Chapter 70 Pride and Empty Houses
Saturday Morning - 9:30 AM
Elena pulled the laundry basket from the closet. Set it on the living room floor.
Leo appeared immediately. "Can I help?"
"You want to help with laundry?"
"Yeah! I'm very good at helping!"
She smiled. "Okay. Sort the colors from the whites."
"What's colors?"
"Anything that's not white."
"So... everything?"
"Almost everything."
He dove into the basket enthusiastically. Pulled out one of Alexander's shirts. "This is Dad's."
"It is."
"Why is Dad's shirt here?"
"Because he left it here."
"Why?"
"Because he stays over sometimes."
"Oh." Leo held up the shirt. "It's really big. When I grow up, will I be this big?"
"Probably."
"Good. Then I can wear big shirts too." He tossed it toward the "colors" pile. Missed. Tried again.
Elena started folding clean clothes from the dryer.
Leo pulled out a sock. Then another. "Mama, these don't match."
"They're both yours."
"But this one has dinosaurs and this one has stripes."
"You can wear them anyway."
"But they DON'T MATCH."
"Nobody sees your socks under your shoes."
He looked scandalized. "I see them!"
"Then wear matching ones."
"Okay!" He dove back into the basket, searching for sock pairs with intense concentration.
Elena folded towels. Leo tossed socks around the living room.
"Found one! Wait, no. That's the wrong green."
"You have a lot of socks, baby."
"I know! It's actually a problem. Too many socks, not enough feet."
She laughed. "You only have two feet."
"Exactly! I need more feet or less socks."
He abandoned the sock search. Moved to her pile of folded laundry.
Started unfolding towels.
"Leo, I just folded those—"
"But I want to fold them!"
"They're already—"
"PLEASE?"
She sighed. "Fine. Fold them."
He attempted to fold a towel. It came out lumpy and crooked. He held it up proudly.
"Perfect!"
"Very nice."
"I'm basically a professional folder now."
He "folded" three more towels, each worse than the last.
Elena refolded them quietly after he moved on to shirts.
"Mama, can we visit Dad's house today?"
She paused mid-fold. "His apartment?"
"Yeah! I want to see it when I'm AWAKE this time!"
"You were there last week, baby."
"But I was SLEEPING! I don't remember anything! I want to see it with my EYES OPEN!"
Elena smiled.
The massive space still felt surreal compared to her small house.
She pulled out her phone. Texted Alexander: Leo wants to visit your apartment while actually conscious. You home?
Response came immediately: Yes. Come over. I'll make lunch.
She looked at Leo. "Okay. We can visit."
"YES!" He threw a sock in the air. "This is the BEST day!"
Noon
Alexander's building was all glass and steel. Doorman in the lobby.
Elevator with buttons that required a key card.
Leo pressed his face to the elevator wall. "This is SO fancy."
"It's just an elevator, baby."
"But it has MUSIC! And it smells like flowers! Our elevator smells like carpet!"
Elena had forgotten how overwhelming the building was. The marble. The chandeliers. The quiet wealth.
The doors opened on the penthouse floor.
Leo's eyes went huge. "Whoa. There's only ONE door up here?"
"The whole floor is Dad's apartment."
"THE WHOLE FLOOR?" His voice echoed. "That's RIDICULOUS!"
Alexander opened the door before they could knock.
"Hey!" He crouched down. "Welcome back, buddy. You awake this time?"
"VERY awake! Last time I slept through EVERYTHING and it was so SAD!"
He stepped inside slowly. Turned in a circle.
Floor-to-ceiling windows. Open concept. Everything white and chrome and spotless.
"This is REALLY big." Leo walked further in. "Why is it so big? Do giants live here?"
"Just me."
"That's too much house for one person!" He ran to the windows. "Mama! You can see EVERYTHING!"
Elena followed more slowly. It still amazed her - the sheer size, the view, the emptiness of it all.
"Still feels like a museum," she said quietly to Alexander.
"I know." He kissed her cheek. "Your place still feels more like home."
Leo ran past. "Can I explore NOW? When I'm awake?"
"Go ahead. Just don't touch anything breakable."
"What's breakable?"
"Everything expensive."
"How do I know what's expensive?"
"If it looks like it costs more than a car, don't touch it."
Leo considered this. "I don't know how much cars cost."
"Just—be careful."
"I'm ALWAYS careful!" He ran down the hallway.
Alexander led Elena to the kitchen. Started pulling out sandwich ingredients.
She leaned against the counter, watching him work.
"He's going to have so many questions."
"I'm prepared."
"You're not prepared."
"You're probably right."
Leo's voice echoed from somewhere. "Dad! You have THREE bathrooms! Why do you need three bathrooms? You only have one butt!"
Elena burst out laughing.
Alexander called back: "Good question! I don't have a good answer!"
"It's WASTEFUL!"
"You're absolutely right!"
Leo appeared in the kitchen doorway. "Can I see your room? The one I was too asleep to see last time?"
"Sure. Down the hall, last door."
He ran off.
"He has more energy than should be physically possible," Alexander said.
"I know. It's exhausting."
They heard Leo: "WHOA! Your bed is HUGE! You could fit like TEN people in here! Why would you need ten people in your bed? That seems crowded!"
Elena hid her face in her hands.
Alexander grinned. "Want to go rescue him from my bedroom before he asks more questions I can't answer?"
"Desperately."
They found Leo jumping on Alexander's bed. "It's so BOUNCY!"
"Leo, off."
"But it's like a trampoline!"
"Off. Now."
He stopped jumping. Flopped down dramatically. "This bed is ridiculous. It's too big. You should get a smaller bed. A normal-person bed."
"Noted."
"Our couch would fit on this bed!"
"Also noted."
Elena pulled Leo off before he could start jumping again.
They ate lunch at Alexander's huge dining table. Leo's legs swung, not reaching the floor.
"This table is too big," he announced. "We're too far apart. How are we supposed to talk?"
"We're talking right now," Alexander pointed out.
"But I have to YELL for you to hear me!"
"You're three feet away."
"EXACTLY! Too far!"
After lunch, Leo found Alexander's home office.
"You have a whole room just for a computer?"
"For work. Or I did."
"What do you do in here now?"
"Research. Planning. Thinking."
"About what?"
"Coffee shops."
"Why coffee shops?"
Alexander glanced at Elena. "Because I might open one."
"Really?" Leo's eyes lit up. "Can I work there?"
"You're three."
"I'm VERY mature I could serve coffee! Or—or I could greet people! I'm very good at saying hello!"
"We'll see."
"That means no."
"It means we'll see."
Leo explored more. Found the balcony.
"Mama! Dad! There's OUTSIDE up here!"
They joined him. The view stretched for miles.
Leo gripped the railing. "This is SO high. We're like birds! Do you think birds get tired of being this high all the time?"
"I don't know, buddy."
"Because I would. I'd want to be on the ground sometimes. The ground is nice. It has grass."
They stayed on the balcony. Leo pointing out buildings and clouds and birds.
Eventually, he yawned.
"Someone's tired," Elena said.
"I'm not tired. I'm just resting my eyes while standing up."
"Mm-hmm."
By two o'clock, Leo was asleep on Alexander's couch.
Elena covered him with a throw blanket.
Sat beside Alexander in the too-big living room.
"He's right. This place is ridiculous."
"I know."
"Last time he slept through the whole visit. At least this time he got to actually see it."
"And provide commentary on every single thing."
"That's his specialty."
They sat in comfortable silence.
"Your house is still better," he said.
"My house has peeling wallpaper and a broken step."
"It has you. That makes it better."
She leaned against him. "You say the corniest things."
"I know. It's embarrassing."
"I like it anyway."
"Good."
They sat watching Leo sleep until he woke up an hour later, disoriented and cranky.
"Where am I?"
"Dad's apartment."
"Oh. The giant one." He rubbed his eyes. "Can we go home now? This place is too fancy. It makes me nervous."
Elena smiled. "Yeah, baby. We can go home."
While Alexander’s penthouse filled with laughter, across the city Catherine Thorne was learning just how loud silence could be.
Catherine reviewed quarterly projections in her office when her assistant knocked.
"Mrs. Thorne? Diane Ashford is here to see you."
Catherine looked up. "I don't have a lunch scheduled—"
"She said it's important."
Catherine closed her laptop. "Send her in."
Diane swept in wearing Chanel and concern. They'd been friends for twenty years. Country club. Charity boards. The same circles.
"Catherine." She air-kissed both cheeks. "We need to talk."
"About?"
"Not here." Diane glanced at the assistant. "Somewhere private."
They went to Catherine's private conference room. Closed the door.
Diane sat. Folded her hands on the table.
"I'm going to be direct because we're friends and someone needs to tell you."
"Tell me what?"
"People are talking. About your family. About Alexander and Victoria walking out. About—" She paused. "About what it means."
"What does it mean?"
"That you're losing control. That Richard can't manage his own children. That the company is in chaos."
Catherine's spine straightened. "That's ridiculous."
"Is it? You fired your own son. Pushed out your daughter. Replaced them with strangers nobody trusts."
"Capable professionals—"
"Strangers," Diane repeated. "And people notice. They're talking, Catherine. At the club. At charity functions. At every event you haven't attended this week."
"What are they saying exactly?"
Diane pulled out her phone. Pulled up a private message group.
Showed Catherine the screen.
Did you hear the Thorne children walked out? Over some woman with a baby?
Richard must be furious. You know he hates losing control.
I heard they haven't spoken in a week. The whole family is fractured.
Poor Catherine. Imagine losing both children over pride.
Not just pride - reputation. They'd rather destroy their family than admit they were wrong.
The company's falling apart. I heard the Singapore deal is collapsing.
And Morrison. They've been stalling for weeks.
Maybe the Thornes aren't as untouchable as they thought.
Catherine's hands trembled. "Where is this from?"
"The Westchester Ladies Association group chat. Three hundred members." Diane took back her phone. "That's just one group. There are others."
"They're gossips—"
"They're your peers. Your social circle. The people who matter." Diane's voice softened. "Catherine, they're not wrong. Your children left. You replaced them with outsiders. The company is struggling. People can see it."
"We're handling it—"
"Are you? Because from the outside, it looks like you're choosing pride over family. And in our world—" She paused. "Family is everything. You taught me that."
Catherine stood. Moved to the window.
Below, the city moved. Oblivious. Uncaring.
"What am I supposed to do? Call them? Apologize?"
"That would be a start."
"Richard won't allow it."
"Then Richard is a fool." Diane joined her at the window. "I've known you both for twenty years. You're brilliant, powerful, respected. But this? This makes you look weak. Petty. Like parents who can't admit when they're wrong."
"We weren't wrong—"
"Weren't you?" Diane's reflection looked sad. "Your son fell in love. Found out he has a child. Wanted to do the right thing. And you punished him for it."
"He embarrassed this family—"
"He chose love over business. In any other context, that would be admirable."
"Not in our world."
"Maybe that's the problem." Diane touched her arm. "Catherine, I've watched you build this empire. This reputation. This perfect life. But what's it worth if you lose your children?"
Catherine didn't answer.
"People are saying—" Diane hesitated.
"What?"
"They're saying Richard is desperate. That he's blackballing Alexander. Making calls to ensure no one hires him."
"How do they—"
"Word travels. Someone at Morrison mentioned it to someone at Sterling. It spread." Diane's voice dropped. "And now people are wondering—if Richard would destroy his own son's career, what would he do to business rivals?"
"That's absurd—"
"Is it? You're proving you'll do anything to maintain control. Even hurt family. That makes you dangerous. Unpredictable."
Catherine turned from the window. "What are you really here to tell me?"
"That you're losing more than your children. You're losing respect. Credibility. Trust." Diane moved to the door. Paused. "Fix this, Catherine. Before there's nothing left to fix."
After she left, Catherine stood alone in the conference room.
Pulled out her phone.
The gossip messages were still there. Growing. New ones appearing as she watched.
I heard Alexander has a three-year-old son. Richard refuses to acknowledge him.
Can you imagine? Your own grandchild.
Poor boy. Growing up knowing his grandparents rejected him.
The Thornes used to be respectable. Now they're just cruel.
Catherine closed the messages.
Walked back to her office.
Her assistant looked up. "Mrs. Thorne? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Hold my calls."
Inside, she closed the door.
Sat at her desk.
Stared at her phone.
Alexander's contact was still there.
So was Victoria's.
One call. That's all it would take.
One call and this could start to heal.
But Richard would never forgive her.
Would see it as betrayal. Weakness.
Catherine set down her phone.
Tried to focus on work.
But Diane's words echoed.
What's it worth if you lose your children?
Outside her office, the company moved. Operated. Continued.
Strangers in her children's offices.
Strangers making decisions. Running the empire she and Richard had built for their family.
For Victoria and Alexander.
Who were gone.
Who might never come back.
Catherine closed her eyes.
For the first time in years of marriage, she wondered if Richard was wrong.
And if he was—
If they'd sacrificed their children for nothing—
Then what did that make them?
The answer terrified her.
So she pushed it away.
Went back to work.
Pretended everything was fine.
Like she always did.
The cracks were visible now.
To the board.
To their friends.
To the entire city.
One cruel comment at a time.
Lost contract at a time.
One missing child at a time.
Until there was nothing left but pride.
And pride, Catherine was learning, was the coldest companion of all.