Chapter 13 - David's Last Version of the Truth.
David looked around the lobby before answering Thomas.
Even now, his first instinct was to check who might hear.
Emily noticed.
Thomas noticed too.
"We were in advanced discussions."
Thomas's expression did not move.
"No, we were not."
David swallowed.
"Your operations team was interested."
"Interested is not contracted."
"The deck was forward-looking."
Thomas held his gaze.
"My lawyer says the slide uses the words executed pilot agreement."
David's silence answered before he did.
Thomas stepped closer.
"There was no executed agreement."
David's shoulders dropped.
"No."
The admission seemed to empty the air around him.
Emily looked away.
She did not want to be present for the rest, but leaving immediately would mean pulling the girls through a lobby full of guests and questions.
Olivia appeared at the far end of the hall with her veil removed.
She had changed nothing else.
Without the veil, she looked less like a symbol in a wedding and more like a woman trying to understand the man in front of her.
"What agreement?"
David closed his eyes.
Thomas turned toward his daughter.
"Mercer Urban represented that Grant Hospitality signed a pilot contract."
Olivia stopped walking.
"Did we?"
Thomas shook his head.
"No."
Olivia looked at David.
"Why would you say we did?"
David's voice was tired now.
"Because we were close."
Thomas corrected him.
"We were considering a small test at one property."
David looked at Olivia.
"I thought once your father saw the value, we'd finalize it."
Olivia took another step forward.
"So you told investors it was done before asking him?"
David rubbed both hands across his face.
"I was trying to keep the company alive."
For the first time, the words sounded less like an excuse and more like a confession.
Ryan had said the company employed forty people.
David had personal guarantees tied to two credit lines.
He had investors expecting growth.
He had employees expecting salaries.
He had built a machine that needed new money faster than he could honestly produce results.
None of that made the choice right.
It did make the panic visible.
Olivia studied him.
"Why didn't you tell me you were this scared?"
David looked at her.
"Because you looked at me like I had everything handled."
Olivia's eyes filled again.
"I loved you, not your presentation."
The sentence broke something in him.
"I didn't know the difference anymore."
Emily closed her eyes briefly.
There it was.
The clearest thing David had said all day.
Thomas's expression softened slightly, but his voice remained firm.
"You need legal advice."
David nodded.
"I know."
"And you need to correct the materials."
Another nod.
"I know."
Olivia looked toward the garden where Lily and Sophie were walking with Margaret.
"And what about them?"
David followed her gaze.
His answer came slower.
"I don't know how to fix that."
Emily finally spoke.
"You don't fix children with one conversation."
David turned toward her.
There was no accusation in her face now.
Only exhaustion.
"You show up again."
She paused.
"Then you show up after that."
David looked toward Lily.
"Will you let me?"
Emily's expression sharpened.
"Do not make me responsible for whether you choose to be a father."
He flinched.
She continued.
"Follow the parenting schedule."
A beat.
"Call when you say you will call."
Another beat.
"Stop making promises based on the version of yourself you hope to become next month."
David looked down.
Olivia watched Emily carefully.
Then she removed her engagement ring.
David saw the movement immediately.
"Liv."
She held the ring between two fingers.
"I'm not giving this back because I hate you."
His face went pale.
"Then don't give it back."
Olivia placed it in his palm.
"I'm giving it back because I cannot promise marriage while I am still finding out who you are."
David closed his hand around the ring.
"Is this over?"
Olivia looked at him for a long time.
"Today is over."
May you like
She stepped back.
"Tomorrow depends on what you do when no one is watching."
