2024-12-14 06:11:07
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329. The Decision
The city had shifted since the truth came out.The media storm faded into murmurs. The Everest name was no longer a weapon or a wall — just a name, worn honestly now, like a coat patched at the elbows but loved all the more because of it.Four months had passed since Van stood at that podium. Four months of quiet reconstruction — not of buildings or wealth, but of meaning. Of mornings filled with pancakes and messy art projects. Of therapy and transparency and apologies that turned into routines.And now — in the golden haze of a Sunday morning — life was blooming again.Literally.“I've decided on what I want the first thing I want to do.” Isadora suddenly announced as they had drinks together. “Really? And what's that?” Van was very happy that she felt with living with them and the kids, but deep down he always wished she would venture out into the world and do things, experience new things. But he didn't know how to tell her that without it sounding like he was chasing her out
328. After
The news didn’t just echo—it thundered.Within hours of Van’s press conference, every major media outlet had his name front and center. “Everest Legacy Shaken by Scandal— CEO Comes Clean.” “Van Everest Uncovers Father’s Secret Past, Declares Full Transparency.” “Truth Over Empire: The CEO Who Refused to Hide.”Some outlets praised him. Others questioned his motives. A few called it performative. But all of them agreed on one thing:He had done something no other Everest had ever done.He told the truth.The mansion phones rang nonstop the next day. Journalists. Board members. Old family “friends” who hadn’t called in years.Ivy watched Van pace the study with a quiet tension in his jaw, fielding questions with poise but no warmth.“No, we didn’t plan a rebrand,” he said to the receiver. “We planned a reckoning. There’s a difference.”She stepped in gently, touching his arm. “You need a break.”He met her eyes— and for a moment, all the strength he’d carried cracked. His shoulders sagg
327. The Reveal
The Reveal The auditorium was silent when Van stepped up to the podium. Cameras clicked instantly. Flashes burst like lightning. Phones were already streaming; reporters leaned forward, pens and recorders in hand. The Everest family name had always drawn attention — but today, the crowd wasn’t there for power. They were there for confession. Van adjusted the microphone and took a breath. Not to steady himself, but to acknowledge the weight of what he was about to say. No cue cards. No teleprompter. Just a man standing in front of the world with everything to lose and everything to gain. “My name is Van Everest,” he began, voice strong, steady. “For more than a year and half, I’ve served as CEO of the Everest Group. I'm still pretty new in the business world, but I'm sure few of you know me as a businessman, a philanthropist, and the son of Marcus Everest.” He let the name hang in the air. The room responded with perfect stillness. “I’ve spent the last few months digging through
326. Double Identity
The bedroom was quiet that night.Ivy had just finished settling Leona back into her cradle, humming softly until the baby’s tiny fists unclenched and her eyelids fluttered shut. Rain no longer pattered against the windows, but the air still felt heavy — like the last page of a chapter that hadn’t yet been turned.Van sat at the edge of the bed, still in his dress shirt, sleeves rolled to the elbows, tie discarded on the floor. He stared at his hands, elbows resting on his knees, jaw set.Ivy joined him wordlessly, perching beside him. She waited. She didn’t press. She knew he would speak when he was ready.“I wasn’t going to tell you tonight,” Van began, his voice low. “But you already know something’s wrong. And I don’t want you worrying more than you have to.”She glanced sideways at him. “I’m not worried about your silence. I’m worried about what’s behind it.”He nodded slowly. “It’s about my father. Marcus.”“I figured,” Ivy said gently. “You’ve been carrying him in your face al
325. Shadows
The rain had stopped, but the clouds remained— hovering low and thick over the city, muting the sunlight and softening the edges of the day.Ivy stood at the edge of the study, her arms crossed lightly over her chest. Van’s briefcase was gone from the hallway console now, and he hadn’t called home all morning.She knew the rhythm of his silences.When Van was tired, he paced. When he was irritated, he went quiet— but when he was anxious, he disappeared behind tasks. He would bury himself in purpose, mask it as duty.And she could feel it now: the shift. Something heavy pulling him beneath the surface.She didn’t want to be suspicious— but trust didn’t mean pretending not to notice.It meant caring enough to look closer.The study was just as Van had left it— papers stacked neatly, shelves alphabetized, and a slight coffee ring on the desk from yesterday’s mug.Ivy walked slowly to the far wall where the oldest family books were kept. She brushed her hand along the spines, leather boun
324. What Now?
The sun returned slowly the next morning— rising behind misty clouds, then streaming through the tall windows in gentle rays that spilled across the hardwood floor like honey.In the kitchen, Ivy hummed softly as she poured batter into a hot pan. The scent of vanilla and cinnamon filled the air. Leona was propped in a sling across her chest, awake but content, one tiny hand curled around the fabric as though she were holding on to her own little world.“I smell pancakes!” Billy shouted, barreling into the room with his usual whirlwind energy. His hair stuck out in five directions, pajama pants on backwards.“Morning, Electro Pancake,” Ivy said.“That’s my old name,” he said proudly. “Now I’m Captain Syrupstorm.”Chloe trudged in behind him, dragging a stuffed elephant by one leg. “I haven’t named myself yet. I’m still thinking.”Ivy flipped a pancake with one hand while steadying Leona with the other. “You’ve got time. You’re only eight.”“Eight and a half,” Chloe corrected.Van appea
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