Maddox didn't show his feelings, as years of navigating the high seas of the business world had taught him to keep a calm facade, no matter the storm.
He turned to his elder son. "Phillip, what's your take on this?"
Leanne glanced at Phillip, too.
Phillip didn't owe her anything. After all, he was the heir apparent to the Richardson Group empire. Whatever hardships and tempests VectorVista might face, they'd impact him directly. Dressed in a sharp, dark suit, Phillip's face, resembling Curtis', was calm and composed.
Amidst expectant looks, he said, "Curtis is not Uncle Hanley, and I'm not in this fight alone like you were back in the day. Curtis has been wronged over Uncle Hanley's affairs for many years, and I feel guilty toward him."
Seeing Curtis struggle against family constraints with his talents shackled pained Phillip deeply.
"When this comes to light, the repercussions for VectorVista are unpredictable," Maddox pressed on, "Have you considered all that?"
After a brief pause, Phillip recalled, "On Curtis' eighteenth birthday, you gifted him a yacht. He circumnavigated the globe that year, returning with tales of navigating through three thousand miles of open sea and five-meter-high waves. I envied his freedom then."
"I asked him if he was afraid of the storms. He told me, 'Sailing the seas, you're bound to hit storms, but it's the storms that carry you further.""
Phillip continued, "VectorVista has grown from a mere sailboat to a colossal ship over the past twenty years. A light breeze or minor waves won't capsize it."
Maddox looked at his sons, his feelings complex, but pride and relief were predominant.
Jennifer turned away, wiping her eyes.
Only those who had lived through the fierce battles between the Richardson siblings could understand the depth of this brotherly bond.
"You are getting more tearful with age," Maddox said, not reproachfully. He took out a handkerchief, gently and meticulously dabbing at her tears.
"It's been hard on you."
Between spouses of many years, some things go unsaid. Twenty years of regret and tenderness were in those words.
"I'm good, but it has been hard on them," Jennifer replied. "Back then, we had no choice but to act as we did, weighing pros and cons. Now, nothing is more important than our family." Maddox wiped away the tears from her cheeks, folding the checkered handkerchief neatly.
He approached Leanne, beginning solemnly, "After the kidnapping, I had people searching for you relentlessly. Unfortunately, we were a step behind, failing to save your parents in time. My selfish desire to protect the truth has caused you and your parents much pain, and for that, I owe you a profound apology."
"The dashcam in the car that Hanley used during your abduction recorded everything. I managed to save the memory card before Hanley destroyed the car."
"Mom's dying wish was to resolve this matter. Before coming here, I had sent the evidence to the police, fulfilling her last request."
Maddox's face showed sincere remorse. "Anne, I'm deeply sorry for the justice owed to your family that has come so many years later."
Before his visit, he had made his choice. To hide the truth to protect Vector Vista, Maddox would have been safest destroying the dashcam footage.
Yet, he preserved it all these years as evidence of Hanley's crime and a testament to his lingering conscience.
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