“The office is chaos,” he continued. “Thomas is demanding access to your private accounts and security codes.”
He exhaled slowly.
“I refused. I told them I work for Victoria Hale. Until there’s proof otherwise, my loyalty stays with you. They didn’t like that.”
Loyalty? The word felt foreign.
“You probably don’t remember this,” Daniel said quietly, “but during my interview, you didn’t ask about my late wife. You didn’t ask how I’d manage being a single father. You said, ‘If you’re capable, you’re hired.’ You didn’t treat me like damaged goods. You gave me dignity. That job kept Lily and me afloat. I won’t let them tear down what you built.”
Something warm touched her hand. His forehead.
For the first time in years, Victoria felt shame. She had viewed him as efficient machinery. Yet here he was, risking everything for her.
Over the next week, sensation slowly returned to her limbs. She hid it. She needed to know how far the betrayal would go.
Thomas escalated. Secret meetings. Private calls. Rumors about her “declining judgment.” Each evening, Daniel updated her.