Billionaire Caught Her Janitor Teaching His Daughter Math—Then His Tattoo Exposed a Shocking Secret
Chapter 14
Two years later, the tattoo finally came off.
Lucas sat in a clinic while a specialist worked over the old symbol.
Victoria waited outside.
Emma sat beside her.
“Will it hurt?”
“Yes.”
“Then why is he doing it?”
“Because he doesn’t need it anymore.”
Emma thought.
“Do you need yours?”
Victoria laughed.
“I don’t have one.”
“You should.”
“Maybe.”
When Lucas came out, the tattoo was almost gone.
The number 741 had disappeared first.
Victoria looked at his arm.
“Feels strange?”
“Yes.”
“Bad?”
“No.”
He smiled.
“Free.”
She took his hand.
“That sounds good.”
He nodded.
They drove home together.
That evening, Victoria found another letter from Daniel.
It had been hidden inside a book.
She opened it.
Victoria,
If you’re reading this, then Lucas stayed.
Her eyes filled with tears.
I knew he would.
Not because I asked him to.
Because you gave him a reason.
She looked toward the kitchen.
Lucas was making dinner.
Emma was laughing.
Victoria continued reading.
You spent years believing you had to carry everything alone.
You don’t.
Neither does he.
She closed the letter.
Lucas walked over.
“What is it?”
“My husband.”
He smiled.
“What did he say?”
She handed him the letter.
Lucas read it.
His eyes became wet.
“He knew.”
“Yes.”
They sat together.
Then Victoria said,
“I loved him.”
“I know.”
“I’ll always love him.”
Lucas nodded.
“You should.”
“And loving you doesn’t change that.”
He squeezed her hand.
“I know.”
She looked at him.
“Does that scare you?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because love isn’t a replacement.”
Her heart softened.
“That was wise.”
“I stole it from your husband.”
She laughed.
Later that month, Lucas and Victoria attended a charity event.
A journalist approached.
“Ms. Bennett, is it true Mr. Reed is now your head of security?”
Victoria looked at Lucas.
“No.”
The journalist frowned.
“Then what is he?”
Victoria smiled.
“My family.”
The answer appeared in newspapers the next morning.
Victoria didn’t correct it.
Neither did Lucas.
Emma loved it.
She told everyone her mother had married “the smartest janitor in the world.”
Lucas protested.
“I was never really a janitor.”
Emma grinned.
“Everybody knows.”
Victoria laughed.
Life became quieter.
Not perfect.
There were still threats.
Still investigations.
Still old enemies.
But nothing compared with what had come before.
Then one evening, Lucas found Victoria in the old learning room.
She was looking at the original math worksheet.
The one that started everything.
“You kept it.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
She smiled.
“Because that’s the night I met the man who changed my life.”
Lucas sat beside her.
“You hated me.”
“I thought you were strange.”
“You thought I was spying.”
“You were.”
“Yes.”
She laughed.
Then she asked,
“Did you know that Emma would trust you?”
“No.”
“Daniel did.”
“Yes.”
“Did you know I would?”
Lucas looked at her.
“No.”
“And now?”
He took her hand.
“Now I know.”
She smiled.
“What?”
“That you’d choose people before power.”
She leaned against him.
“You taught me that.”
“No.”
“I learned it from you.”
He shook his head.
“Maybe from both of us.”
