“Then forgot why she was angry.”
The daughter interrupted.
“Mom sang bad.”
The father smiled.
“Terrible.”
“She thought she was good.”
“She did.”
The child looked toward the investor.
“Did you know her?”
“No.”
The old man said.
“I wish I had.”
The girl accepted that more easily than adults would.
“Dad has pictures.”
The father looked toward her.
“Eat.”
She did.
Later, after the girl fell asleep in an upstairs bedroom, the billionaire found the single father standing alone near the great-room windows.
Snow erased the world outside.
She approached.
He heard her.
“Can’t sleep?”
“It’s ten-thirty.”
“Billionaires sleep early?”
“Only when no one is attempting to sell them defective companies.”
He smiled faintly.
She stood beside him.
For a while they said nothing.
Then:
“You okay?”
she asked.
“No.”
“Good.”
He looked at her.
She smiled.
“I would’ve distrusted you if you said yes.”
He laughed softly.
Then stared at the storm.
“I hated him for thirty years.”
“You still can.”
The father looked toward her.
“That is not what people say.”
“What do they say?”
“That I should forgive because he’s dying.”
The billionaire’s expression hardened.
“Dying does not make people retroactively correct.”
He nodded.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
He looked toward the fireplace.
“Part of me is relieved.”
“That he had reasons?”
“Yes.”
“Does that scare you?”
He thought.
“It feels disloyal to my mother.”
The billionaire understood.
“Reasons are not absolution.”
He looked toward her.
She continued.
“You can understand why someone failed you without deciding the failure was acceptable.”
He stared.
“Do you give expensive advice professionally?”
“Yes.”
“Consulting fees are outrageous.”
He smiled.
Then became serious.
“What are you going to do about the acquisition?”
“Stop it.”
“Even if the defect is repairable?”
“Yes.”
He looked surprised.
She explained.
“The technical defect may be repairable.”
“The disclosure failure is a different problem.”
“The board chairman concealed material information.”
“The target company manipulated tests.”
“I cannot sign tomorrow and investigate afterward.”
He nodded.
“People are going to lose money.”
“A lot.”
“Jobs?”
“Possibly.”
He looked toward her.
“That part bothers you.”
“Yes.”