I don't believe we've met. Brandon said, his voice carefully neutral. Brandon Hayes. Victoria accepted the handshake with a brief, polite smile that didn't reach her eyes. Victoria Ashford.
I'm here with Nathan. She released his hand and turned to Rachel, who was hovering nearby like a moth drawn to a flame she knew would burn her. "Congratulations on your wedding. I hope you'll both be very happy. " The words were pleasant enough, but something in Victoria's tone made them sound like a dismissal. Rachel opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out.
For the first time all evening, she had nothing to say. No clever remarks, no subtle digs, no condescending observations about Nathan's lonely life. She simply stood there, looking at the woman beside her ex-husband, and Nathan could see her recalculating everything she thought she knew about him. A small voice broke through the tension. "Daddy! " Nathan turned to see Lily running toward him from table 14, her blue dress swirling around her knees, her face lit up with excitement.
She skidded to a stop in front of him and Victoria, looking up at the elegant stranger with wide, curious eyes. "Who's this? " Lily asked, tugging at Nathan's sleeve. Nathan crouched down to his daughter's level, bringing Victoria into her line of sight. "This is my boss, sweetheart. Her name is Victoria. " Victoria surprised him then.
She lowered herself gracefully, bending at the knees until she was almost eye level with Lily, and her expression softened in a way that Nathan had never witnessed in 4 years of working for her. "Hello, Lily. Your father talks about you all the time. " Her voice was gentle, almost warm. "He's very proud of you. Did you know that? " Lily beamed, chocolate still smudged at the corner of her mouth.
"Daddy says I'm the prettiest girl in the whole city. " "He's right. " Victoria said simply. And when she stood up again, she placed her hand lightly on Nathan's arm, A small gesture, barely noticeable, but one that said everything that needed to be said. They didn't stay much longer. There was no need. Nathan made polite excuses to the few people who tried to engage him in conversation, collected Lily's jacket from the coat check, and walked out of the Grandview Hotel with his daughter on one side and Victoria on the other.
The black sedan was still waiting at the entrance, and Victoria's driver held the door open as they climbed inside. First Lily, then Nathan, then Victoria herself. The car pulled away from the hotel, leaving behind the crystal chandeliers and the marble floors and the whispers that had followed Nathan all evening. Lily fell asleep within minutes, her head resting against Nathan's shoulder, her breathing soft and even. Nathan watched the city lights slide past the window, trying to find the words for what he was feeling, and failing.