Billionaire's Touch(48)

He was dressed in a power suit again, and his expression was darkly brooding. Putting his hands into the pockets of his wool coat, he strolled into the room as he spoke. “It will take him at least four times as long for word recognition. What he sees isn’t the same as what other kids see. His brain is wired differently. Sometimes he won’t be able to connect a word with an object or a meaning. Sarcasm might be hard to understand sometimes, and he might have problems finding the right words to say. Joking around might be something he can’t always grasp, so he might be uncomfortable with it sometimes. But he can be just as accomplished as any other child.”

Randi stared at Evan, dumbfounded at his words before the lightbulb went off in her head. There had been subtle signs: his need for extreme organization and rigid routine, him asking her to dial her own phone number instead of doing it himself, his quirk of sometimes taking things seriously that were actually teasing, and his drive and determination to succeed when he was already more accomplished than most men in the world.

Evan had way overcompensated for his disability.

“You’re dyslexic?” It was almost an unnecessary question. After Evan had stated accurate facts and she’d pieced things together, she was certain of her conclusion.

He nodded slowly, never taking his turbulent eyes away from her face. “I am.” He nodded his head toward Matt as he asked, “Did you know he is, too?”

She swallowed hard before answering. “Yes. I have a master’s degree in education with a certification to teach children with learning disabilities.”

Matt was looking up at Evan, his eyes wide. “You have the problems I have?” he asked curiously.

Evan sat next to Matt at the table, both of them seated across from Randi now.

“I do,” he told the child honestly. “We’re different, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be successful. Lots of famous people are dyslexic.”

“I know,” Matt chattered enthusiastically. “Randi told me. But it gets hard to read, and sometimes I get my numbers mixed up.”

Evan nodded solemnly. “Your brain will figure it out in a different way. Just remember you’re special and not stupid. You have ways of figuring things out that nobody else can.”

Randi’s hands were shaking as she closed the book they’d been reading and listened to the honest conversation Evan was having with Matt. It was hard to fathom that Evan had dyslexia, but after thinking about it for a moment as he chatted with Matt, it made sense.

He’d tried to make up for his weaknesses by riding hard on his strengths. He was anal at times because everything had to be perfectly organized for him to function optimally. Sometimes he really didn’t understand when someone was teasing, so he said nothing at all. He’d probably never ignored her on purpose. Hadn’t he mentioned that he didn’t know what to say? So he hadn’t said anything. If he’d never had much of a chance to be around people who joked around, it was natural that he still might not always be completely comfortable with someone who teased him.

Every child with dyslexia had their own path to success and learning. She was willing to bet Evan’s road had been long and hard, with his background of abuse. But he’d still made it, still achieved a level of success that most people could only dream about.

Yes, he’d been born wealthy, but his partnerships in megasuccessful businesses almost from their inception had made him even richer.

“Mom’s here,” Matt exclaimed happily, shaking Randi out of her own thoughts.

Randi saw Matt’s mom standing near the door with her son’s jacket in her hand. Luckily, his mother was a caring parent who understood Matt’s disability.

“Go,” Evan told Matt as he clapped the child gently on the back. “And remember what I said.”

Randi was sad that she’d missed part of the conversation because she had been lost in thought.

Matt nodded at Evan with a cheerful smile and an expression of hero worship on his face. Randi watched her pupil leave, and turned to Evan, uncertain what to say.

Finally she found her voice. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

He shrugged. “I don’t tell anyone.”

“Why?”

“I know I’m not stupid, lazy, or slow, so why should it matter to anyone else?” Evan remarked, raising a questioning eyebrow at her.

“Is that what your father thought? He thought you were lazy and slow. Is that why he beat you?” Randi clenched her fists on the table, hoping to God he’d deny her suspicions.

He didn’t.

“Yes. That’s how it started,” Evan explained, looking away from her probing eyes. “I was expected to excel in school. I was the Sinclair heir apparent. Anything else was unthinkable to him. I wasn’t supposed to have defects.” Evan released a long breath. “I was my father’s greatest disappointment. I was slow to read and I had a problem with numbers, an inconceivable problem for a Sinclair. Sometimes I still do mix up numbers. I need my staff to make sure what’s in my head is on paper properly. I dictate reports a lot so they can be properly put on paper to avoid mistakes.”