Chapter 5 - THE PRICE OF BEING SEEN WITH A BILLIONAIRE
The first canceled customer hurt Frank.
The second frightened him.
By the fourth, Miller & Sons had lost almost nine hundred thousand dollars in scheduled restoration work.
Not because anyone accused Daniel of bad mechanics.
Because wealthy clients feared becoming involved in a public scandal connected to Mercer Holdings.
Frank threw a cancellation letter onto his desk.
“This is organized.”
Daniel agreed.
The shop had survived recessions.
Supply shortages.
A fire in 2008.
But collector restoration depended on trust.
Anonymous emails alleging financial misconduct had damaged that trust faster than facts could repair it.
The audit of the roadster proved every charge false.
Every part documented.
Every donated hour identified.
No inflated bill.
No hidden Mercer payment.
It did not matter.
Suspicion traveled faster than spreadsheets.
Daniel called Evelyn.
She arrived within an hour.
Frank shut the office door.
“We’re considering a statement.”
Evelyn nodded.
“My communications team can coordinate.”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
Frank looked between them.
“Daniel.”
“If Mercer Holdings writes our defense, it looks like exactly what they accuse us of.”
Evelyn did not argue.
“What do you suggest?”
“Independent accountant.”
She nodded.
“Good.”
“Publish the roadster audit.”
“Good.”
“Frank speaks.”
Evelyn looked at him.
“And you?”
“I keep working.”
Frank sighed.
“On what? Everyone canceled.”
That silence hurt.
Daniel looked through the office window at the empty restoration bay.
Three weeks earlier, every lift had been full.
Now two cars remained.
One belonged to a local dentist.
The other to Frank.
Evelyn said:
“I can send work.”
Daniel turned.
“No.”
“Not Mercer corporate vehicles. Collectors.”
“No.”
“Daniel.”
“No.”
Evelyn’s jaw tightened.
“Your pride is going to cost Frank’s employees jobs.”
That landed.
Daniel stood.
“My pride?”
“Yes.”
“You think taking clients from you solves this?”
“I think keeping twenty-three people employed matters.”
Frank quietly left the office.
Coward.
Daniel lowered his voice.
“If you send clients, every article says Evelyn Mercer rescued her boyfriend’s shop.”
“Are you my boyfriend?”
Wrong moment.
Daniel stared.
Evelyn almost smiled.
Then did not.
“Not the point.”
“No.”
She crossed her arms.
“You are allowing hypothetical headlines to decide whether people here receive paychecks.”
“And you are trying to fix the problem with access.”
“Because I have access!”
Her voice rose.
Daniel went quiet.
So did she.
Evelyn inhaled.
“Sorry.”
“No.”
Daniel rubbed his jaw.
“You’re right about one thing.”
She waited.
“I don’t get to make Frank’s decision for him.”
They called him back.
Frank listened.
Then said:
“No Mercer referrals.”
Evelyn looked disappointed.
Frank continued.
“But if somebody who happens to know Evelyn wants a restoration and finds us independently, I’m not asking for family history.”
Fair.
A compromise.
Daniel hated compromises.
Probably another issue.
That afternoon, Sophie arrived at the shop.
She had stopped by since she was five.
Everyone knew her.
She usually stole Frank’s candy and complained about oil smells.
This time, she found Daniel sitting alone beside the silver roadster’s empty display stand.
“You look old.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
She sat beside him.
“Mr. Miller says things are bad.”
“Frank talks too much.”
“Are people going to lose jobs?”
Daniel hesitated.
“Maybe.”
Sophie looked down.
“Because of Evelyn?”
“No.”
“Because you’re seeing Evelyn.”
“That is different.”
“Not really.”
Daniel frowned.
“Soph.”
“I’m not blaming her.”
Her voice tightened.
“But before her, nobody cared where I went to school.”
Daniel stopped.
Sophie continued.
“Nobody photographed our house.”
His chest tightened.
“What?”
She pulled out her phone.
A local gossip account had posted a picture of their brick home.
WHERE MERCER’S MECHANIC STILL LIVES
Daniel went ice cold.
“When?”
“This morning.”
“Why didn’t you call?”
“You were dealing with work.”
“I am always available for this.”
Sophie’s eyes filled.
“Dad, I don’t want you to give her up for me.”
His throat tightened.
“But I don’t know how to do this.”
Daniel wrapped an arm around her.
“I don’t either.”
That evening, he drove to Evelyn’s house.
Not invited.
The guard recognized him now.
Evelyn met him in the foyer.
One look at his face:
“What happened?”
He showed her the photograph.
Her expression transformed.
Within thirty seconds she was calling security.
Daniel stopped her.
“No.”
She stared.
“They photographed your home.”
“I know.”
“Sophie lives there.”
“I know.”
“That changes the security discussion.”
“Yes.”
Evelyn paused.
Daniel continued.
“Not guards at school.”
“Fine.”
“But someone checks the house.”
She nodded.
“Discreetly.”
“Yes.”
“And I pay.”
Daniel started to object.
Evelyn raised one finger.
“The threat follows me.”
He closed his mouth.
“Fair.”
“That physically hurt you.”
“Yes.”
She almost smiled.
Then he said:
“We need to stop seeing each other.”
The smile vanished.
Evelyn went completely still.
Daniel hated how quickly pain entered her face.
“Because of Sophie.”
“Because my house is online.”
“Yes.”
“Because Frank may lose employees.”
“Yes.”
Evelyn’s voice became controlled.
The billionaire returning.
“So the person attacking us gets exactly what they want.”
“This isn’t a board contest.”
“No.”
Her eyes sharpened.
“It is your fear.”
Daniel stared.
“What?”
“You are frightened.”
“Of course I’m frightened.”
“No.”
She stepped closer.
“You’re frightened that caring about me gives the world something else it can take.”
He went still.
“That isn’t fair.”
“Neither is leaving before anything can be lost.”
Daniel looked away.
Evelyn’s voice softened.
“I am not asking you to choose me over Sophie.”
“I know.”
“I would never.”
“I know.”
“But do not use your daughter as an excuse if the truth is that this is about Rachel.”
That hurt.
He looked at her.
Evelyn’s eyes were wet now.
“I cannot compete with a dead woman, Daniel.”
“I never asked you to.”
“No.”
She nodded.
“But maybe you are.”
Silence.
He wanted to deny it.
Couldn’t.
Rachel died without warning.
Love had become catastrophe in less than six hours.
For eleven years, Daniel built a life where nobody could become essential enough to destroy him again.
Except Sophie.
He had no choice there.
Evelyn was a choice.
That was terrifying.
“I don’t know how to do this.”
His voice came out quieter than he expected.
Evelyn looked at him.
“Neither do I.”
“You have six billion dollars.”
“What exactly do you think money teaches?”
Daniel laughed once.
She stepped closer.
“We can slow down.”
He looked at her.
“We can stop being photographed.”
“How?”
“I own several underground parking garages.”
That made him laugh properly.
“Terrifying answer.”
“I have resources.”
“Yes.”
Then she became serious.
“But I will not hide you because Julian Cross thinks you don’t belong near me.”
Daniel’s eyes narrowed.
“You know it’s him.”
“I know enough.”
“What does he want?”
“I’m still determining that.”
“Why involve me?”
“Because you are leverage.”
Against her.
Daniel hated that.
“Then maybe distance helps.”
Evelyn shook her head.
“It tells him leverage works.”
Daniel walked toward the windows.
The lake was black beyond them.
He thought about Sophie.
Frank.
Rachel.
Evelyn.
Every direction carried risk.
He turned.
“One month.”
Evelyn frowned.
“What?”
“We don’t end anything.”
Hope entered her face.
“We slow down for one month.”
“Define slow.”
“No public events.”
“Easy.”
“No expensive gifts.”
“I have given you none.”
“You bought my car for a million dollars.”
“The charity’s car.”
Daniel stared.
Evelyn smiled.
“Fine.”
“No gifts.”
“Agreed.”
“And you meet Sophie again only if she asks.”
“Absolutely.”
He took a breath.
“Then we see.”
Evelyn nodded.
“Okay.”
Daniel started toward the door.
“Daniel.”
He turned.
She walked to him.
Stopped.
Did not touch him.
“Are we dating?”
He looked at her.
Then smiled.
“Apparently.”
Evelyn’s smile returned.
“Good.”
He left.
Two floors above them, Mercer Holdings security chief Monica Reyes was sending Evelyn a preliminary investigation report.
One internal user had accessed Daniel’s background file repeatedly.
The account belonged to Julian Cross’s executive assistant.
But another discovery was worse.
Someone had also accessed archived legal documents from Evelyn’s failed engagement twenty years earlier.
Including confidential details about the man who had tried to use marriage to gain influence over Mercer Holdings.
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Someone was preparing to make history repeat itself.
Only this time, they planned to cast Daniel as the man after her money.
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