Alexandra nodded.
Possible.
Then he added:
“The larger issue is whether MeridianPay remains independently viable after a major outage.”
There.
A different conversation hidden inside the cyber discussion.
Alexandra watched him.
“What are you suggesting?”
“Nothing yet.”
“Good.”
But two hours later, another board director used the phrase.
Strategic alternatives.
Then the CFO.
Three people.
Same language.
Alexandra started writing names.
At six that evening, Daniel woke to his daughter jumping onto his bed.
“Dad.”
He opened one eye.
“What?”
“There’s a lady in the kitchen.”
Both eyes opened.
“What lady?”
“The pretty mean one.”
Daniel sat straight up.
“Alexandra?”
His daughter shrugged.
“She said her name is Ms. Vale.”
Daniel threw the blanket aside.
He had slept seven hours.
He felt almost human.
He walked into the kitchen.
Alexandra sat at his table wearing the same clothes from that morning except the tie was gone and the sleeves of her white shirt were rolled up.
Dark sunglasses rested beside a cup of coffee.
His daughter was eating cereal across from her.
Daniel stopped.
“How did you get into my apartment?”
His daughter answered.
“I let her in.”
Daniel stared.
“We’re discussing stranger safety later.”
“She’s your boss.”
“She fired me this morning.”
Alexandra lifted one hand.
“Temporarily.”
His daughter looked horrified.
“You fired Dad?”
Alexandra looked toward Daniel.
“This feels unfair.”
Daniel folded his arms.
“Please continue.”
She turned back to the child.
“I made a mistake.”
The girl considered this.
Then nodded.
“Dad does that a lot.”
Alexandra laughed.
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Thank you.”
His daughter smiled sweetly.
Alexandra slid a folder across the table.
Daniel looked at it.
“What’s this?”
“Internal certificate history.”
He immediately sat.
His daughter sighed.
“You said no work tonight.”
Daniel opened his mouth.
Alexandra closed the folder.
“She’s right.”
Daniel stared at her.
“You came here because this is important.”
“Yes.”
“Then?”
“Eat.”
“What?”
“Dinner.”
He looked around.
“You brought dinner?”
She pointed toward several containers.
His daughter said:
“She got Chinese.”
Daniel looked at Alexandra.
“I didn’t know what you ate.”
His daughter raised her hand.
“Dad eats anything when it’s free.”
“Traitor.”
They ate.
For twenty minutes, they did not discuss MeridianPay.
Alexandra learned Daniel’s daughter loved astronomy.
Daniel learned Alexandra had grown up in Ohio above her parents’ small accounting office.
His daughter asked why Alexandra wore sunglasses inside.
Daniel nearly spit out his water.
Alexandra stared at the child.
Then at Daniel.
He held up both hands.
“I had nothing to do with that.”
Alexandra removed the glasses.
“Happy?”
The girl nodded.
“You’re prettier without them.”
Daniel became intensely interested in his noodles.