Chapter 408
$25 BONUS
Merida pulled an orange candy from her pocket, her voice tinged with disappointment. “I thought if I won the grand prize, Ms. Fisher would finally let Paisley have orange candy.”
Elara gently encouraged her daughter, “You know, there are other ways to get Paisley that candy.”
Merida lifted her small face. “Mommy, can I go talk to him?
Elara nodded. “You’re not enemies.”
Merida walked toward Harvey and opened her palm, revealing a single orange candy. She stretched her arm up toward him.
Harvey’s chest tightened, a ripple of emotion crossing his usually impassive eyes as he asked, “For me?”
Merida said formally, “Mr. Harvey, could you please give this to Paisley?”
The light in Harvey’s eyes dimmed momentarily. But the fact that his daughter had come to him–that she trusted him with this small mission–made him nod solemnly.
He took the candy from her palm. “I’ll make sure Paisley gets it.”
Merida dropped her hands to her sides and gave Harvey a polite bow. “Thank you, Mr. Harvey!”
When she looked up at him again, she squared her small shoulders.
For as long as she could remember, Harvey had loomed tall and distant in her life–an imposing tree reaching into the clouds, its face too far away to see clearly. He had always been passive toward her.
In all her memories, she couldn’t recall a single time Harvey had held her. She’d even asked Elara about it once.
“Did Daddy ever hold me when I was a baby?”
“…Of course, he did.”
But those two seconds of hesitation, the sadness Elara couldn’t quite hide–Merida had instantly recognized the
white lie.
Now that she was no longer Bambi Fisher, she found the courage to face Harvey openly and speak to him directly. Merida turned away without hesitation, skipping back toward Elara with light, carefree steps. Watching her daughter’s radiant smile, Elara opened her arms wide in welcome.
Meanwhile, Desmond glanced down at his phone. The recipient of his earlier message had finally replied: “I want to meet this remarkable girl. She might be exactly the talent I’ve been searching for!”
Desmond sighed heavily, his expression grave as he considered how his involvement might fuel rumors about him and Elara.
His fingers typed out a measured response: “I’ll arrange a meeting when the time is right.”
Beside him, Stanley spoke in a steely voice to his assistant, Summon Darcie Roman to my office immediately.”
Merida changed out of her performance costume and emerged from the dressing room in fresh clothes. Shirley, who had been waiting on a chair, hopped down. “Let me help you!”
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Chapter 408
The two girls stood together, folding Merida’s heavy costume.
“I’m so jealous of you!” Shirley sighed as she smoothed out the costume’s tassels.
“I can teach you tap dance next time!” Merida offered cheerfully, her voice bright and energetic.
Shirley shook her head. “I’m jealous that you have such an amazing mom! Your mom’s beautiful, generous, a math genius, and can race cars!
“When your dad made her unhappy–whoosh!-she just divorced him! But my mom… she’s useless!”
Shadows crept across Shirley’s expression as she spoke.
“Shirley, how can you say that about your mom?” Merida asked.
“Because it’s true! When Dad wanted a divorce, she refused, Merida, do you know what desperate, pathetic clinging looks like? That’s my mom!”
Outside the dressing room, Tilly overheard the conversation. Children from wealthy families often matured quickly their minds developing rapidly from the moment they gained awareness.
When Tilly turned, she found Elara standing behind her. Their eyes met, and Tilly’s were brimming with unshed
tears.
Elara’s throat tightened, and she murmured softly, “I’m sorry.”
