Chapter 8 - The Echoes
Six months later, Nathan was working as a consultant for a firm that specialized in ethical healthcare infrastructure. It wasn't the high-flying life he had once lived, but it was honest work. And every evening, at exactly 5:30 PM, he was home.
The legal battles were still ongoing, but he had cleared his name. The evidence he had released had been enough to convict the hospital board members, and the state had launched a sweeping investigation into private medical care.
He was walking through the park with Lily and their new golden retriever, Buster, when his phone buzzed. It was Elias.
"The final settlement went through," Elias said. "They’ve dropped all charges related to the hospital break-in. You’re a free man, Nathan."
"Thanks, Elias," Nathan said.
"Are you going to try to build it back up? The firm?"
Nathan looked at Lily, who was chasing Buster through the grass, laughing with a sound like bells.
"No," Nathan said. "I’m done building empires. I’m building a home."
He hung up the phone and shoved it into his pocket. He didn't care about the board members, or the stock price, or the prestige. He cared about the way Lily’s hair caught the light. He cared about the way she leaned against his leg when they walked.
May you like
He realized then that he had spent his whole life looking for something that was already standing right in front of him.
He had just been too blind to see it.
