Page 29 of My Daddy Valentine

“Is there a problem here?” he asks, his voice cold, his gaze shifting between me and Ella.

Ella’s face pales. “No, Dad. Everything’s fine. Simon and I were just—”

But I don’t let her finish. I’m beyond trying to keep the peace now. I turn to face her father, the anger bubbling to the surface.

“I thought I was doing you a favor,” I say, my voice hard, each word clipped with tension. “I thought I was here to help your daughter, to protect her. But it’s clear now that you don’t really care what’s happening, do you? All you care about is controlling her life, controlling everything she does.”

Her father’s eyes narrow, and I can see the shift in him—the way his posture stiffens, the way he steps closer to me. But I’m not backing down. I won’t.

“She’s not just your daughter, Mr. Williams,” I continue, my voice rising, “she’s her own person. She doesn’t need you or meto tell her what she can or can’t do. She deserves better than this.”

“Iknowwhat she deserves,” her father snaps, his voice colder than ice. “I’ve spent my whole life providing for her. You think you know what’s best for her?”

I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself, but my patience is running thin. “I’m not trying to tell her what to do. I’m just trying to give her the space to be herself. But if you’re not going to support that, if you’re going to keep putting her in a box, then I’m not going to stand by and let you ruin her life.”

Ella looks between her father and me, her face pale, her lips trembling. I can see the internal conflict in her eyes, the way she’s torn between her family and the truth of what we’ve been pretending.

Her father’s eyes flick to her, then back to me. “You don’t get to speak to me like that,” he growls, his voice low and threatening. “I don’t care who you are or what you think. You’re nothing but aconvenienceto her, and that’s all you’ll ever be.”

I step closer, my body tense, my fists clenched at my sides. “That’s where you’re wrong. I’m not just someconvenience, Mr. Williams. I’m here because I care about your daughter.”

Ella’s father looks like he’s about to say something else, but before he can get the words out, I turn to Ella. She’s standing there, frozen, watching us like she’s stuck in the middle of a war she never wanted to fight.

“Ella,” I say, my voice softening despite the anger still simmering inside me, “this isn’t just about your father. It’s about you, about us. You deserve more than this. You deserve someone who doesn’t make you pretend, someone who supports you.”

She takes a shaky breath, her eyes filling with tears as she looks between me and her father. “I don’t know what to do,” she whispers, her voice breaking. “I’m trying to please everyone, but I don’t know if I can keep pretending anymore.”

That’s when I realize—she’s not just caught between me and her father. She’s caught between her own dreams and the pressure to live up to the expectations placed on her. And no matter how hard I try, I can’t take that burden away from her.

But I canbe here. I can be the one who shows her that she doesn’t have to pretend. She doesn’t have to do any of this alone.

I take her hand gently, my thumb brushing over her knuckles. “You don’t have to keep pretending, Ella. I’m not going anywhere.”

Her father’s voice cuts through the moment. “You’re both making a scene,” he says coldly. “I won’t have this nonsense at my daughter’s wedding.”

But I don’t care anymore. I’ve said what I needed to say.

“I’m not leaving,” I tell him, my voice low but resolute. “Not until she’s ready to make her own decisions.”

Ella looks up at me, and for the first time, I see a flicker of hope in her eyes—a hint that she’s ready to let go of the weight of all the expectations. She squeezes my hand, and for that moment, everything feels like it might be okay.

But I know it’s not over. The fight for her freedom has just begun.

18

Ella

The tension in the room is thick, like the air before a storm. My father’s harsh words still echo in my head, but they don’t have the same weight they used to. Not anymore. I’ve spent my whole life trying to live up to his expectations, trying to fit into a mold that wasn’t meant for me. But standing here, with Simon by my side, everything feels different. It feels like it’s finally time to let go of the fear and fight for whatIwant.

I glance at Simon, standing just a few feet away, his presence steady and unwavering. His gaze is fixed on me, and for the first time in my life, I feel like I’m not alone. He doesn’t see me as a project, as someone who needs fixing. He sees me for who I am—someone capable of making my own decisions, someone with my own dreams, my own voice.

“You’re making a mistake, Ella,” my father says again, his voice low and strained. “This... whatever this is with Simon, it’s not real. You’re letting yourself be swept up in something that won’t last.”

I don’t let his words affect me. I’ve heard this all my life. The doubts, the criticisms, the way he’s always tried to control me. But I won’t let him do it anymore. Not with Simon here, not with the love I feel burning in my chest.

“No, Dad,” I say, my voice stronger than I thought it could be. “I’m not making a mistake. I’m finally making a decision for myself.”

His eyes widen slightly, and I can tell he’s not used to me standing up to him like this. But I’m not going to back down. Not this time.

---