What if she doesn’t? Before Noah could answer, Emma spotted him and came running over. Daddy, coach says I get to play forward. That’s great, sweetheart. Emma noticed Victoria and stopped. Hi, are you Daddy’s friend? Victoria crouched down to Emma’s level. Hi, Emma. I’m Victoria, and yes, I’m your dad’s friend. Are you the date lady? I am. Emma studied her seriously.
Do you like dinosaurs? Victoria didn’t hesitate. I think they’re fascinating. Do you have a favorite? Triceratops. They have three horns and they’re herbivores, which means they only eat plants and they could fight T-Rexes even though T-Rexes were bigger. That sounds pretty tough.
They were way tougher than people think. Emma looked at Noah. She’s nice. I told you I got to go. Game’s starting. You’re going to watch, right, Victoria? I wouldn’t miss it. Emma ran back to her team. Victoria stood up looking shaken. That was the most terrifying conversation of my life. Noah laughed. You just passed the Emma test. Congratulations.
They stood together and watched the game. Emma was, as promised, terrible at soccer. She spent half the time examining grass and the other half running in the wrong direction, but she was happy and that was all that mattered. Victoria cheered louder than anyone when Emma accidentally kicked the ball near the goal.
She didn’t check her phone once. She asked questions about the rules and laughed when Noah explained that at this age there were basically no rules, just organized chaos. After the game, Emma ran over, sweaty and grinning. Did you see? I almost scored. You were amazing, Victoria said, and she sounded like she meant it.
“Want to get ice cream?” “Daddy always gets me ice cream after games.” Victoria looked at Noah. He shrugged. “It’s tradition.” Then ice cream it is. They went to a place nearby. Nothing fancy, just a local spot with too many flavors and sticky tables. Emma got chocolate with rainbow sprinkles and proceeded to get it everywhere.
Victoria got vanilla and listened while Emma explained the complex social dynamics of first grade. And then Sophia said that unicorns are better than dinosaurs, which is just wrong because dinosaurs were real and unicorns are made up. But I didn’t want to make her sad, so I said maybe both are good. Was that the right thing? I think that was very kind, Victoria said.
Sometimes being right isn’t as important as being nice. Emma nodded sagely. That’s what daddy says, too. Noah watched them together, his daughter chattering away. Victoria listening like it was the most important conversation in the world and felt something in his chest expand. This was real. This was happening.
This impossible, complicated, terrifying thing was actually happening. His phone buzzed. Unknown number. He ignored it. It buzzed again, then again. I should check this, he told Victoria. The messages were all the same. Screenshots, photos, him and Victoria at the park last night. Him and Victoria kissing. Timestamped, taken from a distance, but unmistakably them.
The final message was from Richard. Interesting evening. We should talk. Monday, first thing. Noah’s blood went cold. What is it? Victoria asked. He showed her the phone. Her expression hardened. He had someone follow us. Looks like it. That’s That’s surveillance. That’s completely inappropriate.
That’s Richard protecting himself. He knows something’s coming. Emma was oblivious, focused on her ice cream. Victoria looked at Noah and he saw the same fear he felt reflected in her eyes. “This changes things,” she said quietly. “Does it change how you feel?” “No, but it changes the timeline. I was going to wait until Monday to start the formal investigation.
Now I can’t. He’s going to weaponize this. Use our relationship to discredit everything. So what do we do? Victoria’s jaw set. We beat him to it. I’m calling an emergency board meeting tonight. I’m bringing everything. Your documentation, the pattern of theft, all of it. I’m making this official before Richard can spin it. Tonight. It has to be tonight.
Before he has time to prepare. before he can build his defense. She looked at Emma, then back at Noah. This is going to get messy. Really messy. Are you sure you’re ready? Noah thought about four years of silence. About Emma asking if he was scared and saying it meant it mattered.
About Victoria crouching down to talk to his daughter about dinosaurs. I’m sure. Victoria pulled out her phone and stepped away making calls. Noah watched her pace, watched her transform from the woman eating ice cream with his daughter into the CEO who ran a billion-dollar company. Emma tugged on his sleeve. Is Victoria leaving? No, sweetheart. She’s just working.
Is everything okay? He looked at his daughter, too perceptive, too aware. Everything’s going to be okay. I promise. It was a promise he wasn’t sure he could keep, but he made it anyway. Victoria came back, her expression grim. Board meeting is set for 8 tonight. I have to go prepare. Noah, I need you to send me everything again.
