Chapter 7 - THE FIRST DATE
David asked Emily out three months later.
Not immediately.
That mattered.
He gave her time.
He never used Lily to get closer.
Never sent extravagant gifts.
Never appeared at her home uninvited.
One afternoon, he simply asked:
"Dinner?"
"Business?"
"No."
"With Lily?"
"No."
Emily raised an eyebrow.
"Are you asking me on a date?"
"Poorly."
"Very poorly."
"Is that a yes?"
She made him wait five seconds.
"Yes."
David could reserve any restaurant in the city.
He chose a small Italian place.
Emily laughed when she saw it.
"You own restaurants."
"I don't own this one."
"Why here?"
"They have good bread."
It was the most normal date either of them had experienced in years.
They talked about stupid things.
Bad movies.
School lunches.
David's inability to cook.
Emily's dream of studying interior design when she was younger.
"You wanted to design?"
"Yeah."
"Why didn't you?"
"Life."
That answer stayed with him.
He didn't offer tuition.
He had learned.
Instead, weeks later, he sent her a link to a community college evening program.
Nothing else.
Emily enrolled herself.
Their relationship grew slowly.
Lily noticed before either admitted it.
"Are you going to marry Sky Man?"
Emily almost dropped a plate.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because we're dating."
"Is that before marrying?"
"Sometimes."
"How many dates?"
"There isn't a number."
"There should be."
David, listening from the kitchen, nearly choked.
For a while, happiness felt possible.
Then Harrison Global faced its biggest crisis.
Federal investigators charged Richard with fraud, bribery, obstruction and conspiracy.
Evidence showed several executives had known pieces of the Rivergate problem.
David hadn't.
But he was CEO.
Public opinion didn't care about nuance.
Headlines blamed Harrison Global.
Shareholders demanded David resign.
His board gave him a choice.
Protect the company.
Or protect the truth.
They wanted a settlement.
Confidential.
No admission.
Rivergate families would receive money.
The company would avoid public disclosure.
David refused.
Every inspection report would be released.
Every failure.
Every executive name.
Everything.
Harrison Global's value dropped billions within days.
Board members called him reckless.
Emily asked:
"Are you scared?"
"Terrified."
"Then why do it?"
David looked at her.
"Because Claire died trying to expose it."
Then he corrected himself.
"No."
"Because it's the right thing."
Emily smiled.
That was when she knew she loved him.
Not when he fed Lily.
Not when he protected them.
May you like
Not when he held her.
When he chose truth even though it cost him something.
