A Love Beyond Fortune

Chapter seven

The days that followed were tense and painful. Thomas didn't fire Daniel immediately, but he didn't speak to him either. Victoria's mother tried to mediate, tried to understand what her daughter saw in this young man, but Victoria wouldn't discuss it with her. She felt betrayed, like her parents were treating her like a child who didn't know her own mind.

Victoria continued seeing Daniel, but now there was no more hiding. She'd go outside when he arrived to pick her up, and she'd kiss him right there in the driveway where anyone could see. She wanted her parents to know she wasn't ashamed, that she wasn't going to back down.

Daniel was torn. Part of him admired Victoria's courage, her willingness to fight for them. But another part of him felt guilty, knowing he was causing this rift in her family. He offered multiple times to walk away, to make things easier for everyone, but Victoria refused to let him.

"If you leave, you're not making things easier," she told him fiercely. "You're just proving my father right. You're showing him that we're not strong enough to fight for this."

So Daniel stayed, even though every day felt like walking on broken glass.

One evening in late February, Caroline asked Victoria to go for a walk with her. Just the two of them. Victoria agreed reluctantly. They walked through the estate grounds in silence for a while, their breath visible in the cold air.

"Tell me about him," Caroline said finally. "Really tell me. What do you love about Daniel?"

Victoria was surprised by the question. She'd expected more lectures, more disapproval. She thought about it carefully before answering.

"He listens to me," Victoria said. "Not the way people at parties listen when they're really just waiting for their turn to talk. He actually listens. He remembers things I tell him. He asks questions. He cares about what I think and feel." She paused. "He makes me want to be a better person. When I'm with him, I don't feel like I have to pretend to be someone I'm not. I can just be me."

Caroline nodded slowly. "Your father and I, we want what's best for you. You know that, don't you?"

"I know you think you do," Victoria said. "But what's best for me isn't what's best for your image or your social circle or your business relationships. What's best for me is being with someone who loves me. Really loves me. And that's Daniel."

Caroline stopped walking and turned to face her daughter. "I believe you," she said softly. "I can see it when you talk about him. You light up. I haven't seen you this happy in years." She sighed. "But your father is going to be very difficult about this."

"I know," Victoria said. "But I'm not giving Daniel up. I won't."

"Then you need to be prepared for what that might mean," Caroline warned. "Your father can be very stubborn. He might cut you off financially. He might disown you."

"Then he disowns me," Victoria said, and she meant it.

Caroline looked at her daughter with something like pride. "When did you grow up?" she asked quietly.

"When I fell in love with someone who showed me what life could actually be like," Victoria answered.

That night, Caroline talked to Thomas. Victoria didn't hear the conversation, but the next morning at breakfast, her father was different. Not warm, not accepting, but different. He looked at Victoria across the table and said, "If you're serious about this young man, then I want to meet with him. Properly. Not as my employee, but as someone who wants to be part of this family."

Victoria's heart leaped. "Really?"

"Don't mistake this for approval," Thomas said firmly. "I want to talk to him. I want to understand what his intentions are. And if I don't like what I hear, I'm going to do everything in my power to end this. Do you understand?"

"I understand," Victoria said.

She called Daniel immediately after breakfast. "My father wants to meet with you. To really talk to you."

Daniel was silent for a long moment. "Okay," he said finally. "When?"

"Tonight. Dinner. Here."

"Victoria, I don't think—"

"Please," she interrupted. "This is our chance. Please."

"Okay," Daniel said again. "I'll be there."