Chapter 180

Chapter 180
Harper

"You," she choked, rising unsteadily. "You were with him last night, weren't you? Before he—" She couldn't finish.

I moved forward, the grief on my face not entirely feigned. "Nancy, I'm so sorry."

"Don't you dare," she spat, but the venom was diluted by the tremor in her voice. "Don't pretend to care now. You left him. You broke his heart, and now—" She dissolved into sobs, burying her face in her hands. "My boy. My only boy."

The naked pain in her voice cut through me. This wasn't the calculating, manipulative Nancy I knew. This was a mother who believed she'd lost her son. Real or not, her grief was devastatingly authentic.

Henry looked up at his grandmother, then at me. "Grandma says Dad's in heaven now," he whispered, his voice small and uncertain. "But last night he promised to help with my science project today."

My throat tightened. I crouched down to his level, fighting to keep my voice steady. "Sometimes... sometimes people have to leave us suddenly, Henry. Even when they don't want to."

Grace stepped forward, offering her drawing to Nancy. "I made this for him," she said. "See? He's in heaven, but he can still see us."

Nancy stared at the crayon drawing—a stick figure with wings hovering above smaller figures labeled "Henry," "Grace," "Samuel," and "Mom." For a moment, I thought she might tear it up. Instead, her hands trembled as she took it.

"Thank you, child," she whispered, her eyes lingering on Grace's face. Did she see the resemblance? The same determined chin, the same intelligent eyes as Rowan?

Samuel moved to stand beside his sister. "We're sorry about your son," he said formally, his voice small but steady. "My mom says it's okay to be sad when bad things happen. But you're not alone. You have Henry, and..." he glanced at me, then back at Nancy, "...and we're here too."

Nancy looked between the twins, her expression unreadable. Then, to my astonishment, she reached out and pulled Grace into a loose embrace. "Thank you, child," she whispered again, her voice hoarse. "You have a kind heart."

I caught Vivien's eye across the room. This was not the reaction we'd anticipated. There was something almost redemptive in watching Nancy's defenses crumble, revealing the wounded mother beneath all that armor.

The moment was shattered by the arrival of Michael Blake, Ryan at his heels and Serena trailing behind. Blake's face was arranged in a mask of solemn concern, but I caught the flash of triumph in his eyes as he surveyed the room—taking inventory of his new domain.

"Nancy, my dear friend," he intoned, crossing to take her hand. "What devastating news. The business community is in shock."

Nancy straightened, years of social training kicking in. "Michael. Thank you for coming."

Blake's gaze swept the room, lingering on me with calculated interest, then dropping to the children. "Harper. How... unexpected to find you here. And with your... children."

"They have as much right as anyone," Vivien cut in smoothly. "Henry and the twins have become friends."

Blake's smile was cold enough to freeze flame. "Of course. The grieving ex-wife and her children. How appropriate. Though I must say, the timing of your reconciliation with Rowan seems... convenient."

I felt a surge of genuine anger. "I'm here because these children just lost someone important to them," I said evenly. "This isn't about business or timing. It's about respect."

Samuel edged closer to me, his body tensing as he sensed the hostility. Grace had retreated to Henry's side, the two of them watching the adults with wide, wary eyes.

"Children need stability in times like these," Blake agreed with false sympathy, turning to Nancy. "Speaking of stability, I've taken the liberty of calling an emergency board meeting for tomorrow. We'll need to appoint interim leadership immediately."

"That seems premature," I said before I could stop myself, the words sharp with authentic outrage.

Blake's eyes narrowed. "The markets wait for no one, Dr. Sinclair. Whitaker Holdings must demonstrate continuity. Already our stock has dropped nearly five percent."

"My son isn't even—" Nancy began, then covered her mouth as fresh tears fell. "He's not even gone a day, and you're discussing stock prices?"

"I understand, Nancy," Blake soothed, his hand on her shoulder. "Which is why Ryan and I are prepared to step in temporarily. To honor Rowan's legacy. To protect everything he built. For Henry's future," he added, his gaze sliding to the boy.

I felt sick at his transparent power grab. This wasn't acting; this was Blake showing his hand exactly as we'd predicted.

"Perhaps we could discuss this later," Serena suggested quietly, stepping forward. "After the immediate arrangements? The children don't need to hear this."

I studied her face, searching for signs of complicity with Blake, but found only a hollow emptiness. Her eyes were puffy, her makeup minimal. If she was acting, she deserved an award.

Blake looked annoyed but nodded. "Of course. We'll leave you to your grief." His gaze slid back to me, sharp as a scalpel. "All of you."

As they turned to leave, Serena hesitated. "Harper, might I have a word? About the children?"

I nodded stiffly. "Vivien, would you mind watching them for a moment?"

Vivien immediately engaged the three children in a quiet conversation about what snacks they might like, leading them to a corner of the room. I followed Serena into the adjoining study, my guard fully up.

The moment the door closed behind us, I braced myself for an attack. Instead, Serena leaned against the desk, suddenly looking exhausted.

"I didn't think I'd care," she said quietly. "I thought I'd be relieved, honestly. After everything..." She shook her head. "But seeing Henry's face when Nancy told him..."

I remained silent, watching her carefully.

"Is it true?" she hissed, eyes suddenly fierce. "Did Blake do this?"