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"No one else is here," she says "Your father’s sick I thought it was just bronchitis, but now I think it’syour mother, but I’ve only met her briefly and--"

"When did you meet my mother?"

"Today, and I have no sense of how he’d react toher That’s why I’m here He’s really sick"

"Define ‘sick’ Why do you think it’sup blood, Shane"

Blood The word punches ood"

I run ot to tell you he has cancer" I reach for the door at the sound of her intake of air, yanking it open "And he gets angry when he’s re down the hallway and through the now dark lobby, not slowing until I’m at my father’s closed doors

I’ fit sounds on the other side Knowing how he despises see weak, I wait and wait some more, but he continues to hack eternally A blade of pain slices throughother than the cancer traveling fro Most of the ti It’s how I cope, perhaps because it’s how he copes, but there are ut

I open the doors to findbehind his desk in profile and hunched over Mindful of his privacy, I shut us inside the office, rounding the desk to find he’s leaning over a trashcan My gaze lands hard on the blood tingeing the napkin in his hand, the sight driving that proverbial blade of dread a little deeper So does the way he avoids looking atthat leaves his lips stained red

Desperate to help hih I doubt he would do rab the bottle of water on his desk, and hand it to him "Drink," I order

He accepts it and dan of weakness he’s never shown, not even during che as he tries to s, but just when I’ Half a bottle later, he’s wiping his"This didn’t happen," he orders

"It did happen," I say "Mo to face his desk, and I can almost see that invisible wall, which he habitually slaher than nor the desk, arms crossed as I stare down at him "The cancer has spread," I say and it’s not a question

"I’ray, bloodshot eyes meet mine "Yes What did you hen you came in here?"

"More che Monday, which is why I’oddanore the question "Does Mom know?"

"No one knows That’s why I said this didn’t happen Keep your mouth shut"

"She deserves to be told"

"Why? So she can worry ers laced in front of him on the desk as he leans forward "Back to business What are you here for?"

The cold reserve of his tone matches the look in his eyes that tells er starts to for, would you help Derek take this company into deeper, darker places, rather than help me secure a different future for him, and for everyone involved? Why, Father?"

"Son, I’enda This company has to survive, and thrive, in inity, do it Make it happen"

"You’re as on the sidelines as a quarterback and apparently you’re going to go into your grave lying to ing hiinto the hard man that built an e about handing over the reins to Brandon Enterprises auess your brother, you can’t handle this co withwith you It doesn’t have to be this way You have the power to change everything Help et us free of all this dirty one? If you can’t take what you want, then soone"

Our eyes connect and hold, a silent war between us, and while I pride myself on control, the absolute ability to contain what I feel, I am tested by thisus, as cancer is destroying hi before you die," I bite out I turn and start walking,down on the knob