Page 25 of Calculated Risk
"I quit the family business before I ever started. Told him I'm taking the Deloitte offer. That I don't need his approval or his money."
"Marcus—"
"I should have done it years ago. Been honest about what I want instead of calculating what everyone else expected." I cup her face. "You taught me that. How to be honest even when it's messy."
"Are you sure? Because if you're doing this for me?—"
"I'm doing this for me. For the first time in my life, I'm choosing what I want. And I want this. Consulting. Problem-solving. My own path." I kiss her softly. "And I want you. If you'll have a guy who's probably going to be broke for a few years while he builds his career."
"I love broke guys with beautiful minds and organized sock drawers."
"My sock drawer is exceptional."
"It really is."
Chapter 10
Lilah
The thesis showopens at seven.
By 6:30, the gallery is packed. Students, professors, family members, art collectors. Everyone who matters in the Thornhill art world showed up.
Marcus stands beside me, steady and solid. Isla, Lennox, and Ivy arrived early with flowers and champagne. Carter and Sebastian made appearances, awkward but supportive. Even Ethan showed up with coffee and encouragement.
"Nervous?" Marcus asks quietly.
"Terrified. What if they hate it? What if the pieces I recreated aren't as good as the originals? What if?—"
"Stop. Look around." He gestures to the crowd. "They're already in love with it. With you. Your talent speaks for itself."
Professor Martinez approaches with a woman I don't recognize.
"Delilah, this is Catherine Wu from the Wu Foundation. She's one of our most prominent art collectors and patrons."
"Your work is extraordinary," Catherine says, studying the installation. "Raw and honest without being gratuitous. I'd like to discuss acquiring two pieces for our contemporary collection and possibly commissioning a piece for our new headquarters."
I blink. "I—what?"
"Here's my card. Call me next week. We'll discuss terms." She moves to examine another painting, leaving me stunned.
"Did that just happen?" I ask Marcus.
"That just happened. Because you're brilliant and people recognize brilliance when they see it."
More people approach. More compliments. More connections. My head spins with possibility.
Then campus security arrives.
"Delilah Rodriguez? We need you to come with us. There's been a development in your case."
Marcus tenses beside me. "What kind of development?"
"Chelsea Ashworth just filed a counter-complaint. Claims Ms. Rodriguez has been harassing her and falsified the security footage."
"That's ridiculous—" I start.
"We have irrefutable evidence," Marcus interrupts. "Multiple sources confirmed the footage's authenticity. Time stamps, metadata, everything."
