Chapter 9 - THE SUNLIGHT
Six months later.
The morning sun poured through the massive windows of the estate’s dining room, casting warm, golden squares across the long oak table.
I sat at the head of the table, nursing a cup of black coffee, scrolling through the morning’s financial times on my tablet.
The headlines were still chaotic, but the tone had shifted.
Hale Meridian Group Stabilizes After Restructuring.
CEO Daniel Hale Praised for Transparency in Mercer Scandal.
David Torres Foundation Announces New Grants for Architecture Students.
I had lost billions. The stock had plummeted initially. I had spent countless hours testifying before Senate committees and federal prosecutors. But I hadn’t lost the company. In fact, by exposing the rot Nathan had built, the board had rallied behind me. The cartel connections were severed, the corrupt executives were purged, and Hale Meridian was finally clean.
I tapped the screen off and set the tablet down.
“Daddy, look!”
I turned around.
Lily was running into the dining room, her bare feet slapping against the hardwood floor. She was wearing a bright yellow sundress, and in her hands, she held a large, sloppy finger-painting.
I smiled, sliding my chair back as she crashed into my legs. I scooped her up, lifting her high into the air before settling her onto my lap.
“What do we have here, Picasso?” I asked, examining the paper.
“It’s us,” Lily beamed, pointing to three stick figures covered in green and blue paint. “That’s Mommy, that’s me, and that’s you holding the heavy blanket.”
I laughed, a deep, genuine sound that I was finally getting used to hearing. “I love it. We’re going to frame it and put it right in my office.”
Maria walked into the room, wiping her hands on a dish towel. She was wearing jeans and a simple white t-shirt, her hair pulled back. She looked radiant.
“She’s been painting that since six in the morning,” Maria laughed, walking over and leaning down to kiss my cheek. “Good morning.”
“Good morning,” I said, wrapping my free arm around her waist.
Maria had refused to let me just give her money. She insisted on working, but not as my housekeeper. With the millions from the trust Charles had set up, and my backing, she had started the David Torres Foundation, providing scholarships to underprivileged architecture students. She was keeping David’s memory alive in the most beautiful way possible.
“The board meeting is at ten,” Maria reminded me, pouring herself a cup of coffee. “Are you ready?”
“I’m ready,” I said. “But I might be late.”
Maria raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And why is the CEO going to be late to his own restructuring meeting?”
I looked down at Lily, who was happily eating a strawberry from the fruit bowl on the table.
“Because,” I said, standing up and lifting Lily onto my shoulders. “It’s a beautiful day, and I promised someone we would go feed the ducks at the pond before I went to work.”
Lily cheered, throwing her small arms up in the air.
Maria smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. She walked over, resting her hand on my chest, right over my heart.
“Don’t be too late,” she whispered, kissing me softly.
“Never,” I promised.
I carried Lily out the French doors, stepping onto the massive stone patio. The estate grounds were lush and green, the morning dew sparkling in the sunlight.
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I wasn’t the Ice King anymore. I was just Daniel. I was a father. I was a partner.
And for the first time in my life, as I walked toward the pond with my daughter laughing on my shoulders, the world didn’t feel cold at all.
