Not powerful.
Not legendary.
Just hurt.
“Why would he want to hurt me?”
Daniel’s voice softened.
“I didn’t say he did.”
But everyone heard the possibility.
Before anyone could continue, my phone buzzed.
A message from my daughter Sophie.
Dad, Mom says you lost your job. Are we okay?
My chest tightened.
Reality crashed back into the room.
Halston investigations.
Millions of dollars.
Secret documents.
None of it changed the fact that I had two daughters worrying about whether their father could pay the mortgage.
I stepped into the hallway and called Sophie.
She answered immediately.
“Dad?”
“Hey, kiddo.”
“You’re fired?”
“Temporarily unemployed.”
“That sounds like fired.”
I smiled despite myself.
“Your mother has always said you inherited my talent for inappropriate honesty.”
“Are you okay?”
That question almost broke me.
Because children aren’t supposed to ask their parents whether the world is falling apart.
Parents are supposed to stand between them and the collapse.
