Chapter 14 - Victor Comes to My Door
Victor appeared at my father’s house after midnight.
Security stopped him at the gate.
He refused to leave.
I watched him through the camera feed.
His hair was wet.
His coat was wrinkled.
He looked almost like the man he had thrown into the storm.
Almost.
“Send him away,” my father said.
“No.”
Arthur looked at me.
“I’ll speak to him.”
“Absolutely not.”
“He came here for me.”
“He hit you.”
“I remember.”
My father’s jaw tightened.
“I won’t be alone.”
Russell arranged for us to meet in the security building near the gate.
Cameras recorded everything.
Victor entered and stared at me.
No expensive office.
No skyline.
No Kendra.
No mother.
No audience to impress.
Just us.
“You look different.”
“I stopped dressing for your comfort.”
He looked at the bruise on my cheek.
Something like shame crossed his face.
“I shouldn’t have done that.”
“No.”
“I was angry.”
“That explains emotion.”
I folded my hands.
“It does not excuse behavior.”
Victor sat down.
“I loved you once.”
I looked at him.
“I think you believed that.”
His eyes hardened.
“You’re enjoying this.”
“No.”
“You’re destroying me.”
“You destroyed yourself.”
“There it is.”
He laughed bitterly.
“Princess Hartwell pretending she had nothing to do with any of it.”
I remained silent.
“You gave me promotions.”
“I gave you opportunities.”
“You manipulated my career.”
“I made sure you were evaluated.”
“You interfered.”
“Yes.”
The admission surprised him.
I continued.
“That was wrong.”
Victor stared at me.
“I should never have used a marriage to conduct an experiment.”
For the first time, his anger weakened.
“I hurt myself.”
I paused.
“And perhaps I helped create conditions that fed your ego.”
He leaned forward.
“Exactly.”
“But I did not create your choices.”
His face hardened again.
“I did not make you cheat.”
“I did not make you steal.”
“I did not make you forge documents.”
“I did not make you plant jewelry.”
“My mother did that.”
“You knew.”
He looked away.
I felt the answer.
He knew.
Maybe not every detail.
Enough.
Victor lowered his voice.
“Help me.”
“No.”
“Olivia.”
“No.”
“You could make this disappear.”
That sentence told me everything.
Even now, he believed power existed to erase consequences.
“I could influence people.”
His eyes lifted hopefully.
“And I won’t.”
He stood.
“So that’s it?”
“Yes.”
“Seven years mean nothing?”
“They mean something.”
I looked directly at him.
“They taught me never to confuse endurance with love again.”
Victor stopped at the door.
“Your father is not clean.”
“Neither am I.”
He turned.
I continued.
“That is the difference between us.”
May you like
“I’m willing to face what I did.”
“You’re still looking for someone else to carry yours.”
