Bruce glanced sideways at his daughter's sweet smile, his stern features softening a little. Then he turned back to Matt. "We can discuss the details of our partnership. The timing of the funding and the plans for expanding the firm can all proceed at your pace."
"Matt..." Foggy stared hard at his friend, his eyes holding both anticipation and a threat.
"Matt..." Karen looked at Matt. This was unconditional funding from Wayne!
"Uncle Matt?" Miaomiao, who had been sitting quietly in her chair, swung her short little legs happily.
"..." Under practically everyone's scrutiny, Matt finally gave a slight nod. "All right."
"If you don't agree, I'll..." Foggy stopped halfway through. "What?"
"I said all right," Matt repeated with a smile. "Foggy, I'm not so proud that I've lost all sense. I just don't want an influx of capital to change our commitment to justice. Since Mr. Wayne has promised not to interfere with how we operate, why would I turn away his goodwill?"
"Thank God, you've finally seen sense!" Foggy was so moved that he practically wanted to burst into tears. "Thank you for your generosity, Mr. Wayne. You can discuss any specific details with me..."
Listening to the irrepressible joy in Foggy's voice, Matt couldn't help letting the corners of his lips lift.
Everyone else assumed he had finally relented and let go of his stubborn opposition to outside capital. Only he knew that this compromise had never been driven by their expectations and urging, nor by the firm's increasingly dire finances.
He couldn't fully trust the polished business "philanthropist," Bruce Wayne. He had seen far too many outwardly respectable tycoons who pretended to do charity while frantically amassing wealth through exploitation and even illegal means. But he couldn't help trusting Batman, who moved through Gotham's nights and