She Fell Into a Single Dad’s Arms at Work — Then One Quiet Whisper Made Them Both Believe in Love Again
Chapter 3
Victoria began finding reasons to visit the lower floors.
At first, she told herself it was because facilities problems needed executive attention.
Then she stopped believing herself.
She started talking to Michael.
Five minutes became ten.
Ten became twenty.
They talked about work.
Then family.
Then books.
Then food.
Then music.
Michael discovered Victoria hated fancy restaurants.
She preferred diners.
Victoria discovered Michael could cook almost anything from leftovers.
He discovered she couldn’t cook at all.
One evening she said:
“I once burned water.”
Michael laughed.
“That’s impossible.”
“I managed it.”
He smiled.
“How?”
“I don’t know.”
She laughed.
“I’d probably start a fire.”
They became friends.
But the friendship came with rules.
Michael was still connected to her company.
She was still the CEO.
They couldn’t pretend the power difference didn’t exist.
One night, Victoria said:
“I know this is complicated.”
Michael nodded.
“Very.”
“You have a daughter.”
“Yes.”
“You work for a company I own.”
“Yes.”
“I’m your CEO.”
“Yes.”
She smiled.
“You’re very agreeable.”
“I’m being realistic.”
Victoria looked away.
“I don’t want to make things difficult for you.”
“You aren’t.”
“What if people talk?”
“They already do.”
“About what?”
“Everything.”
She laughed.
That was the problem with office gossip.
It didn’t require evidence.
It only required boredom.
Still, neither crossed the line.
Until one evening, Victoria received a call from her father.
William Hayes.
He had been the chairman until his health began failing.
He asked her to come home.
When she arrived, he was sitting in his library.
“You look tired.”
“I’m fine.”
He smiled.
“Your mother used to say that.”
Victoria became still.
Her mother had died when Victoria was fourteen.
Heart failure.
Afterward, her father buried himself in the company.
Victoria did the same.
She had spent her entire adult life trying to become the daughter her father needed.
Now she was the CEO.
But somehow she still felt like the fourteen-year-old girl watching doctors wheel her mother away.
Her father looked at her.
“You don’t have to keep proving yourself.”
Victoria’s voice tightened.
“Yes, I do.”
“Why?”
“Because if I stop, everything falls apart.”
He sighed.
“That’s not leadership.”
“What is?”
“Trusting people.”
She laughed bitterly.
“People leave.”
Her father stared at her.
“Who?”
“Everyone.”
He looked at her for a long time.
Then asked:
“Is there someone?”
Victoria hesitated.
“Maybe.”
Her father smiled.
“Then don’t be afraid.”
She looked away.
“I don’t know how.”
Her father nodded.
“Neither did I.”
That night, Victoria walked out into the cold.
She drove to the office.
She knew Michael was working late.
She found him in the maintenance room.
He was sitting alone, eating dinner from a plastic container.
He looked up.
“You’re here late.”
“So are you.”
He smiled.
“Occupational hazard.”
She sat beside him.
“What happens when the person who taught you to be strong is the reason you don’t know how to be vulnerable?”
Michael put down his fork.
“That’s a complicated question.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
She looked at him.
“Your wife.”
He became quiet.
“Did you love her?”
“Yes.”
“Very much?”
“More than I knew how to explain.”
“What happened?”
“She died.”
Victoria’s expression softened.
“I’m sorry.”
He nodded.
“I spent years thinking if I loved someone again, I’d betray her.”
Victoria looked at him.
“You don’t think that anymore?”
“No.”
“What changed?”
Michael smiled sadly.
“My daughter.”
“How?”
“She reminded me that love doesn’t disappear because one person dies.”
He looked at Victoria.
“It just changes shape.”
Victoria swallowed.
She understood.
More than he knew.
She whispered:
“Maybe I’m still afraid of losing people who haven’t even arrived yet.”
Michael looked at her.
Neither spoke.
Then he reached for her hand.
He didn’t pull her closer.
He simply held it.
That was enough.
