Page 144 of The Daddy’s Girl

“Time is up.”

“Well, I have nothing to say to you.”

Stepping into his office, I close the door behind me. “Good, then you can listen.”

“What?” he barks. “Listen to how you seduced my fucking daughter? Listen to how you betrayed decades of friendship?”

“I didn’t seduce her. You should know that.”

“You could have had anyone!” he shouts.

“I didn’t want anyone,” I argue, keeping my cool as I defend myself.

“No, you just wanted my daughter. Bullshit, Matis.”

“It’s not bullshit,” I say, putting my hands up in surrender.

“She has her whole life ahead of her. She’s just a kid,” he says, rubbing his forehead.

“She’s older than Daisy was when you⁠—”

Ronan glares at me so I stop. I’m not here to attack him or call out his double standards. I’m here to help him understand.

“The point is that Amelia and I happened by accident. Neither of us planned it or knew it would happen. By the time we realized we had feelings for each other, it was too late. There was no stopping it.”

He laughs, but it’s a dark, sarcastic laugh. “You’re a fool. My daughter has had a crush on you since she was a child. And you exploited that.”

Now I feel my anger rising. “I had no idea. And even if I did, you are thinking I would prey on someone so pure and innocent. It says a lot about what you think of me.”

“I don’t think much of you anymore,” he says without looking at me. It’s like a punch to the chest, but I know he’s speaking from a place of anger.

“You’re upset,” I state, and Ronan answers with a huff. “But you should know that I never seduced Amelia. It was never just about sex. I love her more than anything in the world.”

He huffs again. “I’ve known you thirty years. You’ve never loved anyone.”

My molars clench because I know he’s trying to hurt me, and it’s working. But I knew this would happen. I knew he would fight back with sharper weapons.

“Well, I’ve changed. She changed me. Ronan, she’s the love of my life.”

His head snaps up in anger. Then he takes three furious steps toward me. “No, she’s the love of my life.”

“What you feel for Daisy…I feel for Amelia.”

With a wince, he stares at me as if I’ve somehow insulted him with this comparison. He thinks it’s so impossible for someone to feel for another what he feels for his wife. But I have been here since the beginning. I’ve seen his love for her firsthand.

Maybe that’s where I learned what true love looks like.

“Take the job in London,” he mutters out of nowhere. Staring down at the whiskey in his glass, he adds, “Take it and leave my daughter alone. Let her live her life.”

For the first time since I walked in here, I feel the sting of emotion crawling its way up my throat. The thought of leaving Amelia, knowing her life would be better without me, hurts more than I can express.

“That’s really what you want?” I reply. “You think she’d be better off without me?”

He glances up at me, hope in his eyes. “She’s young, Matis. She has a bright future.”

“She’s not a child, Ronan. She’s a grown woman and she deserves more respect from you. Respect to let her decide what her future holds. Respect not to speak about her life as if it’s yours to manipulate.”

His nostrils flare with anger. “What about her design program?” he asks. “Tell me you’ll encourage her to go.”