“You were seeing her?”
Vivian stepped in front of her son.
“I introduced them.
That’s all.
He’s a man.
He needed options—”
“I needed options?” Daniel’s voice rose.
“You manipulated me!
You set this up!”
“You were supposed to choose the right woman!”
“I DID choose!” He pointed at Phoebe.
“I chose her!
And you ruined it!”
“You chose a woman who was pretending to be poor!”
“She wasn’t pretending!” Daniel’s voice cracked.
“She just never talked about money.
She never showed off.
She was kind.
She was real.
And I—”
He stopped.
Phoebe watched him.
“You what?”
Daniel’s eyes were red.
“I got scared.
I thought if she was hiding something, maybe she was hiding other things.
My mother kept saying someone who lies about who they are can’t be trusted.”
Phoebe’s chest tightened.
“I didn’t lie about who I was.
I just didn’t lead with it.”
“That’s the same thing—”
“No, Daniel.
It is not the same thing.” Her voice was steady but something beneath it was breaking.
“I didn’t tell you about my family because I wanted you to love me for me.
Not for my name.
Not for my money.
Not for a merger.”
“I did love you for you—”
“Then why did you sign a contract to take everything I had?”
Daniel had no answer.
The silence lasted too long.
Phoebe turned away.
Her grandfather met her at the door.
“Are you alright?” he asked quietly.
“No.” Her voice broke for the first time.
“I loved him, Grandfather.
I really did.”
Charles Sterling put his arm around her shoulder.
“I know you did.”
“He was going to throw me away.
After one year.
Like I was nothing.”
“You were never nothing.” His voice was firm.
“Not to me.
Not to your parents.
Not to anyone who matters.”
Phoebe pressed her hand to her mouth.
