Behind the wall

Episode 4

Inside Daniel’s apartment, a modest space. Sunlight filters through blinds. The room is clean but bare, just like him.

Daniel sits at the edge of his bed, half-dressed, staring at his phone. His thumb hovers over a message he’ll never send.

“Did you have a good time last night?”

Delete.

“You looked beautiful.”

Delete.

He exhales sharply, tossing the phone aside. His reflection in the mirror stares back, his tired eyes hiding something deeper.

Meanwhile inside Victoria’s bedroom. Victoria sits at her vanity, brushing her hair. She’s elegant even in her robe, but her eyes are far away.

On her nightstand sits her phone, lit with a new message from Marcus.

“Had a great time. Can’t wait to see you again.”

She smiles faintly, but then her gaze shifts, her thoughts drifting to last night’s car ride… Daniel’s silence, and his eyes in the mirror, but then she shakes it off quickly.

“Don’t be ridiculous. He’s just... Daniel.” Victoria says to herself.

Still, her brush slows.

In the mansion’s driveway, Daniel pulls the sleet black car up to the steps, engine purring. He steps out, buttoned up and professional, his mask firmly in place.

Victoria appears, poised, unreadable. She slips into the car without a word. For a beat, silence fills the air.

“Morning ma’am.” Daniel greets her first.

“Morning.” Victoria greets him back.

Their eyes flicker toward each other in the mirror, then quickly away. Daniel starts the car and start moving.

The city rolls past the windows. Victoria scrolls absently on her phone. Daniel focuses on the road, but tension hangs heavy.

“Marcus texted me this morning.” Victoria says softly, as if testing.

“That’s good.” Daniel said steady and controlled.

A pause. She studies him through the reflection.

His jaw tightens and his grip on the wheel firm.

“I think my father might be right. Maybe he is good for me.” She continued.

“Maybe.” Daniel responds his tone is neutral, but inside, he’s breaking.

Victoria looks down at her phone again, but there’s a flicker of doubt in her eyes. For the first time, she wonders what Daniel really thinks of her choices.

The silence between them now feels like an entire conversation unsaid.

……

The office buzzed with ringing phones and hurried footsteps, but Daniel kept his composure as he leaned against the company car, waiting for Victoria’s next call.

Marcus arrived with lunch, and a large bouquet of red roses, carefully wrapped in glossy black paper with a golden ribbon tied neatly at the bottom. It was dramatic, eye-catching, the kind of gesture meant to impress anyone watching, not just Victoria.

Daniel watches with mixed feelings as Marcus heads up to the office.

Later after sharing lunch and laughter with Victoria in her office, Marcus strutted back to the parking lot, smugness written all over his face. The bouquet wrapper dangled from his hand, like a trophy of conquest.

As he passed Daniel, he slowed his pace deliberately. With a smirk, he tapped Daniel’s shoulder harder than necessary, more like a shove.

“Must be tough,” Marcus said, his tone dripping with mockery. “Opening doors for a woman you’ll never have. Don’t worry, kid, I’ll take good care of her.”

Daniel’s jaw tightened, but he kept his eyes forward, refusing to give Marcus the satisfaction of a reaction.

Not done, Marcus circled the car and, with a quick motion, dragged his key across the paint, leaving a faint scratch along the side before tossing Daniel a wink.

“Oops. Guess that’s what happens when you park in the wrong space.”

Marcus walked away laughing, leaving Daniel frozen beside the car, fists clenched at his sides. He said nothing, but in his silence burned a fire Marcus would never see coming.