"Hello Veronica. Thank you for agreeing to see me."

"Mr. Kane, I'm only here because Duncan asked me."

Jake Kane was sitting on a deck chair by the side of his pool, but, to judge from the way he was hunched over, and the haggard expression on his visage, he was hardly relaxed.

"Would you like to sit?" said Jake, gesturing to the other deck chairs and chaise lounges arranged haphazardly around the pool.

"I prefer to stand, thank you. So, I understand they've released you on your own recognizance. Funny, usually multibillionaires who own multiple homes abroad, not to mention their own private airplanes, are considered potential flight-risks."

"Veronica, I have no intention of running away. Anyway, my lawyers have already worked out a plea agreement with the district attorney."

"Oh?"

"Yes. I'll plead guilty to conspiracy and to four counts of falsifying evidence."

"What about suborning perjury?"

"Well, they decided, given his health, not to prosecute Abel Koontz for perjury, and if they don't charge him—"

"For having committed perjury, it's kind of hard to charge you for suborning it. So, conspiracy, huh? You could do a whole year in prison for that, plus a ten thousand dollar fine. Not to mention the four misdemeanor counts. Oh yeah, that's justice."

Jake looked down at the ground, folding his hands in his lap. "Actually, they agreed to a suspended sentence."

Veronica turned her face away from her father and stared out at a point across the pool. "Well, I'm sure the good citizens of Balboa County will be reassured to know that they're represented by the best district attorney money can buy."

Jake was silent for several moments before beginning again. "I spoke to…your brother, and I told him that I didn't mean, well, I'm not going to try to hurt Logan or Trina."

"So, you're not going to persecute two innocent people? That's big of you."

"What do you want me to say, Veronica?"

"I don't want you to say anything. There's nothing I want from you."

"There's a lot I want to say."

"So say it."

Jake did not speak for another moment. Finally, he said "Duncan was very upset when Logan told him about the agreement you signed."

"Is that what you wanted to tell me? Relax, I'll tell him that I was happy to sign it. Like I said, there's nothing I want from you."

"Wait, Veronica, look, you have every right to be angry at me—"

"You're right about that."

"There's no need for you to explain anything to Duncan. He calmed down once I explained that the agreement you signed was irrelevant."

"I'll bet your wife was ecstatic to hear you say that."

"No, now she's upset with me."

"And you've been such a good husband to her."

"Aren't you curious why the agreement is irrelevant?"

"No, I had just assumed you were lying to your son again."

"It's irrelevant because I established a trust fund for you almost sixteen years ago; it's worth more than three hundred million dollars by now."

Veronica's jaw dropped open. She took several steps backward until she bumped into a chaise lounge, whereupon she sat down on its edge. "Why?"

"That was when I found out for sure."

"You've known this whole time?"

"Well, I knew it was possible from the beginning, but I wanted to be sure. So when I came to pick Lilly up from your second birthday party, I asked to use the bathroom and took a lock of hair out of your hairbrush."

"Why did you care so much?"

"I just had to know." Her father paused again. "You know, when I got the results, I thought about suing for custody, or at least joint custody. I even went so far as to discuss it with my lawyers."

"Be glad you didn't, because if you think I'm angry at you now…."

"That's why I didn't. I thought it would be better for you never to know. I thought you'd be happier, thinking Keith was your father."

"He is my father, but otherwise you were right."

Jake bit his lip at her vehemence. "I understand why you feel that way, but can't you understand how painful it's been for me, watching you calling another man 'dad'?"

"Of course I understand. I just don't care."

"Don't you see? I made that sacrifice for you, so that you'd be happy. All I've ever wanted is for you to be happy, you and your brother and sister."

"How's that working out for you?"

"Are you going to just keep sniping at me?"

"That was my plan. Why, do you feel you don't deserve it?"

"Look, I'm sorry, alright? I'm sorry I didn't trust Duncan more, I'm sorry I didn't tell him the truth before you two fell in love, I'm sorry I covered up what happened, I'm sorry I cost Keith his job, I'm sorry I let Celeste and Clarence run your mother out of town, and, and I'm sorry I wasn't a better father for Lilly. Maybe if, I don't know, maybe if I'd just paid more attention….I'm sorry." Jake was near tears at this point. His daughter eyed him coldly.

"Is that all you're sorry for?"

"You mean, am I sorry for committing adultery?"

"Aren't you?"

For the first time that afternoon, Jake looked her directly in the eye and spoke evenly. "I know it was wrong, but no, I'll never be sorry for that."

Veronica sat there in silence for a moment before she finally rose from the lounge and asked "was that all you wanted to tell me?"

"I guess so. Unless they haven't told you yet what's going to happen with Aaron."

"I heard. Plea agreements all around, it looks like. He's getting what, six years for voluntary manslaughter?"

"And life with the possibility of parole for kidnapping, to be served concurrently….Isn't that strange? He killed Lilly, but if it hadn't been for what he did to you, he'd be out in just six years."

"You don't like the law? You're the one with pull in Sacramento."

"I'm just glad that Lilly had a sister who loved her as much as you did."

"Thank you," answered Veronica after a moment. "I guess I should probably be going."

As Veronica turned to leave, her father called out to her "Veronica…."

She turned back. "Mr. Kane, I, I don't hate you."

"Thank you."

The end.