Son,

I'm not going to start this letter with excuses. I've failed you, I've failed you your whole life because you needed me, and I was never there.

I know by now you'll have found out the truth about the first time it happened. Even if I hadn't meant for it to happen... seeing you tumble down those stairs, the noise your head made against that bannister... and knowing IG was because of me? I felt sick.

But I panicked. I saw those police and I panicked, and I don't even know why I did it. Except I do know. I was thinking of what was best for me instead of what was best for you.

Again I don't want to give you any excuses because what I did was wrong. Beyond wrong. You were a such a small kid, and you were relying on me and on your mother to look after you... and neither of us have. Me least of all.

I should have been the sort of dad that was proud of you for all that you've accomplished. Your accomplishments on and off the football field, your artwork, your schoolwork... and the amazing man I know you have become. Both you and your sister are children I truly am so proud of, and I just don't know why I didn't show you.

I know people can say it's all well and good looking back on it now, telling you this when it's too late, but it doesn't mean a damn thing. I know that. I know none of these words will make any kind of difference but I need to get them out anyway.

Every time you looked at me, that look of pure fear in your eyes, I knew I needed to get my act together and change. But I just... didn't. I couldn't.

I was glad when you were taken from me. It sounds ridiculous to say it, but I'm glad you were. It wasn't that I was glad you were gone or no longer my responsibility, it was because I knew you would then be safe. Safe from me. I'm glad because it gave you a life the two of you deserved.

It gave you the chance to become the man I always knew you could be, Archie. I watched you sometimes, when I could... with Tessa, with your friends. I watched you become the man I could never be. I watched you grow into someone I could never be more proud of. You've always been an incredibly loyal young man, loyal to your friends, to your family, protecting them with everything you have, and it's something I really do truly admire in you.

In the time I was gone, I watched you live your life as you were supposed to. It made me realise that I should never have been angry to see you so happy, to see you acting your age with your friends, as every kid has a right to, and I can never tell you how sorry I am for taking that childhood away from you... I should have allowed you to make the mistakes, because every kid makes mistakes... it's a way of life and it's how you learn. I just didn't understand that.

There are no excuses. There are no excuses for the way I treated you, treated your sister, treated your mum... And I know you will never forgive me for what I've done. I'm not about to ask for forgiveness because the only way I could even have a chance at doing that was to bring Matt back... and that's something I can't do.

What happened to Matt fills me with so much guilt and shame, and I know that I will carry it around with me for the rest of my days. I took an innocent boy's life because I couldn't see past my own anger... There is no reason for my behaviour over the years, no explanation. I lost sight of what mattered early on, and I went too far.

Archie, you were never someone I blamed for anything. It was, unfortunately, just wrong place, wrong time; someone I knew I could take any frustrations or anger out on... And I'm truly sorry. So, so sorry.

But I don't want to just keep saying sorry for what I've done in the past. I will always be sorry for that, and now that I've failed in my task as a father, I feel like I have one last thing I can give you.

WEH is all that I am, and it's all I have left. And I can't think of two better people for the company to go to than my children. I was given a chance by the company to do better, to be better, and I blew it. I know you two will be incredible at it. I know you can.

I'm in no fit state to make decisions about anything, let alone this company anymore - I haven't been for years - so I'm finally giving you guys the future you deserve.

WEH is yours.

It's the last and only thing I have to give you, and I hope it gives you both the chance to fly higher than everyone's expectations. You, in particular, have a good head for business on your shoulders, Archie, and I know you can do it. And you'll both be able to do it better than I ever could.

I owned 100%, but now that ownership sits with you. 50% each.

You and your sister have a choice to make and, no matter what, I am fully behind you 100%.

In the wallets in front of you are three options.

1 - you can sell.

I know you don't owe me anything, so you would be well in your rights to sell the company. The envelope simply states that the team will work to sell the company, and you will receive all funds from that sale.

2 - silent owners.

As how WEH is run now, this will just continue. You will each own 50% but leave the day to day running to the teams in London and New York already in place.

3 - you run it.

You run it. You change it, revamp it, rebrand it, change its direction, bring it into the future... anything. Make it yours, and make the difference I know you can make.

There we have it. 3 options, and I reiterate that you have all of it. 100%. No one else has any kind of claim.

Please know that, whatever decision you make, the team at WEH will always be there for you. They're your family, just as much as they've been mine for all these years. I hate that I let them down when I made that split, stupid decision, but I know them, and I know they will help you in any way they can.

I know it isn't enough - it will never be enough - but please know that you will always be provided for. All the property, bank accounts, cars, everything... It all comes under WEH and is therefore yours and Millie's to do with what you wish. Keep the money, give it all away, the choice is yours.

But as the proud Dad I am, please let me say one thing. You deserve the world, Archie. I know that now. You both deserve a better world and that's one without me me in it. I only hope that this one thing I have left to give you can help in making you embrace the man I already know you can be. The one I already know you are.

I am so proud of you, of everything you have done, everything you have achieved. And I know I never said it, but I am.

But you need to live your life, Archie. Be a kid again, play football with your friends, travel the world, be an artist, marry the girl of your dreams. Give yourself a better life than what I gave you, and stop tearing yourself up over something that was never your fault.

I am proud to call you my son. Beyond so.

I love you,

Dad

***

WHEN I FINALLY LOOK up, Millie is sitting in the seat next to me again.

She's studying me, wanting to know my reaction, wanting to know what my letter said and what it was that Dad asked me.

I let out a long breath, putting the letter back down on the table.

"You were reading for ages, Arch."

I shake my head in response, raising my eyebrows as I'd say that I was probably in some form of shock. I was trying to make sense of it all in my head, but I couldn't. There was just too much.

"I... I hadn't expected any of that," she says, placing a hand on mine. She puts her other elbow on the table and rests her head in her hand. "I mean, the apologies yes, but the rest? No."

Henry and Pete weren't joking when they said Dad was signing it all over to us. I'd spent the last two years thinking to myself that I'm just living off what Dad did, but now it's what I do. From here on out, it's on me; it's on us. And I didn't know if I wanted to admit this or not, but I was actually... excited.

"It's ours?" she asks and I nod.

"Yeah... it's ours."

She shakes her head, eyes widening like mine, understanding but not quite believing.

"I'm not even twenty, and I own half a multi-billion dollar company. What the fuck?"

I half scoff, half laugh. What the fuck was right. What the ACTUAL fuck, as Matt would say.

Dad was right when he thought I would never forgive him. I would never do that, not for what he did to Matt, to the number of people he's hurt over the years, the amount of suffering he's caused... And he must know that no amount of money he can give us will ever be enough to think he's off the hook for what he did. He may be serving his time, but when it comes to him and me, and Millie, we're done.

He said he wanted us to use the money to make a difference, and I knew I could be a part of doing that. I wasn't doing it for him. I was doing for hundreds of thousands of people across the world who go through what I did... and who probably have it worse. I wanted to help people, and he had just given us the means to do exactly that.

"We can't sell, Arch," Millie tells me, and I know she's right.

As soon as Lisa got in touch, I knew that selling WEH could be an option. On instinct, I wanted to sell it. I wanted to get rid of the last thing that was chaining me to Dad, that was pulling me down, keeping me underwater. But when given the time to think it over, knowing how hard my dad and my granddad had worked to make the company as successful as it is now, we couldn't just sell it. As much as we hated Dad, we couldn't do it.

"Maybe we can ask for a mixture of two and three?" I suggest.

Millie frowns. "You want to be involved?"

"Maybe," I shrug. "Maybe not the business side of it, but we can open up a charity branch of the business that we can be directly involved in, or something? Donate to causes across the world. Be a cause for good."

She smiles as she sees the determination behind my eyes, the same determination I can feel rushing through me at the prospect of a bright future becomes more and more likely.

"Arch, maybe you should take some business classes next term?" Millie jokes, and I can't help but laugh.

"Yeah... definitely. And Pete seems like he's more than happy to help too."

I thought this decision would be hard. I thought I would get the options in front of me and not have any clue what I wanted to do. But now, looking at my sister, who has the same look in her eyes as I do, we know exactly what it is we want to do. We know because, every time, we choose family. And no matter what Dad did, no matter what happened in the past, he is family... and we don't let family down.

After the accident, it was the worst I've ever felt because I let her down... because I shut her out. But then, she forced herself back in, and since then, I know that I never want to do that again... to anyone. Not anymore.

I pull Millie into a hug. She yelps in surprise, not expecting me to do it, but after a few seconds she squeezes me back, tighter.

"Love you, lil sis," I tell her. "Best little sister a big brother could have."

She giggles and squeezes me again. "Best big bro a little sister could ask for."

I smile as an idea comes to me. "Well, how about this big bro comes back to England with you?"

She pushes away from me, her eyes full of both confusion and excitement.

"Just for the summer," I add.

"To see..." she trails off as I shake my head.

"For you," I tell her and she smiles.

"I'll take that." She hugs me again and sighs, clearly happy.

***

"SHOULD WE PRESS THAT button?" We've been sat quietly for nearly ten minutes... and I'm sure they're itching to know what we've decided.

She looks up at me and gives a small nod before pressing the button in between us. A few minutes later, Pete and Toby re-enter.

We smile as they sit down but wait until Henry and his team crackle onto the screen again.

"So we've made our decision," Millie starts, taking my hand. "We want to help." She beams. "We're not selling."

A huge sigh of relief echoes from both the two people in here and in London, and I can't help but smile. Dad was right, they really are a family. It makes me feel both sad and happy. Sad because he clearly loved this family more than he did his own... but happy that he was able to have one if he couldn't have us.

"We want a mixture between two and three. We want you guys to do the business side of it, the way you've been doing it, but we'd like to set up a charity side to WEH. Maybe."

Pete smiles, and for some reason I have a feeling he knew we'd make this decision all along.

"I think that's a great idea." He clasps his hands together and rests them on the table. "Did your dad mention all the properties, the cars...?"

I nod. "Yeah, he did. Did you mention it in yours Millie?"

"Yep. And I was thinking selling them could be the basis of the charity pots. We don't need them. If we do ever go travelling part of the experience is staying in hotels," she laughs.

"Completely agree! Well, your dad has nine properties. One here, which I'm guessing you'll want to keep Archie?" I nod. "At least for now," he adds.

"Where are the others?"

"Tokyo, Sydney and Melbourne, London - both his flat in Mayfair and your house in Epping - Hong Kong, Moscow, Paris and the house in the  South of France."

I had no idea he had places in these countries. It all seems a bit daunting that there are so many, but if selling them means we can help people who really need it, then I'm all for it.

"Do you want to sell the Epping house?" I turn to Millie and she nods.

"Yeah, that house is full of bad memories, Arch. For both of us."

I nod as I turn back to Pete. "Will you help us sell them?"

He nods. "We can leave that with Henry's team. As they're residential properties, we can market them via agencies, same as normal, which is straightforward. Same with the cars, is that right, Henry?" He nods and Pete turns back to me. "Archie, I know you like your cars, so I can get someone to run up an inventory for you."

Millie and I exchange a look before nodding in unison.

"So, I think then, if we're all agreed, all we have to do now is officially sign?"

"Seems so."

"Toby?" He turns to his side as Toby pulls out a single sheet of paper and places it between Millie and me.

"What is it we're actually signing here then?"

"This is just assigning you guys the official titles of owners. Joint owners. Fifty percent each." He smiles. "Just makes it official. Henry and I will sort a contract over the next few weeks with all the new particulars, okay?"

"Cool," I nod with a smile as I take the pen Pete is offering me and sign my name at the bottom of the page before Millie does the same. I take a deep breath as she hands the page back to Toby and I sink back into my chair with a sigh of relief.

"So how does it feel?"

I laugh as I rub my hands over my face and sit up. "I'm not sure yet. Maybe ask me in a few weeks when it's all settled in."

As Toby gets up and takes the other wallets away, Lisa comes in with a tray of food. Pete asks her to join us as the London team say their goodbyes, and as we sit and talk about what Millie and I have been up to since they last saw us, I really do feel like a part of a proper family again. It was a different kind of family, but a family all the same. From the honesty and friendship in this room, throughout this meeting, I never would have hesitated to sign my name across any of those three dotted lines. But I'm glad we chose the one we did.

"To the new owners. And a bright and prosperous new future for WEH," Pete toasts, raising his glass of champagne.

We all follow suit, clinking our glasses together.

A bright and prosperous new future indeed. I shake my head inwardly as the reality that Millie and I were now multi-billionaires sunk in.

This morning I had a couple of thousand in my bank account. Tomorrow morning it'll be a different story.

It was a new path, a daunting and terrifying new path, but I knew that, if I had Mille with me, everything would be okay.