Page 14 of My Daddy Valentine

I’m buried in work the next morning. I’ve got a meeting in an hour, an exhibition to finalize, and a pile of emails that would take anyone else a week to get through. But I’ve learned to manage it. It’s the kind of chaos I’m good at. I thrive on it. Focused. Organized. Detached. That’s how I’ve always operated. And it’s worked.

But then she walks in.

Ella.

She steps into my office, and everything shifts. The moment I see her, the rest of the world fades into the background. I’ve been avoiding her all morning, trying to keep my head down and focus on work, but I can feel her presence before she even says a word. Her aura, that spark in her eyes, the way she moves—like she’s in charge, even when she’s not. I don’t know how she does it, but I can’t deny that every part of me notices.

“Simon,” she says, her voice softer than usual. I glance up from the paperwork in front of me, and she’s standing in the doorway, her hands clasped in front of her. She looks almost... nervous.

I set my pen down, feeling a strange pang in my chest. “Ella,” I say, my voice low, steady. “What’s up?”

She takes a step inside and closes the door behind her, a subtle motion that doesn’t go unnoticed. She’s not here for a casual chat. I can tell. Something is different in the air between us today.

“I wanted to apologize,” she says, her eyes not quite meeting mine. “For last night. I don’t know what came over me, but I didn’t mean to make things awkward. I didn’t want to... I don’t know, make you feel uncomfortable or anything.”

My heart skips a beat, and I can’t help but feel a twinge of guilt. But there’s more to it than just that. I know exactly what came over me last night. It was her.

She’s everywhere, all the time. I can’t escape her—her smile, the way she talks, the way she looks at me. Her presence invades every corner of my mind, and I hate myself for not being able to shake it off.

“Don’t apologize,” I say, my voice hoarse. “I shouldn’t have acted like that. I... I don’t know what happened. I was out of line. I should’ve respected your space more.”

I want to tell her it wasn’t just her apology I need to hear. I need to tell her that I’m the one who crossed the line. That every thought I’ve had about her in the last few days has been so far from professional, it’s a miracle I haven’t already ruined everything.

But I don’t. I can’t.

I shift in my chair, suddenly feeling too hot in my own skin. “I... I just want to make things right. I don’t know how, but I’ll do whatever it takes. If you need anything—”

She cuts me off, her voice more confident than I expect. “Actually, Simon, Idoneed something.”

I freeze, my mind racing. The way she says my name makes something tighten in my chest. It’s not like her usual tone—soft and polite. There’s an edge to it now, something determined. She steps closer to my desk, and I can smell her perfume—something subtle, but undeniablyher.

I clear my throat, trying to compose myself. “What is it?” I ask, my voice betraying a hint of curiosity.

Ella pauses for a moment, as if she’s weighing her words. And then she looks up at me, her eyes meeting mine with an intensity I’ve never seen before.

“I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend,” she says, the words coming out with surprising clarity.

I blink, trying to process what she just said. “What?” I manage, though I know I’ve heard her correctly. I’m just not sure how to respond.

She doesn’t hesitate, pushing forward. “I know this sounds crazy, but hear me out. My sister Kimmy’s getting married next weekend, and my father’s going to be there. I need to show him that I’m... serious about my life. That I’m not just some spoiled kid he thinks I am. And if I show up with arealboyfriend—someone who’s grounded, whocaresabout me—it might convince him that I’m capable of standing on my own.”

I sit back in my chair, processing her words slowly. I didn’t expect this. Not in a million years. Ella—Ella Williams, the daughter of one of the most powerful men in the art world—asking me to pretend to be her boyfriend? It’s insane. And yet, there’s something in the way she says it, in the way her eyes don’t leave mine, that makes me wonder if she’s serious.

“You want me to pretend to be your boyfriend?” I repeat, trying to make sense of the situation.

She nods, her expression earnest. “Yes. I don’t want to go to this wedding alone, Simon. I don’t want to deal with my father’s disappointment when he sees me without arealpartner. He’s been pushing me to take the easy route—to just take over one of his galleries. He doesn’t believe in me, Simon. Not in my art. Not in my passion. But if I show him that I’m serious about my life, maybe he’ll finally stop trying to force me into his world.”

I swallow, my mind racing with a thousand different thoughts. The idea of pretending to be her boyfriend... it’s absurd. It’sdangerous. I’m not the type to get involved in someone else’s family drama. I’m too old for this. Too jaded.

And yet...

And yet, I can’t stop thinking about how much I want to say yes. How much I want to help her. I don’t know why, but there’s something about Ella—about her determination, about the way she’s standing in front of me, asking me to be part of her life—that makes me want to say yes.

I take a deep breath, trying to force my heart to slow down. This is insane. This issoinsane. But at the same time, I feel the weight of her words, the weight of the plan. I’ve always been theone to control the situation, but in this moment, Ella is pulling me into her world. She’s forcing me to make a decision.

“You want me to be your boyfriend, huh?” I say slowly, watching her carefully. “Then we need to lay down some ground rules.”

She tilts her head, raising an eyebrow. “Ground rules?”

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