“I understand,” he said.
He clearly did not.
“No, don’t contact anyone else until I’ve explained.”
The call ended.
Richard finally walked into the kitchen.
“Who was that?”
Daniel didn’t answer.
Patricia did.
“She sent a video to his company.”
Richard turned toward me as if I had committed the offense.
“Why would you do something like that?”
I looked at the man who had turned the television louder while I screamed.
“You were here.”
His mouth opened, then closed.
“You saw what happened.”
“I didn’t see anything,” he said quickly.
Daniel looked at him.
That was the first moment I saw real panic.
Not because Richard had defended him.
Because Richard had contradicted what the camera could prove.
Patricia put down the wineglass.
“Clara, turn this ridiculous thing off and we’ll discuss this privately.”
Her tone changed completely.
No laughter now.
No talk about my place.
She spoke carefully, almost gently, because somewhere inside her mind she had finally understood that strangers with power were listening.
“This is a family matter,” she said.
I stared at her.
“It became a board matter when Daniel built his career on judgment and integrity.”
Daniel crossed the room in two strides.
“Don’t talk about my career like you understand it.”
He caught himself just before reaching me.
His eyes darted toward the camera.
His hands fell to his sides.
That tiny hesitation told me more than any apology could have.
He wasn’t stopping because he regretted hurting me.
He was stopping because people were finally watching.
His phone rang again.
He answered on the first vibration.
“Yes.”
This time his voice became formal.
“I understand the concern.”
He listened.
“No, there is no ongoing danger.”
I almost said something, but I didn’t need to.
The scene behind him answered for me.
The stove was still hot.
My hand was visibly injured.
The shattered dinner plate remained between us.
Patricia stood beside the wine she had stepped over me to retrieve.
Richard stood near the television he had deliberately turned louder.
Daniel swallowed.
“Yes,” he said.
“I understand.”
Another pause.
His face went gray.
