The legal separation.
Instead, he said the only thing that mattered.
“My company failed your father.”
Jaylen’s eyes filled.
Wendell continued.
“And I was responsible for that company. So I failed him too.”
Jaylen stepped backward.
Wendell felt that one small movement more deeply than he expected.
Lorna placed a hand on her son’s shoulder.
“We don’t need anything from him.”
But the room itself contradicted her.
The leaking roof.
The medicine.
The unpaid notices.
The handmade equipment.
The tired woman forcing herself to remain standing.
Wendell took out his phone.
He called Mara.
“Get legal, medical, and engineering ready.”
Lorna immediately tensed.
“Not against you,” Wendell said. “For you.”
Mara’s voice came through the phone.
“The board is furious. Lawson is pushing for an emergency vote.”
Wendell narrowed his eyes.
“Elliot Lawson?”
“Yes.”
“Pull every archived record from the Georgia testing facility four years ago. Caleb Tate. Cooling issue. I want the original reports.”
Mara went quiet.
Too quiet.
Then she said,
“I’ve seen that name.”
Wendell’s stomach tightened.
“Where?”
“A restricted file. Lawson’s office had it sealed.”
Lorna stared at Wendell.
“Send me everything,” he said.
“I may not technically have access.”
“You have mine.”
“Lawson will know.”
“Let him.”
Wendell ended the call.
Jaylen looked at him.
“Who is Lawson?”
“My chief operating officer.”
Wendell looked toward Lorna.
“And possibly the person who made sure your father’s warning disappeared.”
Lorna shook her head.
“Truth won’t bring Caleb back.”
“No,” Wendell said. “But maybe it can stop the same thing from happening again.”
