Instead of getting up right away, I reached for the tablet beside my desk and pulled up the security feed. The camera outside my office appeared on the screen, showing my father on the other side of the door.
I immediately set the tablet down, walked over, and opened the door. “Dad.”
He stepped inside, offering a small nod as he looked between us. “Hey, Cal.”
“Mr. Sterling,” Theo greeted politely.
My father nodded in acknowledgment. “It’s good to see you.”
“You too.”
Once the greetings were out of the way, my father stepped further into the office.
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
“Not at all.”
He looked at me for a moment before speaking again. “I wanted to ask if everything was in place for the charity ball.”
The moment he mentioned it, I reached for my phone. While he waited for my answer, I quickly sent a text.
Callahan: Don’t forget to contact Christina. She needs to help Vani get ready for the charity ball.
Then I sent another message.
Callahan: How’s everything going with what I asked you to handle this morning?
A few seconds passed before the reply came.
Daniel: Everything’s going according to plan.
Satisfied, I slipped my phone back into my pocket and focused on the conversation.
“Yes,” I told my father. “Everything is going well. The preparations are in place.”
He nodded slowly. “That’s good.”
The charity ball was something we took seriously every year. It raised a significant amount of money for the causes we supported and attracted substantial attention from donors and business partners.
My father seemed satisfied with my answer. Then his expression shifted slightly. “There’s something else I wanted to talk about.”
He looked at me with a faintly apologetic expression. So I already knew where this was going.
“I want to apologize for your mother’s behavior.”
I shook my head immediately. “You’re not the one who should be apologizing.”
“I know,” he said quietly. “But—”
“Dad,” I interrupted gently, “you didn’t do anything wrong.”
He sighed slightly. “I still feel responsible.”
“You shouldn’t.”
He didn’t argue, but the tired look on his face told me he wasn’t entirely convinced. I leaned back against my desk.
“If anything,” I continued, “you should be firmer with her.”
