She Fell in Love With a Worker — Unaware He Was the Millionaire Architect and Owner!
Chapter 7
Daniel confronted Alex that night.
They met in a private restaurant.
“You’re stealing from my company.”
Alex laughed.
“That’s a serious accusation.”
“I have records.”
“You have suspicion.”
“Richard is working for you.”
Alex’s smile disappeared.
“You’ve been investigating.”
“Yes.”
“You should stop.”
“No.”
Alex leaned forward.
“You don’t understand the board.”
“I understand enough.”
Alex shook his head.
“Your father built this company. You inherited it because everyone thought you were the right successor.”
Daniel said nothing.
“You’ve spent years pretending you’re different from him.”
“I am.”
“Are you?”
Alex smiled.
“You hide your identity from your own employees. You manipulate what people tell you. You walk around construction sites pretending to be a laborer.”
Daniel’s expression hardened.
“You’ve known?”
“Of course.”
“How long?”
“Since the beginning.”
Daniel felt a chill.
“Then why didn’t you tell anyone?”
“Because I wanted to see what you’d discover.”
“Why?”
Alex leaned closer.
“Because Richard isn’t working for me.”
Daniel froze.
“What?”
Alex’s smile disappeared.
“He’s working for someone else.”
“Who?”
Alex stood.
“That’s the problem.”
He left.
Daniel sat there.
For the first time, he wondered whether Richard was only a middleman.
He returned to the site the next morning.
Emma was waiting.
“You didn’t call.”
“I know.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
“You’re lying.”
Daniel smiled faintly.
“You’ve gotten very good at that.”
“Being right?”
“Yes.”
She smiled.
He wanted to tell her everything.
Instead, he said,
“Walk with me.”
They walked through the unfinished community center.
The rooms were beginning to take shape.
Sunlight came through the new windows.
Emma stopped in the future library.
“It’s beautiful.”
“It will be.”
“You really believe that?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Daniel looked around.
“Because I think buildings should mean something.”
She smiled.
“You sound like an architect.”
He laughed.
“Maybe I am.”
She stepped closer.
“Daniel.”
“Yeah?”
“Tell me who you are.”
He took a breath.
“My name is Daniel Sterling.”
She frowned.
“Okay.”
“No.”
He looked at her.
“Daniel Sterling.”
Her face went blank.
She whispered,
“The Daniel Sterling?”
He nodded.
“The founder?”
“Yes.”
“The owner of Sterling Urban Group?”
“Yes.”
Emma stepped backward.
“You’re the owner?”
“Yes.”
“Then why…”
“I wanted to see the project without everyone treating me like the owner.”
She stared.
“You lied to me.”
“I hid the truth.”
“That’s the same thing.”
“I know.”
She turned away.
“You should have told me.”
“I wanted to.”
“When?”
“Before this became more complicated.”
She looked at him.
“What did you expect?”
“I don’t know.”
“You knew I hated the company owners.”
“I know.”
“You knew I didn’t trust rich developers.”
“I know.”
“And you still let me fall for you.”
Daniel froze.
Emma realized what she had said.
Her eyes widened.
“I…”
He stepped closer.
“You said fall for me.”
She shook her head.
“Don’t.”
“Emma.”
“No.”
She turned away.
Then he gently caught her hand.
She looked back.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“You did.”
“I know.”
She pulled free.
“And now I don’t know what was real.”
Daniel watched her walk away.
He had feared she would reject him because he was rich.
He never imagined she’d question whether the man she loved had ever been real.
