Before Daniel could answer, Ethan scored. The field exploded with noise. Ethan turned instantly toward the sidelines, searching for them, face bright with triumph. Victoria shouted louder than half the parents there. Daniel laughed despite himself, and for one impossible moment, the weight he carried every day lifted enough for him to remember what happiness felt like before fear complicated it.
But good things rarely arrive without consequence. 3 days later, the first article appeared online. Billionaire Aerys spotted repeatedly with smalltown mechanic. Daniel read the headline twice in disbelief while sitting alone in the garage office after closing. There were photographs.
Victoria standing beside him near the soccer field. Daniel opening the garage door while she laughed at something Ethan had said. The article treated them less like people and more like entertainment, reducing entire lives into contrast and spectacle. Rich girl, mechanic, fairy tale. Daniel felt sick reading it.
By morning, the story had spread. Customers mentioned it awkwardly. Tony nearly vibrated with excitement, trying not to ask questions. Ethan proudly informed his teacher that his father was apparently internet famous now, which only made Daniel want to disappear more completely. Then Victoria called.
"I'm sorry," she said immediately. "You have nothing to apologize for." "Actually, I do. The press follows my family constantly. I should have anticipated this.
Daniel leaned back in his chair and stared at the darkened garage. "This is your world," he said quietly. "Not mine." Silence met him on the other end. "Daniel," he closed his eyes because suddenly he understood something terrifying.
It was not the headlines bothering him most. It was how much he cared whether they hurt her. "Maybe we should slow this down," he said finally. "The silence that followed felt sharp enough to cut skin." "Is that what you want?"
Victoria asked softly. Daniel opened his mouth. Nothing came out. And in that silence, she got her answer. Victoria's silence on the other end of the phone lasted only a few seconds, but it felt much longer to Daniel, long enough for him to hear the refrigerator hum in the kitchen.