Behind the wall

Episode 7

The afternoon sun dipped low, spilling gold across the small yard behind Daniel’s modest home. The smell of engine oil and dust filled the air as he leaned over the open hood of an old, rusted car, the same one his father once tried to restore before passing.

Daniel’s hands were steady but his mind wasn’t. Every turn of the wrench felt heavier than it should. He wiped sweat from his forehead with a rag, leaving a dark smear across his cheek. The radio beside him played an old song, one that used to make Victoria smile when she passed by his office. He sighed and turned it off. Silence was better.

He’d told himself he was done with that world, done with glass towers, endless orders, and people who looked right through him. But she wasn’t like the others… not entirely. There was something in Victoria’s eyes, something trapped behind that confident mask.

His younger sister, Lia, appeared at the doorway holding two cups of coffee.

“Still fixing that old junk?” she teased.

He smiled faintly. “Some things are worth fixing, even when people think they’re beyond repair.”

She handed him a cup and leaned against the wall. “You’ve been quiet since you quit. What happened?”

Daniel hesitated, tightening a bolt that didn’t really need tightening.

“Nothing much. Just… time to move on.”

Lia rolled her eyes. “Uh-huh. So this has nothing to do with your boss, the one whose name you accidentally said in your sleep last night?”

Daniel froze, his jaw tightening. “You must’ve heard wrong.”

She laughed softly. “Sure. ‘Victoria’ sounds so much like ‘valve’ or ‘vintage car,’ right?”

He smirked despite himself. “You’re annoying.”

“And you’re in love,” she shot back.

Daniel looked down, the wrench slipping from his hand. For a long moment, he said nothing. The sound of wind rustled through the leaves above.

“She wouldn’t understand me,” he finally said. “Her world… it’s made of glass and gold. Mine’s grease and rust.”

Lia’s expression softened. “Maybe. But glass can break… and gold fades. Sometimes, what lasts is the grease and rust, the real stuff.”

Daniel looked at her, something stirring in his chest, a mix of pain and hope. He turned back to the car, tightening the last bolt.

“She’s not coming back,” he muttered.

Lia smiled sadly. “You don’t know that, big brother.”

The sound of an engine pulling up broke the stillness in Daniel’s yard. He glanced up, surprised, it wasn’t a car he recognized. A sleek black sedan stopped just outside the gate, and from it stepped Elaine.

Daniel frowned, wiping his hands on his rag as she walked in, looking slightly out of place among the scattered tools and car parts.

“Elaine?” he said, confused. “What are you doing here?”

She stopped in front of him, her sharp office heels sinking slightly into the dirt. “I had to see you,” she said breathlessly. “You didn’t answer your phone, and Victoria…”

Daniel straightened, instantly alert. “Victoria? Is she okay?”

“She’s… not herself,” Elaine said carefully. “She acts like everything’s fine, but it’s not. She hasn’t been the same since you left. She doesn’t sleep, barely eats, and pretends you don’t exist, but I know she’s breaking inside.”

Daniel looked away, jaw tight. “She made her choice, Elaine. I was just an employee.”

Elaine shook her head, stepping closer. “Don’t do that. Don’t pretend you didn’t see how she looked at you. You meant something to her, more than she’ll ever admit. But she’s too proud, too scared to cross that line.”

He swallowed hard, his pulse quickening. “And why are you telling me this?”

“Because Marcus is…” Elaine said bluntly. “I don’t trust him. He’s been hanging around her, bringing gifts, pretending to care. But I’ve seen the way he talks about her when she’s not around. It’s all control and ego. Not love.”

Daniel’s face darkened. “Marcus…”

“Yes,” Elaine continued. “He’s using her vulnerability to slip in. And Victoria… she’s trying to convince herself it’s safer to let him. You know her, she always does what she thinks is ‘right,’ even if it kills her inside.”

Daniel dropped the rag, frustration flashing in his eyes. “So what do you expect me to do, Elaine? March into her office and tell her I’m in love with her?”

Elaine smiled sadly. “If that’s what it takes, yes. Because she’s not going to admit it first. She’ll let herself drown before she says your name.”

For a long moment, the only sound was the ticking of the cooling car engine. Then Daniel exhaled deeply, running a hand through his hair.

“You really think she feels that way?”

“I know she does,” Elaine said firmly. “I saw it in her eyes every time you walked into the room. And if you don’t take your shot now, Marcus will take her away, and she’ll let him, because she thinks that’s the life she deserves.”

Daniel looked down at his grease-stained hands, the hands of a man who built and fixed things that others threw away. Maybe… maybe this was something worth fixing too.

He looked back up, determination hardening in his eyes.

“Where is she?” he asked quietly.

Elaine’s lips curved into a small, relieved smile. “At her mansion. Alone.”

Daniel grabbed his jacket, wiping his hands one last time. “Then I guess it’s time I stop running.”