Page 137 of Rhodes

"I used Stone Intermodal to do something that had nothing to do with Stone Intermodal. Now the company gets to wear it because my last name is on the door."

"Rhodes, that's not how this works."

"It's exactly how this works."

"No, it isn't." He sits forward. "You made a bad decision. That does not mean you torch your future over it."

That's what every one of them has done my entire life. Ridge steps in between me and the hit before it gets close enough to land. Except this time I don't want him there.

"I'm resigning."

"No."

"I already made the decision."

"You've worked here officially for what, a month?"

"Long enough to create a federal headache."

"Which we can handle."

"I know you can." I hold his eyes. "That's the problem. It's time for me to grow up."

His jaw tightens.

"If I stay, what does that look like?" I ask. "Your kid brother uses a company email and company access to interfere in a private permit fight, and nothing happens because Wells makes it disappear and Ridge Stone decides it's fine?"

"I didn't say nothing happens."

"You were about to."

He doesn't answer.

I finally sit, because my legs are starting to feel stupid under me. "I'm not asking you to fire me. I'm telling you I'm leaving."

"To do what?"

"I don't know yet."

That gets a short, humorless laugh out of him. "Great plan."

"Better than the one where I hide behind all of you again."

His eyes sharpen at that. I keep going before he can cut me off.

"If they ask who did it, you give them my name. I'll sit for an interview if I need to, pay a fine. Hell, I'll go to prison if that's what this calls for. I'm not disappearing, and I'm not asking the company to take the heat."

"Then stay and deal with it here."

"No. Because me staying is part of the problem."

He leans back slowly.

"I walk into this building, and everybody knows who I am before I know their names. I had an email address before I earned one and access because I'm a Stone. I used that access like it belonged to me just because somebody handed it over." I shake my head. "I'm done doing that."

Ridge is quiet for a long time.

The port keeps moving behind him through the glass. Cranes swing over the terminals and containers stack and disappear. Everybody down there knows exactly what their job is.