Moira and Malcolm were talking in a private room—an exchange that, while not explosive, was far from dull.
"Malcolm, you actually want Thea to take part in running the company? You're getting crazier. She's still a child—she should finish high school! She should have a happy life, not be thrown into corporate scheming!" Moira protested in a low voice.
"Listen to me," Malcolm said. "You don't disagree that Thea is the only heir to Queen Enterprises, do you? Do you honestly think your indulgence is helping her? Look at Oliver—reckless, promiscuous, irresponsible. That's your biggest failure!" Malcolm accused sharply.
Moira let out a derisive smile. "Tommy turned out no better."
That landed awkwardly for Malcolm—this wasn't merely a case of one fault being as bad as another. Oliver and Tommy were both notorious playboys, perpetually competing at the top of the ranks for debauchery. Oliver had been expelled from four schools; Tommy's record counted three. After that, neither of them returned to formal education. Parties, women, and skating—between them they'd competed fiercely in every arena, trading victories over the years with no clear winner.
Reflecting on his parenting, Malcolm decided to table the "who failed worse" argument for now.
"Fine. Put that aside. Sooner or later you will need Thea to take over everything—surely you don't oppose that?"
"Of course not! I love Thea—she's my child!" Moira replied.
Malcolm said gravely, "She's my child too."
After that sentence, both fell silent. They walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and happened to see Tommy, Thea, and Laurel chatting down in the hall.
"You didn't tell Tommy about that? How are they still hanging out together?" Moira watched them with bitterness; the sight stung.
Malcolm thought: I haven't seen my son since the funeral—how could I tell him? Text him? Every protagonist seems to have a sister; for your sake, I had to give you a prodigiously gifted sister so you wouldn't lose at the starting line? For details, come home and talk?
The father-son relationship had slid from admiration to neutral somewhere along the way: his son's only requirement was to be a cash generator. "I haven't had a chance to tell him. I was going to—" Malcolm began.
Moira cut him off. "Are you insane? Do you realize what will happen if you let them keep going like this?"
Malcolm's mind raced—of course he knew. Moira was only Thea's mother; she had a quarter of the say here. But both of them were his children and he owned half the company. What if Thea, out of revenge or a desire to destroy everything, did something drastic? Thinking how he himself might behave in a similar desperate, unhinged state made him lose sleep; he'd ordered round-the-clock watches, but that wasn't a long-term solution.
Tommy wouldn't talk to him; he had no chance to explain. He couldn't exactly don black garb and a bow, tie up his son, and lecture him on the family history.
Complex relationships weighed on Malcolm, but he pressed on with his plan. "My parenting failed, but we're both still alive—young people can be corrected. I'm planning to have Tommy work at Merlin Group soon, and you should have Thea join Queen Enterprises. Let's see what they can do. If Thea performs well, she could inherit Merlin too."
That suggestion brightened Moira. Women could be opportunistic: once she heard her daughter might inherit Merlin Group, the idea of Thea's idyllic high-school life vanished. Though Tommy had been raised by her as well, when it came to her daughter's future, Moira decided to support it.
After a moment's thought she agreed readily. "Okay, I'll tell Thea."
Malcolm reiterated, "We can't give them special help—they must rely on their own abilities."
Moira nodded. In truth, both felt a little insecure: neither child had shown exceptional talent. Thea had been a model girl with a bland, school-home routine; Tommy excelled at spending money, but his ability to earn was questionable.
Malcolm also felt his son's current inability to communicate normally. To avoid a catastrophe, occupying his daughter might be prudent. Queen Enterprises alone was not enough to keep her busy, and daytime control was limited—what about nights? Maybe he should find her something to do.
…
"What? Mom, you want me to go work at Queen Enterprises tomorrow? I'm only fifteen!" Thea protested. She wanted to inherit the company, but she hadn't expected to be pushed into the role so soon. Didn't this country have child labor laws? She didn't know anything—she'd barely started high school. Even Tony Stark would be at a loss.
Moira, returning home, also felt uneasy about the idea but had already promised—and comparing to Tommy, she believed her daughter had a better chance. Of course she couldn't reveal the wager-withdrawn-by-fate that it resembled; that kind of thing she kept to herself. She chose her words carefully. "Thea, you're grown now. This company will be yours eventually; it must be you who shoulders this responsibility, for your father and brother in heaven. Don't run from it—this is your destiny."
In American TV shows, the phrase "this is your destiny" always brings a bucket of obligations—it's like the anime concept of bonds. Once it's invoked, you can't refuse. Thea hesitated. "What exactly would I do at the company?" she asked—implying she was young and not ready to dive into leadership. She hoped at least her mother would arrange something comfortable.
Moira worried too. At such a young age—no college degree, not even finished high school—what could Thea possibly do? Queen Enterprises was still partly owned by outsiders, even if their side held the majority. Promoting a high schooler to a leadership position would hand a media weapon to their rivals. The family had been under intense news scrutiny since her husband and son died; things had calmed a little. Was it wise to create a new headline? The Queen family could