“You stopped asking what we were working on because every appointment turned into you asking whether the doctors had changed the prognosis.”
Vivienne absorbed that.
Sophie took one step.
Her right leg moved forward.
The brace stabilized.
Her left knee shook.
She corrected.
Vivienne’s hands rose instinctively.
She did not touch.
Second step.
Sophie breathed.
Third.
Luke watched the mechanics.
Vivienne watched her daughter.
By the fourth step, tears were rolling down Vivienne’s face.
She did not wipe them.
Sophie stopped beside the fabrication table.
Breathing hard.
Not triumphant.
Working.
Luke knew the difference.
Walking for her was labor.
The brace did not remove that.
It gave the labor somewhere useful to go.
Sophie looked toward her mother.
“You were going to sue him.”
Vivienne could not speak.
“You were going to destroy this place.”
Luke glanced around.
“Destroy is generous.”
Sophie ignored him.
“Your company already knew his design worked.”
Vivienne lowered the report.
Sophie continued.
“And somebody rejected it because cheap treatment would compete with the expensive machine you’re selling.”
Vivienne closed her eyes.
Luke thought the scene would end there.
It did not.
Sophie reached inside her hoodie pocket.
Pulled out another page.
“I printed one more thing.”
Vivienne opened her eyes.
Sophie handed it to her.
Luke watched Vivienne read.
Then go completely still.
“What?”
Luke asked.
Vivienne looked toward him.
The page contained engineering drawings.
Luke recognized them instantly.
His hinge.
Not identical.
Changed enough to look different.
But his.
The document title read:
HELIX GEN-3 PASSIVE STABILIZATION SUBASSEMBLY.
Luke took the page.
His stomach turned.
“They used it.”
Vivienne whispered:
“I don’t know.”
“That’s my geometry.”
“I believe you.”
“That linkage is mine.”
“I believe you.”
Luke looked at the date.
Four months after his submission.
He laughed.
Then threw the page onto the workbench.
Vivienne flinched.
Luke’s anger came all at once.
“You came here threatening me with lawyers.”
“I know.”
“You accused me of using your daughter.”
“I know.”
“While your company was using me.”
“I know.”
“Stop saying that.”
Vivienne stared.
Luke continued.
“You don’t get to make ‘I know’ sound like accountability.”
She nodded.
“You’re right.”
Again.
The answer slowed him.
Vivienne removed her sunglasses completely.
Set them on the workbench.
Then picked up the legal folder she had brought.
She looked at it for several seconds.
And tore it in half.
Luke stared.
Sophie stared.
Vivienne tore it again.
Then dropped the pieces into the trash.
“My lawyers are not touching you.”
Luke remained still.
Vivienne looked toward him.
“But somebody is going to.”
“What does that mean?”
“My company.”
Luke laughed bitterly.
“You think I’m going to trust Carlisle lawyers now?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
“I’m going to hire an outside firm.”
“Independent counsel.”
“You’ll get your own.”
“I’ll pay for it.”
Luke shook his head immediately.
“No.”
Vivienne almost smiled despite everything.
“Of course.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Fine.”
She looked toward Sophie.
“Carlisle will pay into an escrow administered by whatever attorney you choose.”
Luke stared.
“That’s still your money.”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“You may have been robbed by my company.”
“I am not going to pretend equal legal resources exist here.”
Luke hated that she was right.
He hated more that she knew exactly how right.
Vivienne looked toward Sophie.
“And you.”
Sophie stiffened.
“You and I are going home.”
“No.”
“Sophie.”
“I’m not leaving until you promise.”
Vivienne sighed.
“Promise what?”
“You won’t shut this down.”
“I am shutting down your unsupervised access to prototypes.”
“It wasn’t unsupervised.”
“Fine.”
Vivienne corrected herself.
“Your access without my knowledge.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
“No.”
“It isn’t.”
Vivienne looked toward Luke.
“Dr. Ortiz will continue overseeing therapy?”
“If she chooses.”
“I’ll speak with her.”
Sophie narrowed her eyes.
“You’ll listen to her.”
Vivienne almost smiled.
“Yes.”
“I’ll listen.”
Luke thought that was the end.
Then Sophie said:
“I need this for Friday.”
Vivienne looked confused.
“What happens Friday?”
Sophie stared.
“The Carlisle Foundation gala.”
Vivienne’s face changed.
“No.”
Luke frowned.
Sophie continued.
“You’re announcing Helix Gen-3.”
“No.”
Vivienne understood.
“You want to walk onstage.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Mom.”
“No.”
Luke stepped in.
“She can physically manage the distance with the brace.”
Vivienne turned.
“I am not discussing a public stunt.”
“It isn’t a stunt.”
“She’s fifteen.”
“She’s your daughter.”
“That is exactly why I’m saying no.”
Sophie’s eyes filled.
“Because you’re scared?”
“Yes.”
The immediate answer surprised all of them.
Vivienne continued.
“Yes.”
“I am terrified.”
“I watched you spend nine months in hospitals.”
“I watched you scream after surgeries.”
“I watched three doctors tell me you might never walk without assistance.”
“I watched you stop speaking for almost two weeks because you thought your life was over.”
Vivienne’s voice broke.
“I am not ashamed that I am scared.”
Sophie looked down.
Vivienne stepped closer.
“But maybe I have used being scared as permission to control too much.”
The girl looked up.
Vivienne continued.
“I need time.”
Sophie shook her head.
“Friday is in four days.”
“I know.”
“If Martin announces Helix like it’s some miracle…”
Vivienne’s face hardened.
“He will not.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know yet.”
Luke watched the CEO return.
Not the billionaire mother.
The executive.