Chapter 6 - THE GIRL WHO WAS NEVER BAD AT MATH
Damien hated pretending.
Grant loved believing him.
The acquisition talks resumed publicly.
Privately, attorneys and federal investigators began reviewing BrightPath's data practices.
Martin Shaw returned to the office under the illusion that Damien might forgive him.
He became careless.
Nico monitored access legally under corporate investigation protocols.
Within days, Martin downloaded restricted files.
Then emailed Grant.
Evidence.
Meanwhile, Nora focused on Sophie.
Because unlike Damien, Nora refused to turn the child into part of the operation.
“Nothing changes for her,” she said.
“No questions.”
Damien nodded.
“No asking what BrightPath told her.”
“Yes.”
“No telling her Grant is under investigation.”
“Yes.”
“No using her records publicly without independent child advocate approval.”
Damien stared.
“You prepared a list.”
“I like lists.”
He almost smiled.
Sophie progressed.
Not perfectly.
That mattered.
One Tuesday she got six problems wrong and cried.
Nora did not declare a setback.
She pushed the worksheet aside.
They made hot chocolate.
Then Sophie returned twenty minutes later on her own.
Damien watched from the hall only because Sophie had invited him.
She noticed.
“Dad.”
“Yes?”
“Stop looking scary.”
Nora covered a laugh.
Damien frowned.
“This is my normal face.”
“Fix it.”
Apparently everyone in the house gave him orders now.
He sat.
Sophie pointed at a problem.
“I got this wrong.”
“Yes.”
“Are you mad?”
That question hurt every time.
“No.”
“You made your jaw thing.”
“What jaw thing?”
Nora demonstrated badly.
Sophie laughed.
Damien was being mocked in his own pantry.
Oddly, he loved it.
He looked at Sophie's worksheet.
“I make mistakes too.”
Sophie stared.
“No.”
Nora said:
“Dangerous lie, Mr. Cross.”
Damien sighed.
“Yes.”
“Like what?” Sophie asked.
He could have chosen something small.
Missed meeting.
Bad investment.
Instead:
“I thought if I hired enough experts, I could make your fear disappear.”
Sophie watched.
“I didn't ask what the experts were doing to you.”
Her expression changed.
“That was a mistake.”
Silence.
Then Sophie said:
“You were trying.”
“Yes.”
“Still mistake.”
“Yes.”
Nora looked at Damien.
Proud.
That felt unexpectedly good.
Then Sophie corrected one of his fraction answers.
He had done it wrong.
She laughed so hard she almost fell from the chair.
That evening Nora received an email.
From the Virginia Board of Education.
Her old disciplinary file had been reopened.
New evidence submitted.
Her attorney smiled when reading it.
“This could clear you.”
Nora did not smile.
“Could.”
Damien wanted to say will.
Didn't.
Then another email arrived.
Grant's attorney.
Cease-and-desist.
Accusing Nora of theft of trade secrets.
Again.
Same strategy.
Same fear.
But Nora was no longer alone with a dying mother and no money.
She had her own counsel.
Digital evidence.
Former colleagues beginning to speak.
And Damien.
He remained careful about where he stood inside that list.
Grant escalated.
An article appeared online.
DISGRACED FORMER EDUCATOR CONNECTED TO CROSS FAMILY CHILD
Nora read the headline in silence.
The article called her a former teacher accused of altering student results.
It mentioned her current employment at Damien's estate.
Suggested inappropriate unsupervised access to Sophie.
Damien nearly destroyed his phone.
Nora simply said:
“He wants me fired.”
“No.”
“I know.”
She looked at Damien.
“But you understand what comes next?”
“Yes.”
“People ask whether Sophie is safe.”
“Yes.”
“If you defend me publicly, they say your judgment is compromised.”
“Yes.”
“If you fire me, Grant wins.”
“Yes.”
“What will you do?”
Damien thought.
Then:
“Ask Sophie.”
Nora stared.
“What?”
“She is part of the story.”
“You cannot make a child manage a scandal.”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“But I can ask what she wants in her own home.”
That surprised Nora.
They asked.
Sophie thought for a long time.
Then:
“I want Nora to stay.”
Damien nodded.
“Okay.”
“And I don't want people online knowing about my math.”
“Okay.”
“And I don't want a picture.”
“Okay.”
Nora's eyes filled.
Sophie looked at her.
“Are you leaving?”
Nora whispered:
“No.”
Sophie hugged her.
Damien looked away.
Not because he was embarrassed.
May you like
Because something in his chest hurt too much to watch directly.
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