He had spent a lifetime building an empire out of money.
And it took a lie, a cruel woman, and a housekeeper with worn shoes to teach him what wealth actually was.
Not the offshore accounts.
Not the headlines.
It was the people who stayed when leaving would’ve been easier.
It was a woman who shielded two frightened boys with her body.
It was the decision, every day, to be human.
Marcus turned away from the window and stepped into the room where his sons were laughing.
Where Naomi’s voice hummed softly as she scolded them with affection.
Where the future didn’t look perfect.
And for the first time in a long time, Marcus Hail didn’t feel like a titan.
He felt like a man who had finally learned how to stand.
