I didn’t see Josh at breakfast. He left earlier than usual and I overslept.

I really wanted to talk to him today. Dad’s trial was finally set and the noose just got tighter around his neck. Things could escalate fast from here on.

But I didn’t know what to say to Josh. His mind still hadn’t changed until now. Maybe it was time to accept it. He would never change his mind.

I failed.

What could we possibly do now? The thought of my father spending twenty years in jail was not an option. Maybe I should just ask my father to enter into a plea bargain with the prosecution. I knew he’d refuse. He was innocent. He told me he’d fight until the very end to prove his innocence, but I’d talked to his lawyers and they told me the truth.

My dad’s defense was weak. The only way he’d be exonerated was if Rutledge testified in court that Dad was not complicit in the fraud. But Rutledge had refused to even talk to my father after the scam was exposed. It seemed that the evil man was determined to bring everyone down with him, including the innocent ones.

My phone rang at noon. I was hoping it was Josh but it was my mother.

“Honey, Vernon called. He wants to meet us at the Manhattan Jail at 2 PM this afternoon.”

“Did something come up, Mom?”

“I don’t know. He didn’t say, but it must be very important if Vernon wants us to meet there.”

“Okay, I’ll be there in an hour. We’ll take a town car together to the city jail.”

I hung up and called Josh.

He answered right away. “Cressida.”

His tone was impersonal, but last night, he took me in his arms and comforted me. He knew I was agonizing about my father. He could have just let me wallow in my own misery, but he didn’t. He took me to bed and kissed my hair, caressed my arms until I fell asleep.

It was the first time that he touched me without any carnal intent. It must mean something. Maybe, he did care a little now. I even thought that maybe he was starting to believe my father was innocent.

But there was no warmth in his voice today. Nothing that would indicate he was even interested to talk to me.

“Cressida, are you there?”

“I…I would need your chopper to visit my father again today.”

“Okay, I’ll send Reno to pick you up and bring you back.”

“Thank you.”

“Okay, bye.”

My tears fell when he hung up.

Indeed, maybe it was time for me to accept the reality staring me in the face.

I lost.

“This is unacceptable, Mr. Landis! We trusted you to lead this case for us!”

“Did you cut a deal with Madden? Did you sell us out?!”

“There are talks that you want to takeover Madden Securities. Is this true?”

“We saw the rags. Are you dating his daughter?”

“You seem to be having a conflict of interest, Mr. Landis.”

“What happens to our case now?”

“You’re not gonna let Madden get away with this, are you, Mr. Landis?! Lives have been destroyed because of this man! He has to be put to justice! We want justice!”

I watched and listened impassively as Madden’s victims aired their grievances. If it had been another situation and not about Madden, they would have paid dearly for speaking in my presence this way. I didn’t take insults well, especially if they needed me more than I needed them. But I curbed my ire and swallowed their tirades.

Inside, I was a mess myself. I was known in Wall Street as a decisive, straight-talking dealmaker. Until now. I’d never felt more undecided than this very moment.

I glanced at their lawyer. The man stood up and tried to pacify his disgruntled clients. “Gentlemen, ladies, I’m sure Mr. Landis can explain himself. Let’s listen to him first, shall we?”

They all settled back in their seats and fell quiet, waiting for me to speak.

Stick to the plan.

“Yes, it’s true. I’m taking over Madden Securities.”

Noise erupted again but I raised my hand. “Do you want your money back?”

That got their attention.

“When I become the new owner of Madden Securities, I promise to return your money.”

“Are you shitting us?” one scoffed. "How are you going to save the company? Madden said all our money is with Rutledge, and Rutledge’s money can’t be found by the FBI.”

“Yeah, are you going to pay us from you own pocket, Landis?” one sniggered.

Stick to the fucking plan.

“Yes.”

Silence.

I saw Wyatt’s shock. My poor lawyer looked like he’d swallowed poison and would start puking his guts out on the table any moment.

I stood up from my chair. “When I’m running Madden Securities, I’ll double your expected returns in three years, with dividends in between, to keep you all afloat.”

“Please, don’t raise our hopes up, Mr. Landis. We’ve been through enough. We can’t take another let down,” one of the women said, but she looked hopeful.

“I won’t let you down. I promise. I got you.”

They all looked at each other, uncertainty in their faces.

“My lawyer is just ironing the deal with Madden.” Wyatt’s face was grim. “Once everything’s in my name, I’ll return half of your original investments in cash. You’ll leave the other half in the company, but you will all get the full ROI after three years, excluding the dividends every quarter of the year. But…”

My eyes scanned their faces before dropping the bomb. “You will have to drop the class suit against Madden.”

Deafening silence.

At this point, I avoided looking at Wyatt.

“Do we have a deal?” I asked them in general.

They all looked at their lawyer, who nodded in approval.

All eyes went back to me again.

“Yes.”

“Yes!”

“Yes!!!”

Applause erupted in the conference room. They jumped from their seats to shake my hand. The men enveloped me in bear hugs, their gratitude evident in their eyes. The ladies tearfully thanked me for saving their lives, for giving them back their future.

It was surreal.

I wondered why the hell I was doing this. This was the most stupid business decision I’d ever made.

I just paid off half of Madden’s debt to these investors. Over five hundred million dollars from my own pocket.

I just became their hero.

“Care to explain to me what the hell just happened in there, Boss?”

Wyatt’s voice was dripping with sarcasm as we both exited the conference room.

“In my office,” I said tersely.

We walked briskly toward the elevator that took us swiftly to my office on the higher floor.

“Okay, talk,” Wyatt said.

I sighed and slipped my hands inside my pant’s front pockets, standing before the panoramic windows. “I followed your advice, Wy. Aren’t you happy?”

“No, you didn’t! I asked you to offer the man a plea bargain, not let him off the fucking hook and drop the fucking case and pay off his debts so the other complainants will drop their class suit, too! What the hell, Josh?!”

I just sighed. What could I possibly say to explain my actions? It was stupid. Plain and simple. It was not my mind who’d decided. It was another part of me. A part of me I couldn’t even acknowledge because it was just too incredible to comprehend. I did it at the last minute.

I tried very hard to keep it strictly business, but Cressida was now a personal matter.

“It’s Madden’s daughter, isn’t it? She got to you.”

“I’m keeping her.”

“Ah, there you go.”

“And I’m taking over Madden Securities, as planned.”

“You’re aware that you can’t possibly have both, right?”

“I can.”

“Then you’re in over your head, Josh.”

“Take care of the court. Draw the agreement. Have Madden sign it before he gets out.”

Wyatt sighed deeply, but he nodded and left the room without another word.

I dropped my bulk onto my swivel chair.

God, help me, I really lost it this time.