Charlie calmly said, "You and I have direct contact, but your father doesn't. Whether in theory or practice, you are closer to me. If it weren't for your lack of sincerity, why would I bypass you and have Helena establish an indirect connection with your father on my behalf?"

"Think about it this way. If you were the owner of a supermarket and you noticed that the person living across the street chose not to shop at your store but instead went to a more distant one, you wouldn't blame the customer. Instead, you'd have to reflect on your own shortcomings. Either others offer something you don't, or you're overpriced compared to them, or you provide inferior service despite similar pricing. If you don't examine yourself, you can't simply block the customer and ask why they didn't shop with you, can you?"

"You're absolutely right, Mr. Wade..." Julien nodded repeatedly in shame. "From now on, I'll be 100% honest with you without the slightest bit of concealment."

"We'll see." Charlie