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“I am here today not to defend this company, but to apologize for it,” I continue, leaning into the microphone. “To the employees who worked in good faith for a man who didn't value their integrity, I am sorry. And to the public who was sold a version of the American Dream that was actually a nightmare of corruption, I am sorry.”

I take a breath. This is the part that will either save me or destroy me.

“As of this moment, the King Corporation is entering a period of radical transparency. We are turning over every record, every ledger, and every communication to the Department of Justice. We are creating a restitution fund for those harmed by my father’s actions.”

“And to Arthur Vance and Jerry Jenkins, who were fired and publicly blamed for a breach they could not have prevented: the fault was never yours. You have my apology, and you have your jobs back if you want them.”

“Mr. King,” a reporter from the front row shouts, “are you prepared for the stock to bottom out? Are you prepared for the lawsuits?”

“Yes,” I say, looking the reporter dead in the eye. “I am prepared for the company to fail if it cannot exist honestly. I would rather be the man who oversaw the end of a corrupt empire than the man who kept it running on lies. We aren't going to find success by ruining the lives of others. We’re going to find it by being better, or we won't find it at all.”

I step away from the podium. The room explodes into a roar of shouted questions, but I ignore them. I walk off the stage, through the side door, and into the quiet of the hallway.

I lean against the wall, my chest heaving. But my fingers aren’t tingling, and I can breathe. The adrenaline fades, replaced by a cold, sharp clarity. I’ve done it. I’ve ended my father’s era so I can begin a better one.

A clean slate and a new future. I am ready for it. Ready for whatever comes. Ready to take the reins and steer this company in the right direction.

But there is something I have to do first.

39

ISABELLA

“So what are you going to do now?” Nina asks as she pushes Delilah in the baby swing. Nova runs up to me to show me some treasure she’s found before running off again to find more, muttering something about ghosts. She adds to the other “treasure” she’s already placed in my hand: half a leaf, a crushed flower petal, and a rock that apparently looks like a duck. I personally don't see a duck, but then again, I’m not a four-year-old. I’m going to trust her judgment on that one.

“I’m not going to do anything,” I tell my sister. “For now, I’m going to take a break. Maybe I’ll take a vacation. Or I’ll just focus on being an auntie.”

After the morning’s board proceedings and watching Sebastian become president and CEO, then giving an incredible speech about apologies and new beginnings, the last of my energy deserted me. Three weeks of going nonstop, of constant stress, anxiety, and whiplash-inducing ups and downs have left me entirely depleted.

I dropped by my apartment to pack a bag, then headed directly to my sister’s house, where I’d crashed out in the guest room for the majority of the afternoon before Nova woke me up, asking if I wanted to go to the park.

“A vacation? You?” Nina says the words jokingly but with soft understanding and a smile.

“To celebrate a very hard-won fight.”

“Yeah,” Nina huffs a laugh. “That’s it. That’s what you’re doing.”

But my sister doesn’t needle me further. She knows the whole story; she knows that my energy isn’t the only thing that’s crashed. She’s well aware that I need time to breathe and mend what’s broken inside of me.

We won, and there is elation in that. I helped save the King Corporation and kept Sebastian out of prison. I found the truth and made sure everyone knew it for what it was. I even saved my own firm; Marcus told me before the board meeting that Evelyn had contacted him to begin a retainer.

It won't be me, of course. It could possibly be Marcus himself.

I’ve never had my heart broken this badly before; I’ve never felt a pain quite like this. I can’t work with Sebastian knowing what he did and still have feelings for him. It will take me a long time to get over this, over him, if I ever do.

I can’t work side by side with him. I did what I had to do, and even some things I didn’t. I attended the board meeting and stayed for the press conference. I watched his father get taken back into custody.

But that’s it. I cannot see Sebastian King anymore without it further affecting my ability to heal.

“Are you okay?” Nina’s words make me realize that I’ve drifted. She’s watching me, her eyes filled with sympathy and concern. “Can I do anything to help?”

I shake my head and muster a small smile. “No, but thanks. I’ll be okay at some point. Thanks for letting me stay in your guest room.”

Nina doesn’t answer right away. She pushes Delilah in the swing, once, twice, then glances at me sideways with an expression I know too well. It’s the look she used to give me when we were kids and I said I’d already eaten.

“You didn’t touch the wine last night,” she says quietly. “You threw up yesterday morning and told Jai it was the shrimp. And you’ve had your hand on your stomach this entire time we’ve been at the park.”

I take my hand off my stomach.