“I chose my career and my family’s company over my own children.”

“Emma Winters did not hide our sons to extort me.”

“She hid them to protect them from the toxic environment of the Harrington family.”

“She raised three incredible boys on a scientist’s salary, without asking me for a single dollar.”

He looked toward where I was standing in the dark.

“She is a woman of absolute integrity.”

“The blame for this secrecy lies solely with me, and with my mother, Helena Harrington.”

“She has spent the last month trying to destroy Emma’s reputation to protect a corporate image.”

“I will be stepping down as CEO of Harrington Energies, effective immediately, to focus on being a father.”

The camera crew cut the feed.

The room was completely silent for three seconds.

Then, the producer at the board looked up from his monitor.

“We’re trending number one,” he said. “The tabloid sites are already taking down the extortion headlines.”

Blake walked off the platform and came straight to me.

“Did that help?” he asked, his eyes searching mine.

“You gave up the company,” I whispered.