Alistair smiles. It is a smile that contains zero warmth.
"You called her, didn't you, Anthony? This morning? You told her about the scandal?"
"I... I thought she had a right to know," Sterling stammers. "Before the press found out."
"You thought you could use my wife as a weapon against my son," Alistair corrects.
He drops the photo.
"Do you know what Catherine did when you called her?" Alistair asks.
Sterling stays silent.
"She called me," Alistair says. "She was screaming. Not because Maxwell is gay—we’ve known that since 1998."
Alistair chuckles, shaking his head.
"Honestly, Anthony, the boy asked for a subscription to theInternational Malecatalog for his twelfth birthday. He told us he appreciated the 'mesh tank tops' for their 'ventilation properties.' We weren't exactly hiring a private investigator to crack the code."
I feel my face burn. "I was interested in fashion history."
"You were interested in the swimwear section, Maxwell. Let’s be real." Alistair waves a hand dismissively. "The point is,nobody cares. It’s 2025, Anthony. Being gay isn't a scandal. It’s a demographic checkbox."
"It’s not about him being gay!" Sterling shouts, losing his composure. "It’s about the impropriety! The lack of discipline! It’s about... boys will be boys behavior in a professional setting!"
Alistair stares at him. Then he bursts out laughing.
"Boys will be boys?" Alistair wipes a tear from his eye. "Oh, Anthony. You are so delightfully provincial."
Alistair leans in, lowering his voice conspiratorially.
"I went to private boarding school in the sixties, Anthony. Cold showers, rugby, and Latin." He winks. "If you didn't have a 'confusing friendship' with the rowing captain that involved a lot of nude wrestling in the dorms, you were considered anti-social. A little experimentation builds character. It teaches you leverage."
The Board members look horrified. I look horrified and nauseated at the thought of what my father is implying.
"My point," Alistair continues, straightening his tie, "is that I don't care who my son sleeps with, or whose dick is in his mouth. I care that he is the best surgeon in this city. And I care thatyouannoyed my wife before she had finished her coffee."
Alistair walks closer to Sterling.
"Catherine is a narcissist, Anthony. She doesn't care about the photos. She cares aboutoptics. And do you know what the optics are right now?"
Alistair pulls a tablet from his coat pocket. He throws it on the table.
It’s a news article. The headline reads:HERO DOCTOR SURVIVES BLIZZARD CRASH. "TRAUMA COWBOY" SAVES TWO IN DARING RESCUE.
There is a picture of Jax, looking rugged and bloody, being loaded into the ambulance.
"The public loves him," Alistair says. "Twitter is calling him 'Daddy.' I don't know what that means, but my PR team tells me it is a term of endearment and not a paternity claim. Catherine is already planning a 'Hero’s Gala' to capitalize on the donation spike."
Alistair’s face hardens.
"And you," he points the cane at Sterling’s chest, "want to fire him. You want to fire the golden goose because you have a puritanical stick up your ass."
"I am enforcing the bylaws!" Sterling shouts.
"You are boring me," Alistair says dismissively. "And worse, you are boring my wife. She told me to 'fix it.' And since I delight in proving that I can solve problems you create..."
Alistair turns to the Board.
