Page 142 of Under Construction

Dennis catches something in his father's tone. He can tell his dad is about to wrap this meeting up, but heknew—what else does he know?

"He claims Chris destroys projects." Dennis's hands curl into fists. "Lives." The word catches, too close to home.

His father finally turns from the photos. He studies Dennis for a silent beat before continuing: "If that were true, would he broadcast it? A father never wants to taint his only heir's reputation in this industry."

"What are you saying?"

"Fathers love their children." The words carry something Dennis has never heard in his father's voice before. "If he's covering up Chris's actions, he'd keep them buried. Yet he told you. If he's not covering anything..." His father adjusts his cuffs, choosing words carefully. "Then perhaps the son learned his acquisition methods from the father."

Dennis's throat turns to sandpaper. "You think they're working together to bring us down?"

"I had suspicions. But your mother—you know how she is. Claims she sees right through people. Says we don't have the full picture after watching them at the gala. Chris's reaction to his dad..." He shakes his head. "Either that was Oscar-worthy acting, or there's more we don't understand."

His father returns to his desk. "Regardless, what's done is done. We need solutions, fast ones. A lot is out of our hands now. Lancaster's offer—" he taps the folder in front of him "—exceeds anything reasonable."

Dennis runs his thumb over his knuckles, mind racing through every interaction, every moment that could be a clue. "Dad... please. I can't let this go. I need to know the truth."

"Son, this industry runs on lies, cheating, and stealing." His father leans back, every word weighted with decades of experience. "You either beat them at their game, join them in the mud, or stay far enough away to keep clean."

"What else do you know?" Dennis insists.

"Only that you can't trust anyone. Lancaster has his share of whispers—an estranged son who appears and vanishes, his wife's mysterious disappearance, acquisitions that don't add up. Your mother—" a ghost of a smile touches his lips "—she keeps me honest. But Lancaster..." His fingers drum once on the desk. "He's… charming. However, those who stand against him tend to find new careers.Outsideconstruction."

Dennis swallows hard as he absorbs this.

"My advice? Keep your distance. If your mother's right—as she insists she always is—even Chris can't escape him. And if you're tied up with Chris—" the pause suggests he knows exactly how tied up "—neither will you."

The weight of three different versions of truth—Lancaster's smooth explanations, Chris's desperate denials, his father's warnings to a son—leaves Dennis mute.

"I'll let you think about it." His father's words come quieter, like he knows the weight Dennis is carrying. "We need an answer by the end of the week.”

At home, Dennis faces his office battlefield. Paper covers every surface, his frantic highlighting from the night before the fire marking possible clues. He can't give up—not yet. He snaps a photo and texts Jason:

Gather the legal team, tomorrow we’ll go through all of this

Bzzz.

You’re not selling?

Dennis shakes his head, tapping quickly.

Not if we can find something.

Oh and have someone on the team look into the son of the CEO of Lancaster & Son.

His phone hits the desk as he starts organizing papers into boxes. He cannot let this end here. Each document feels like another chance, another possible thread to pull.

The office slowly returns to order until he turns and sees it—their private joke turned memorial.

The dick pic sits in its frame, mocking him with memories of laughter and trust. All those nights, all those moments—real or calculated? His chest tightens with a knot of emotions he can't pick out.

Fury at being played, grief for what he thought they had, want he can't kill.

The frame leaves his hand before he can second-guess himself. Glass explodes in the trash can, as shattered as it is final.

44What Good Is Goodbye

The next morning, the legal team's representative arrives for the boxes just as Dennis's mother sweeps into his apartment, dangling her car keys.

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