Skye looked at the girl who was watching them both. The billionaire followed her gaze, then looked back at the object in his hand. His jaw clenched.
“This wasn’t an accident,” he said quietly.
The man in the leather vest stepped closer. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.”
The billionaire looked at him. “You knew?”
“I suspected. I noticed the swelling weeks ago. Told you. Told the doctors. Nobody listened.”
“Why didn’t you push harder?”
“I did. You told me to back off.”
The billionaire’s face twisted with guilt. “You’re right. I did.”
He looked at the object again, turning it over in his hand. It wasn’t just a piece of metal. It had small engravings on it. Numbers. Letters. A serial code. Someone made this. Someone placed it.
“Who did her last device fitting?” he asked the nanny.
“Dr. Brennan. Three months ago.”
“Get him on the phone. Now.”
“Sir, it’s almost six…”
“I don’t care what time it is. Get him.”
The nanny pulled out her phone, hands shaking. The billionaire turned back to Skye.
“Where do you live?”
“A few miles from here.”
“Does your mom know where you are?”
Skye’s face went pale. “No, I was walking home from school. She’s probably worried.”
Skye nodded. “I need to go.”
“Wait.” He pulled out his wallet and handed her a card. “This has my number. I want to talk to you and your mom. Soon.”
Skye stared at the card. “Why?”
“Because you did something no one else could. And I don’t forget that.”
Skye took the card, hands trembling. The girl ran over and hugged Skye one more time. Skye hugged her back, tight.
“Thank you,” the billionaire said quietly.
Skye nodded and turned to leave. But before she could, the man in the leather vest called out.
“Hey, kid.” She turned. “You’re braver than most adults I know.”
Skye smiled a little, then ran down the street toward home. The billionaire watched her go, then looked at his daughter. She was still smiling. Still hearing. And he was about to find out who tried to take that away from her.
Skye ran the whole way home. Her backpack bounced on her shoulders. Her lungs burned. But she didn’t stop. She burst through the apartment door, gasping for air. Her mom was in the kitchen, stirring a pot on the stove. She turned, startled.
“Baby, where have you been? You’re late.”
“I helped someone.”
Her mom frowned. “Who?”
“A girl. She was in pain.”
“What kind of pain?”
Skye dropped her backpack and sat at the small table. “Something was stuck in her ear, behind her hearing device.”
Her mom turned off the stove and sat down across from her. “You pulled something out of a stranger’s ear?”
Skye nodded.
“Skye…”
“I know. But Mom, she needed help. And nobody else saw it.”
Her mom studied her face. She wasn’t angry, just worried. “What did you pull out?”
“I don’t know. Some kind of metal thing. Her dad took it.”
“Her dad?”
“Yeah, he was really rich. Like, mansion-on-a-hill rich.”
Her mom’s eyes widened. “Skye, you can’t just go around touching people.”
“I didn’t hurt her. I helped her.”
“I know you did. But rich people, they don’t always see things the way we do. Was he mad?”
“No. He thanked me.”
Her mom sighed, rubbing her temples. “Did he ask where you live?”
“No, but he gave me his card. Said he wants to talk to us.” She pulled the card out of her pocket and slid it across the table.
Her mom picked it up, eyes going wide. “James Carter? You know him?”
“Everyone knows him. He owns half the city.”
Skye shrugged. “He was just a dad. A scared one.”
Her mom stared at the card for a long moment. Then she looked at Skye. “What exactly happened out there?”
Skye told her everything. The girl standing alone. The pull she felt. The object she found. Her mom listened without interrupting. When Skye finished, her mom reached across the table and took her hand.
“You have a gift, baby. I’ve always known that. But you have to be careful.”
“Why?”
“Because not everyone wants help. And not everyone will understand what you can do.”
“The girl understood.”
“I know. But her world is different from ours.”
Skye looked down at the table. “Does that mean I shouldn’t have helped her?”
Her mom squeezed her hand. “No. It means you did exactly what you were supposed to do.”
Skye looked up. “Really?”
“Really. I’m proud of you.” Skye smiled. Her mom stood up and went back to the stove. “Now go wash your hands. Dinner’s almost ready.”..
