Daniel swallowed hard. The child in worn shoes and torn clothes was no beggar. At that very moment, she was wealthier than many of his most prestigious clients. She could buy the entire building if she wished.
For the first time in years, Daniel Brooks felt small.
The arrogance drained from him. The girl he had nearly mocked stood before him as the heir to a legacy built on love and foresight. Slowly, he rose from his chair and walked around his desk. Then, to everyone’s surprise, he knelt so he could meet Emma at eye level.
She stepped back, startled. She didn’t understand the endless zeros on the screen. She only sensed that the powerful man now seemed different—less like a giant, more like a person.
“Emma,” Daniel said quietly, his voice no longer booming, “do you know what this means?”
She shook her head, fighting back tears.
Claire crouched beside her and gently explained. She told Emma about Henry. About her mother’s kindness. About the gift left behind. She explained that those numbers meant she would never sleep on the street again. Never feel hunger twisting in her stomach again.