Richard Salazar stood perfectly still for a long moment.
The world hed convinced himself he could purchasepeople, morals, the very futurecrumbled in a handful of sentences uttered by a girl in scuffed shoes.
Who taught you that? he finally muttered.
No one, Mr. Salazar, Lucy answered softly. It just makes sense. Sometimes the languages talk to me on their own.
Eleanor Hughes, her mother, hovered nearby, hands clenched, trying not to tremble. She watched a flicker of uncertainty cross the face of the man everyone in the block feared even to glance at.
Youre lying, he snapped, almost rude. Its a trick, a stunt to impress me.
He rose, stalked to his desk, and pressed a button. An old manuscript appeared on the screen.
Here. The scholars at Oxford couldnt translate this. If you can give me even one true sentence, Ill give you a thousand pounds. If notyour mother loses her job.
Mr.Salazar, dont do it! Eleanor cried. Shes just a child!
Silence! he cut her off.
Lucy didnt flinch.
Fine, she said. But you wont like the answer.
She leaned over the screen, her fingertip tracing the lines.
This isnt merely text. Its a warning.
Ha! And whats the warning? Richard laughed nervously.
For you, she replied.
For me?! his voice now tinged with irritation and doubt.
Lucy whispered:
The one who rises above all will fall from his own pride. The wind will erase his name, and his house will burn in flames.
A sudden flash of lightning lit the room. The lights dimmed, and Richards face lit for an instantpale, tense, eyes wide.
Just a coincidence a coincidence, he muttered.
Lucy turned to him.
You mock the people who mop your floors, but do you know who wrote the code your empire rests on?
What what do you mean? his voice quivered.
My father.
Eleanors grip tightened.
Lucy no, stop
Yes, Mum, its time he heard it, Lucy said, never breaking eye contact with Richard. He was a cybersecurity programmer. He worked on your system at night while you were off on a seaside holiday. When he fell ill, you signed his dismissal order.
What what was his name? the now paling Richard asked.
Andrew Hughes.
Richards eyes widened.
He the one who penned the protective code? The one who brought millions from the German bank?
Yes, Lucy affirmed. And you stripped him of everything.
Silence settled, broken only by rain ticking against the windows.
We dont want revenge, Eleanor whispered. Just justice. And peace.
I didnt know Richards words came out hollow.
You knew, Lucy shot back. You just didnt care.
He slumped back in his chair. All the empire hed built suddenly felt empty.
What do you want from me? Money? Education? A house? Ill give you everything.
Lucy stared calmly.
We want nothing. Just rememberGod sometimes speaks through the voices you refuse to see.
She took her mothers hand.
Lets go, Mum.
Eleanor faced him.
Ill finish the cleaning today. After that find yourself another woman.
The two women left, the door closing slowly behind them.
Richard sat alone, unmoving. After a while he opened the drawer and pulled out an old fileA.Hughes.
Inside lay a request to extend a contract for health reasons. At the bottom, his own signature read: Denied.
He placed the file on the desk, then slowly slipped his watch off and left it beside the paper.
Outside, rain streamed down the glass like liquid embarrassment.
The next morning the headlines blared:
Business magnate Richard Salazar donates all his assets and company shares to a fund for the education of children from lowincome families.
A month later, the Crystal Tower was sold to Oxford University to become a freelearning centre.
And in a tiny school on the outskirts of town, a girl named Lucy started a language club for children with no means.
When asked why, she smiled:
Because knowledge is power. But real power is forgiveness.
Epilogue
Eleanor and Lucy left London. Nobody heard from them again.
And Richard Salazar vanished from public life.
A few months later, on the top floor of the Crystal Tower, a plaque appeared:
The true wealth is learning from those who speak with their heart.
