“Of course.”
Simone looked toward the security officer.
“Your name?”
“Daniel Ruiz.”
“Mr. Ruiz, please secure the camera footage and desk activity.”
Daniel nodded.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Do not delete, copy externally, or allow anyone to access it except legal.”
“Yes.”
“Thank you for asking what happened before deciding.”
Daniel’s expression changed.
A small acknowledgment.
Then Simone looked at Caroline.
“Return behind the desk.”
Caroline stared.
“What?”
“You are still on duty.”
Adrian looked surprised.
Caroline looked more surprised.
Simone continued:
“I am not firing anyone in a lobby.”
She glanced toward Micah.
“Especially not in front of my son.”
That sentence hurt Caroline more than public anger would have.
Because it returned dignity to the very room where Caroline had denied it to someone else.
Simone turned.
“Micah.”
He followed.
They walked toward the executive elevators.
After five steps he tugged her hand.
She looked down.
“Mom.”
“Yes?”
“Do you really own all of this?”
Several people nearby heard.
Simone smiled faintly.
“Technically, the investment company owns it.”
He frowned.
“So yes.”
“Kind of.”
“How much did it cost?”
Adrian nearly laughed despite the situation.
Simone gave him a look.
He stopped.
“Later.”
Micah looked back toward Caroline.
“Is she going to jail?”
Simone’s chest tightened.
“No.”
“Why did she rip your paper?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“She knew it was real.”
Simone stopped walking.
Micah looked up.
“What?”
“How do you know?”
“She looked at the computer.”
Children.
Always watching the thing adults forgot to hide.
“What did you see?”
Micah pointed back toward the desk.
“There was green next to your name.”
Adrian stopped.
Simone slowly turned toward him.
“What does green mean in your property-management system?”
Adrian’s face changed.
“Confirmed.”
Caroline had seen it.
Not suspected.
Seen it.
That transformed incompetence into something worse.
Simone said:
“Now we definitely need the logs.”
The executive suite sat on the twenty-third floor.
Micah entered first.
He forgot the entire confrontation for approximately twelve seconds.
The windows covered two walls.
The city stretched beneath them.
“Mom!”
Simone closed the door.
He ran toward the glass.
“Look!”
“I see.”
“We’re higher than Grandma’s apartment.”
“Yes.”
“Can I sleep by the window?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because beds have specific jobs.”
He frowned.
“That doesn’t answer anything.”
Simone set her handbag down.
Adrian remained near the entrance.
He looked as though he would prefer to be anywhere else.
“Ms. Carter…”
“Give us five minutes.”
“Of course.”
He left.
The door closed.
Simone removed her coat.