy affection between them, such uncomplicated love. No games, no manipulation, no performance, just a father and daughter who genuinely enjoyed each other’s company.

Eventually, Sophie roused herself enough to participate in pancake production, and the three of them fell into the now familiar rhythm of breakfast together. Afterward, Rachel borrowed Jack’s laptop to finalize her presentation for the board members she’d contacted. Three had already responded, agreeing to meet with her privately on Sunday evening before Monday’s scheduled board meeting.

Two others hadn’t responded, which Rachel interpreted as either fear or complicity. “I need to go into the city tonight,” Rachel told Jack as they cleaned up from breakfast. I have meetings scheduled with board members and I should probably find a hotel, get my own space to prepare for tomorrow. She saw something flicker across Jack’s face.

Disappointment maybe or concern, but he nodded easily. Of course. Want me to drive you? The train’s running on a reduced Sunday schedule. You don’t have to do that, Rachel protested. You’ve already done so much. I want to, Jack said simply. Besides, Sophie’s been begging to go to the Museum of Natural History, and it’s right near where you’ll be meeting.

We can make a day of it, drop you at your meetings, and pick you up afterward if you want.” The offer was casual, but Rachel heard the underlying message. He wasn’t abandoning her to face this alone. Even though their time together was coming to an end, even though she was about to return to her real life, he was making sure she knew she had support.

That would be wonderful, Rachel said, her voice slightly thick with emotion. Thank you. The drive into Manhattan was filled with Sophie’s chatter about dinosaurs and space exhibits, her excitement about the museum visit bubbling over in a steady stream of questions and observations. Rachel found herself drawn into the conversation, genuinely interested in Sophie’s theories about what happened to the dinosaurs and her dreams of becoming an astronaut.

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