She Fell Into a Single Dad’s Arms at Work — Then One Quiet Whisper Made Them Both Believe in Love Again
Chapter 7
After Lily recovered, Michael became more protective.
Victoria understood.
But she also knew fear could become its own prison.
“You can’t spend the rest of your life waiting for something bad.”
“I know.”
“Then don’t.”
He smiled.
“Easy for you.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“It’s not easy for me either.”
Her mother’s death had taught her the same fear.
One night, she told Michael the story.
Her mother had been ill for years.
Victoria had been fourteen when she died.
Her father had responded by working constantly.
Victoria had copied him.
She became obsessed with success.
She believed if she became valuable enough, people would never leave.
Michael listened.
“You’ve been trying to earn love.”
“Yes.”
“Did it work?”
She laughed sadly.
“No.”
He touched her face.
“You don’t need to earn mine.”
She leaned into him.
“You don’t need to earn mine either.”
That sentence became their quiet agreement.
They began building a life.
Small dinners.
School events.
Weekend trips.
A lake house visit.
Lily loved the country.
Victoria hated mosquitoes.
Michael laughed.
“You’re a billionaire and afraid of insects.”
“I’m not afraid.”
A mosquito landed on her.
She screamed.
Lily laughed for five minutes.
The trip became a family joke.
They traveled again.
This time to a quiet mountain town.
No cameras.
No board members.
No headlines.
Victoria loved it.
She walked beside Michael.
“I could get used to this.”
“To what?”
“Being nobody.”
He smiled.
“You’ll never be nobody.”
She looked at him.
“Maybe that’s the problem.”
He shook his head.
“You can be important and still be human.”
She smiled.
That was what she had needed to hear.
When they returned, Victoria made a major decision.
She stepped down from several public-facing corporate committees.
She delegated more.
She took weekends off.
The board complained.
Her father supported her.
“You’ve finally learned.”
“Learned what?”
“That the company can survive without you.”
Victoria laughed.
“That’s insulting.”
“No.”
He smiled.
“That’s freedom.”
She looked at her father.
Maybe he was right.
The company didn’t need her every second.
Her family did.
Michael did.
Lily did.
And she needed herself.
