“He went too far,” Theo answers.
Nan folds her arms. “Love, Cuthbert’s crossed so many lines that by now, he sprints past them waving a great bloody flag.”
Leonand Angela nearly choke on their tea. A smile passes over Sato-san’s face.
Theo huffs a humorless breath. “This was worse, Nan. It was ugly. He attacked Kaori and me publicly. Then he tried to weaponize her life to cover his own mess. When I confronted him, it... escalated.”
“Understatement of the century,” Leon mutters into his mug.
“That’s something I was curious about. What happened after I was pulled out of the lobby?” I ask.
Theo’s fingers tighten on the edge of the table, his knuckles turning white. “He continued to insult you. I lost my temper and punched him square in the jaw.”
“Oh,” Leon says mildly. “I imagine that didn’t go down well.”
“It didn’t,” Theo replies grimly. “He fired me on the spot. Told me he never wanted to see me again and that I’ll be officially cut out of the will.” He looks around the table, his gaze firm. “I told him he could keep it. All of it. I don’t want anything to do with him—ever again. I’m done being his puppet.”
I’ve never been more proud of Theo. That has to be hands down one of the hardest things he’s ever done.
Nan goes very still. She presses both palms to the table. “Your grandfather would be livid,” she says, her voice trembling with a surprising cold fury. “He built that company with his bare hands. To see it used as a weapon? To see his own son humiliate his child to hide his own failures?” She closes her eyes for a moment. “He would be ashamed of the man Cuthbert has become. I’m glad he isn’t here to see it.”
No one speaks for a moment. Even the kettle on the stove seems to quiet down.
Then Nan straightens, lifting her chin, “Well,” she saysbriskly, “all we can do is move on and decide what to do next.”
I clear my throat, and both Theo and Nan look at me. My palms go damp. “I need to add something,” I say quietly. “I filed reports. HR and the police. I should’ve told you sooner, but he tried to blackmail me. I was afraid. And I didn’t want to add more to your plate.”
Theo’s head snaps toward me. A flicker of shock, then anger, and finally a crushing guilt settles over his features. “Blackmail? And you didn’t want tobotherme?” His voice cracks, raw with disbelief. “Kaori, I am so sorry you had to face him alone,” he murmurs. “I should’ve known. I should’ve seen it.”
Nan’s eyes widen. “That man,” she hisses, “has finally lost every last marble rolling about in his skull.” She pushes up from her chair with startling force for someone her age. “This is not on you, Theo. This is on my son. He has tormented you for years. Driven you past your limits. Undermined you at every turn.Enough is enough.”
She slams her fist onto the table, and the teacup rattles. “Here’s what’s going to happen.” Nan lowers herself back into her chair, but her posture is tall, like a queen holding court. “Your grandfather left me the controlling stake in Excelsior and the deciding vote on the board. I’ve never exercised it. I told myself it wasn’t my place to interfere with Cuthbert’s vision.” She pauses, her eyes flashing. “That changes today.”
Her gaze shifts to Theo, softened by something that looks like hope. “I think it’s time the company was run by someone who actually cares about the people in it. Someone like you.”
Theo’s face drains of color. “Nan... I don’t want it. I never have.”
She blinks, truly stunned. “But Theo, I thought this was your dream. To take the helm one day.”
He shakes his head, his shoulders drawing inward, as if he’s finally shedding a heavy coat he’s worn for a decade. “No. That was my father’s dream. And Granddad’s. Never mine.” His voice thickens. “The only reason I stayed—the only reason I endured any of this—was because I promisedyouI’d look after him. I wanted to honor that promise.”
The room goes dead silent. Nan looks at Theo as if seeing him for the first time.
“What I’ve always wanted,” Theo continues, his voice steadier now, “is to run my own small firm. Just me and a few engineers, specializing in roller coasters. No corporate politics, no blackmail, just the physics of it.”
“Why didn’t you ever tell me, love?” Nan asks.
Theo drops his gaze to the patterned rug, his voice barely audible. “Because I didn’t want to disappoint you. You and Granddad... you two raised me. You’re more my parents than my own.”
Nan’s lips tremble. She reaches across the table, covering Theo’s hand with her own. “You could never disappoint us, love. We never wanted you to spend your life cleaning up your father’s messes.” Her voice drops to a gentle, steady hum. “Your grandfather would have been so proud of you for walking away today. It’s the bravest thing you’ve ever done.”
Theo swallows hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he fights back the emotion I can see in his eyes.
Sensing he needs a moment of raw honesty with his nan, I catch Leon’s eye and tilt my head subtly toward the living room. He understands instantly. Angela and Sato-san join us as we slip out quietly, letting the kitchen door click shut behind us.
In the cozy sitting room, Leon sinks onto the faded floral sofa with a heavy sigh. “He needed that,” he murmurs. “He’s been carrying that secret like a rucksack full of bricks for years.”
I drift toward the window, bracing my palms against the sill as I look out over the Devon hills. I understand now why Theo calls this place home. The land rolls in gentle green waves, and the sheep graze with a blissful indifference to the scandals of men. It’s impossibly peaceful.
