Chapter 5 - The Woman Who Chose To Stay
Victor Gallow had spent his entire life making people leave.
Enemies.
Partners.
Friends.
Anyone who got too close eventually discovered the same truth.
Being near Victor came with a price.
So when Harper Davis stood in front of him and refused to walk away, he didn't understand.
"You should be afraid of me."
Victor's voice was quiet.
Harper looked at him.
"I know."
That answer surprised him.
"You know?"
"Yes."
She stepped closer.
"I know you're not just a businessman."
The room became silent.
Victor's expression changed.
"You don't know what you're saying."
"I know exactly what I'm saying."
Harper looked directly into his eyes.
"I've seen how people react when you enter a room. I've seen your security. I've seen the way people stop talking when you walk past."
A pause.
"But I also saw you stop an entire meeting because a junior designer was being blamed for something she didn't do."
Victor said nothing.
"You helped me."
"That was nothing."
"No."
Harper shook her head.
"That's what you keep telling yourself."
---
Victor had faced armed men without hesitation.
He had negotiated million-dollar deals under pressure.
He had watched enemies betray him and remained calm.
But standing there with Harper...
He felt something far more dangerous.
Uncertainty.
"Harper."
"What?"
"If you stay near me, your life changes."
She smiled sadly.
"My life already changed."
Victor frowned.
"Because of me?"
"No."
She looked around his office.
"Because I met someone who everyone says is a monster..."
A pause.
"But I haven't seen one."
Victor looked away.
That sentence stayed with him.
---
Two days later, the truth about the company leak finally surfaced.
The person behind the attack wasn't Harper.
It was Daniel Cross.
A senior partner who had worked with Victor for six years.
Arthur placed the evidence on Victor's desk.
"Everything points to him."
Victor looked through the documents.
"Why?"
"Money."
Arthur hesitated.
"And revenge."
Victor looked up.
"Revenge for what?"
Arthur was quiet.
Then:
"Your father."
The room changed.
Victor's jaw tightened.
"My father died eleven years ago."
"Yes."
Arthur looked serious.
"But Daniel believes your father destroyed his family before he died."
Victor stared at the documents.
Old wounds.
Old enemies.
And now Harper had been dragged into it.
---
That evening, Victor found Harper working late.
The office was almost empty.
She looked up.
"You know, most CEOs leave before midnight."
"I'm not most CEOs."
She smiled.
"No argument there."
Victor placed a folder on her desk.
"The investigation is over."
She opened it.
Her eyes widened.
"Daniel Cross?"
Victor nodded.
"He framed you."
Harper looked relieved.
Then angry.
"I almost lost everything because of him."
Victor remained silent.
Harper looked at him.
"Are you okay?"
The question caught him off guard.
"I'm fine."
She smiled slightly.
"You always say that."
"Because it's true."
"No."
She shook her head.
"Because it's easier."
Victor stared at her.
Nobody spoke to him like this.
Nobody dared.
But Harper wasn't trying to challenge him.
She was trying to understand him.
---
Later that night, Victor drove Harper home.
For security reasons, he usually traveled with three vehicles.
Tonight, he only had one.
Harper noticed.
"You're breaking your own rules."
"Which one?"
"Never doing anything unnecessary."
Victor glanced at her.
"Driving you home is necessary."
She smiled.
"That almost sounded sweet."
"It wasn't."
"Of course."
The city lights passed through the windows.
After several minutes, Harper spoke.
"Why did you become this person?"
Victor didn't answer immediately.
Then:
"Because someone had to."
She waited.
"My father built an empire."
A pause.
"When he died, everyone wanted a piece of it."
Victor looked ahead.
"I learned quickly that kindness gets exploited."
Harper looked at him.
"And did it work?"
"What?"
"Being cold."
Victor stayed silent.
Because the honest answer was no.
It protected his empire.
But it never gave him peace.
---
When they arrived at Harper's apartment, Victor stopped the car.
She opened the door.
Then turned.
"Victor."
"Yes?"
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For trusting me enough to tell me something real."
She stepped out.
Victor watched her walk away.
For the first time in eleven years...
May you like
He wanted someone to come back.
---
