𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙲𝚊𝚏é 𝙾𝚠𝚗𝚎𝚛 𝙷𝚞𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝙼𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙼𝚢 𝙱𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝙲𝚑𝚒𝚑𝚞𝚊𝚑𝚞𝚊 𝙾𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚊 𝙲𝚞𝚙 𝚘𝚏 𝙲𝚘𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚎—𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝙷𝚒𝚜 𝙵𝚒𝚊𝚗𝚌é𝚎’𝚜 𝙵𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚆𝚊𝚕𝚔𝚎𝚍 𝙸𝚗

That somehow felt more serious.

Christopher turned toward her.

“You know how much I’ve invested in this café.”

“I do,” she said.

“That’s why I’ve been telling you for months that success won’t mean anything if you become someone I don’t respect.”

“Can we discuss this privately?”

Victoria shook her head.

“No.”

“Victoria.”

“Carol shouldn’t be pushed out of the conversation when she’s the person you humiliated.”

Steven had remained quiet through most of this.

Now he spoke.

“Victoria told me you were proud of what you had built here.”

Christopher faced him.

“I am.”

“I understand that.”

Steven glanced around.

“Actually, Victoria and I had talked about your hopes of opening another location.”

Victoria looked surprised.

“Dad?”

Steven turned toward her.

“I hadn’t told either of you because I hadn’t decided.”

Christopher’s expression changed again.

Steven continued.

“I had been considering helping with the expansion after the wedding.”

Christopher stared.

“Investing?”

“Yes. Considering it.”

Victoria looked equally shocked.

“You never told me that.”

“I wanted to see the business for myself before making any decision.”

Christopher’s eyes moved toward me.

Then toward the sandwich he had suddenly offered.

I understood exactly what he was thinking.

So did Steven.

“You didn’t know he might invest,” I said.

Christopher shook his head.

“No.”

“But you knew who he was.”

“I’d seen photographs.”

“And you’d spoken to him?”

“A few times.”

I nodded.

“So you didn’t suddenly become generous because you thought Steven had money for you.”

Christopher seemed relieved for half a second.

Then I continued.

“You became generous because you realized someone important was watching.”

The relief vanished.

Part 6 — The Ring on the Counter

Victoria stood silently for several seconds.

Then she reached for her left hand.

Christopher saw the movement immediately.

“Vic.”

She slid off her engagement ring.

His face changed.

“No.”

Victoria placed the ring carefully on the counter.

Christopher stared at it.