How Are We Supposed to Handle This?

Stark wore a hospital gown printed with "Hell's Kitchen" and had an arm around Pepper's waist as she visited him. He circled Alvin, who'd been forced into a suit, making clucking sounds.

As Fox straightened the tie around Alvin's neck, she pressed her lips together and said to Pepper, "Hurry up and take your 'big dog' away. There's a daddy here who's about to explode."

Ginny clung to Alvin's leg and peeked out from behind his waist. She looked at Alvin in the full-length mirror, dressed in a complete set of expensive clothes, wrinkled her little nose, and said, a little uncomfortably, "Oh, that's not my daddy. Why are you using a rope to strangle him?"

Ignoring Fox's eye roll, Alvin loosened the tie she'd just knotted. Then he bent down and leaned close to Ginny, whispering, "That's right. They're trying to tie me up, and then..."

As he spoke, Alvin tugged at his tie and made a choking face. After making Ginny laugh, he picked her up, looked at Fox, who pressed her lips together and raised one eyebrow, and kissed her on the lips. "I'm only temporarily 'Mr. Richest Man,' and I'm the Manhattan Axe. Even if I went outside in shorts, the reporters out there would still have to show me respect."

Fox looked at the tie dangling against Alvin's chest and shook her head helplessly. Her lovely face wore a regretful expression as she said, "I just wanted you to be 'Mr. Perfect.' You look..."

Alvin looked at the regretful Fox with amusement. She was taking his image at the press conference a little too seriously. After all, this was only one part of the "plan."

Alvin kissed Ginny, who was tugging at his ear to get his attention, and asked, "Does Daddy look handsome?"

Ginny