Chapter 7 - A HOUSE DIVIDED
They were married quietly in the estate's garden the following afternoon, with only a judge, the head of security, and a wildly clapping Celia as witnesses. There was no white dress, just a simple blue sundress Marisol had bought on sale years ago. It was the happiest Daniel had looked in a decade.
But the honeymoon period was non-existent. The tension of the impending corporate battle began to fray their nerves. That night, a heated argument erupted in the master suite.
"You're micromanaging me!" Marisol snapped, throwing a stack of engineering reports onto the bed. "I told you I found the structural flaw in Greer's Miami foundation, but you had your own engineers double-check my math. You don't trust me!"
"I trust you perfectly!" Daniel yelled back, running a hand through his hair. "I just need it legally airtight! If I blow the whistle on Arthur Greer and I'm wrong, I lose the company, Marisol!"
"It's not about the company, it's about the fact that you still see me as the girl you have to save!" Marisol fired back, her chest heaving. "I survived for three years without you, Daniel. I raised our daughter in a freezing apartment while you were flying on private jets. I don't need you to rescue me. I need a partner!"
The words echoed in the large, opulent room. Daniel stopped pacing. The anger drained out of him, leaving behind a profound, aching guilt.
He walked over to the bed, sat down heavily, and put his face in his hands. "You're right," he whispered. "You're right. I'm terrified, Marisol. I'm terrified that one day you'll wake up and realize you never needed me at all. That I'm just the guy who ruined your life and showed up three years late."
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Marisol's anger melted. She walked over and sat beside him, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders. She rested her head against his. "You didn't ruin my life, Daniel. You gave me Celia. And now you're giving me a chance to build a family. We are partners now. In everything."
Daniel turned and kissed her, a deep, desperate kiss that finally bridged the three-year gap between them. "Show me the flaw in the foundation," he murmured against her lips.
