“Do you like her?”
The Single Dad nearly dropped a wrench.
“What?”
The Daughter sat on a stool eating crackers.
“The fancy lady.”
“She has a name.”
“I know.”
“You call her the fancy lady.”
“Sometimes.”
The Single Dad returned to the engine bay.
His Daughter continued.
“You smile when she comes.”
“I smile when customers come.”
“No.”
He looked at her.
She smiled smugly.
“You smile different.”
The Single Dad shook his head.
Nine years old.
Terrifying.
The first real argument between the Woman and Single Dad happened over the auction.
The Woman had decided to sell.
He understood.
Seven million dollars could transform anyone's life.
She had charities.
Investments.
A foundation her father had left underfunded.
The car was valuable.
Keeping it required security, insurance, maintenance.
Selling was logical.
Then the Collector returned.
This time with a much larger offer.
Five million cash.
Private sale.
No publicity.
The Woman was tempted.
The Single Dad hated it.
“Why?”
She asked.
“Because he tried to steal it from you for seventy-five thousand.”
“He made an offer.”
“He knew what it was.”
“So?”
“So character matters.”
The Woman folded her arms.
“Money matters too.”
“He has the money.”
“He wants the car.”
“He’s offering almost the low end of the appraisal without fees.”
The Single Dad wiped his hands.
“That doesn't make him trustworthy.”
“I’m not marrying him.”
The words came out.
Silence followed.
The Woman realized what she had said.
The Single Dad looked at her.
She looked away.
“That wasn't…”
“I know.”
Neither continued that part.
The Single Dad said:
“There's another reason.”
“What?”
“He wants secrecy.”
“He keeps asking whether you'll sign a confidentiality agreement about the father's documents.”
The Woman frowned.
“So?”
“Why?”
“He says collectors value privacy.”
“Then why does he care about engineering documents he doesn't own?”
The Woman stopped.
The Single Dad continued.
“He doesn't only want the car.”
“He wants the story controlled.”
That night, they reviewed the father's XR folders again.
This time they focused on patents.
Design drawings.
One engineering concept appeared repeatedly.
A rear suspension geometry later used by Kingsley on multiple production models.
The father had developed it before the company formally patented a similar design under another engineer's name.
The Woman looked at the dates.
“Are you saying they stole his work?”
“I’m saying the dates raise questions.”