flash
The heavy oak front door clicked shut, the sound echoing through the cavernous marble foyer of the Lincoln Park mansion. / Chapter 7 / 8

Chapter 7 - The Reckoning of Blackwood Capital

Three days later, the corporate world was rocked by an earthquake.

Blackwood Capital Partners announced a massive, unexpected restructuring. Marcus Vance, whose complicity in covering up corporate red flags and enabling toxic internal cultures had finally caught up with him, was unceremoniously stripped of his partnership and voted off the board.

Richard didn't care about the stock fluctuation. He didn't care about the headlines on the financial blogs.

For the first time in his life, Richard Blackwood left the office at 4:30 PM.

When his black SUV pulled up to the elite Lincoln Park private school, the other wealthy parents stared in absolute shock. Richard Blackwood—the elusive billionaire who had never once attended a school function—was standing in line with the other mothers and fathers, holding a bright blue plastic lunchbox.

The double doors of the elementary school opened, and a flood of children rushed out.

Ethan scanned the crowd, his face tense with habit. Then, he spotted him.

Standing right there by the gate, wearing a simple wool coat without his briefcase, was his father.

Ethan stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening in disbelief. Then, a radiant, blinding smile broke across his face—a smile that chased away every shadow of the past four years.

"DAD!" Ethan screamed at the top of his lungs, dropping his backpack and sprinting across the courtyard like his life depended on it.

Richard dropped to his knees just in time, catching his son as Ethan threw his arms around his neck, burying his face in his shoulder.

"You came," Ethan choked out, tears of joy streaming down his face. "You actually came."

"I told you, buddy," Richard whispered, burying his face in his son's hair, blinking back his own tears. "Nobody is ever taking me away from you again. I'm right here."

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