Chapter 3

My phone buzzed. A text from Jessica.

"Mike, don't misunderstand. I promised David I' d pretend to be Kevin' s mom for the gala; he' s never had a stable mother figure. You' re embarrassing me by making a scene. Stop it."

I almost laughed. Pretend? This was far beyond pretending.

She seemed to have forgotten a crucial detail.

I, Michael Thompson, the man she considered a low-key freelancer, perhaps a stay-at-home dad, was the founder and discreet majority owner of Starlight Capital.

The private equity firm that owned Innovate Solutions.

The firm that had installed her as CEO, a move I made to support her ambitions, to give her the career she craved.

She was CEO because I allowed it.

She was on that stage because I funded it.

Her arrogance, her delusion, was staggering.

I discreetly typed a message to two numbers: Ms. Albright, my Chief Legal Officer at Starlight, and Mr. Henderson, our Head of HR.

"Gala. School gym. Situation developing. Stand by."

Lily, tears welling in her eyes, couldn' t stay silent any longer.

"You' re wrong!" she shouted, her small voice surprisingly strong. "Jessica Miller is my mom! My dad is her real husband! That man is the other guy!"

Her words, raw with a child' s honesty, hung in the air.

Then, the laughter started. Mocking, cruel laughter from the assembled parents.

Kevin Carter, David' s son, a boy who mirrored his father' s arrogance, rushed towards us.

"Who are you calling the other guy, brat?" he snarled, shoving Lily hard. "You and your deadbeat dad are just jealous!"

Lily stumbled back.

Before Kevin could strike her, I stepped between them, my hand shooting out to block his arm.

"Don't you touch my daughter," I said, my voice low and dangerous.

Kevin, momentarily surprised by my quickness, scowled but backed off a step as David pulled him back.