Chapter 6 - Shadows of the Past
That evening, after the executive briefing concluded, the thirty-fifth-floor offices emptied out, leaving only the soft hum of the environmental control systems and the distant twinkling of Seattle’s city lights through the glass windows.
Annie stood by the panoramic window, holding a cup of hot green tea, looking out over Elliott Bay. The rain was beginning to streak down the exterior glass in long, shimmering trails.
The door to the private office opened softly.
Footsteps approached across the plush carpet.
“You handled the Midwest director like a veteran litigator,” Jonathan said, walking over to stand beside her, holding a glass of scotch.
“I didn't litigate anything,” Annie replied, smiling faintly as she watched her own reflection in the glass. “I just read his inventory reports. Corrupt people are always lazy, Mr. Bennett. They leave paper trails because they assume nobody lower down on the organizational chart is smart enough to read them.”
“Jonathan,” he corrected gently.
Annie paused, turning her head to look at him. “Sir?”
“You’ve been calling me Mr. Bennett for a month, Annie. I think running an entire corporate audit gives you permission to use my first name.”
A warm, genuine smile touched Annie’s lips. “All right. Jonathan.”
He took a slow sip of his drink, his grey eyes softening as he studied her profile. “How is the new leg treating you? Any adjustments needed?”
“None,” she said, rolling her right ankle slightly beneath her slacks, feeling the effortless, silent response of the titanium and carbon-fiber joints. “It’s like breathing. I keep forgetting it’s even there. Which, I suppose, is the entire point.”
“Your father would have been proud,” Jonathan said quietly.
Annie’s smile faltered just a fraction. The cup of tea in her hands felt suddenly very heavy. She hadn't spoken much about her family, and Jonathan rarely pried into personal histories unless it was strictly necessary.
“You knew my father?” Annie asked, her voice dropping into a soft, hesitant whisper.
Jonathan turned fully toward her, resting his shoulder against the glass partition. “Not well. But I knew his work. Richard Carter was one of the lead biomechanical technicians at our original Portland research facility back when I was still trying to get my first patent approved. He was the one who designed the dampening piston geometry that made our early hydraulic knees viable.”
Annie’s eyes widened. “My dad never talked about that. When the company grew, he took a job at a local repair shop in Charlotte because he wanted to be closer to home when I was born.”
“He gave up a lot so you could have a future,” Jonathan said softly. “When I saw you in that supply closet three weeks ago, fighting with a broken B-12 unit just to keep your balance while helping everyone else around you... I didn't just see an intern with a faulty leg. I saw his stubbornness. I saw his refusal to quit.”
May you like
Annie looked down into her teacup, a stray tear escaping and slipping quietly down her cheek. She wiped it away quickly with the back of her hand, but Jonathan saw it.
“He would be proud of what you’ve built, Jonathan,” she whispered. “And I think... I think he’d be glad you finally opened the door.”
