THE CAMERA CONFRONTATION
Daniel walked into the living room while the boys were napping.
Rachel was cleaning. She looked up, startled by the coldness in his eyes.
“I saw the envelopes, Rachel,” Daniel said. “I saw the dance. I saw Michael’s photo.”
Rachel went still. She didn’t look scared. She looked… disappointed.
“I know you did,” she said quietly. “I’ve known about the cameras since the first day.”
“You knew?” Daniel stammered.
“You don’t hide them very well for a man who trusts no one,” she said. “But I stayed. Because those boys don’t need a millionaire. They need a father who stops looking at them through a screen.”
“Michael died alone because people were too busy checking boxes to actually care,” she hissed.
Daniel looked at the monitors on the wall. For the first time, he didn’t see a security risk. He saw his own cowardice.
“I want to help you,” Daniel whispered.
“Then stop watching,” Rachel replied. “And start participating.”