Days turned into a week, and Viktor’s heart grew heavier with every encounter. Daniel, oblivious to Clara’s cruelty, remained enchanted by her beauty and charm. He often praised her kindness, which Viktor found bitterly ironic. Clara was kind only when Daniel was watching.
One Saturday evening, Viktor stood by the entrance as Daniel returned home with Clara after a gala. Daniel, cheerful, greeted Viktor warmly. “Evening, Victor! Long shift?”
“Yes, sir. Long but steady,” Viktor replied with a smile. Daniel always treated everyone respectfully—something Viktor had instilled in him.
Clara, however, slipped out of the car and brushed past Viktor without a word. Daniel didn’t notice. Once inside, she gushed about how wonderful the gala had been and how she was “so proud to be joining a family of influence.” Her words made Viktor’s stomach twist.
Later that week, Viktor overheard Clara on the phone. She spoke in a hushed but urgent tone. “Yes, once I’m married, I’ll have access to everything. The Levin fortune isn’t guarded as tightly as people think. Daniel trusts me completely.” She laughed softly. “Honestly, it’s almost too easy.”
Viktor froze. He had dreaded that possibility, but hearing it confirmed felt like a dagger to his chest. Clara wasn’t just unkind—she was scheming.
That night, Viktor struggled to sleep in the small guard station. He thought about his late wife, who had always dreamed that Daniel would marry someone gentle and sincere. She would never forgive him if he stayed silent and allowed their son to walk into a trap.
The next day, Viktor asked Daniel to meet him privately. Sitting across from his son at a modest café, still in his “guard” disguise, he tried to bring up concerns.
“Daniel,” Viktor began carefully, “sometimes, people hide their true selves. Love can blind us to red flags.”
Daniel frowned. “What are you saying? Do you think Clara isn’t genuine?”
“I just ask you to pay attention to how she treats people who can do nothing for her,” Viktor said.
Daniel’s jaw tightened. “You don’t even know her, Victor. Please, don’t speak about her like that.” He left in frustration, leaving Viktor’s heart aching even more.
Viktor realized he had no choice. He would have to reveal the truth—not only about Clara, but also about who he really was.
The opportunity came a few nights later at a formal dinner hosted at the Levin estate. Clara, dressed in an expensive gown Daniel had bought, basked in the attention of family friends. Viktor, still in his guard uniform, stood by the corner, ignored as usual.
Midway through the evening, Clara excused herself to step outside. Viktor followed discreetly. When she found him near the garden gate, she snapped, “Why are you always lurking? Shouldn’t you be patrolling or something?”
It was the final straw. Viktor straightened his posture, his commanding presence returning. “Clara Moreno,” he said, his voice calm but firm, “do you know who I am?”
She smirked. “A guard who doesn’t know his place?”
Viktor removed his cap. “I am Viktor Levin. Daniel’s father. The man whose name you’ve been so eager to marry into.”
Clara’s face drained of color. For a moment, she stammered, then forced a laugh. “This is some kind of joke, right?”
“No,” Viktor said gravely. “For the past two weeks, I have watched how you treat those you believe are beneath you. I’ve heard your words, your contempt, your schemes. You don’t love my son—you love the fortune attached to his name.”
Clara’s mask cracked. “Listen, Mr. Levin, I think you’re misunderstanding. I—”
“Enough,” Viktor interrupted. His voice trembled with pain. “My wife would have wept to see this. I will not let my son’s future be destroyed by someone who sees him as a bank account.”
At that moment, Daniel appeared, having overheard the last part of the conversation. His eyes darted between his father and fiancée. “Clara… is this true?”
Clara tried to grasp his hand. “Daniel, please, don’t listen to him. He—he’s testing us!”
But Daniel had seen her true expression, desperate and cornered. He gently pulled his hand away. “I wanted to believe in us, Clara. But if you can’t treat others with basic respect… then what future could we possibly have?”
Clara’s charm dissolved into fury. “You’ll regret this,” she hissed before storming off into the night.
Daniel stood silently, devastated. Viktor placed a hand on his shoulder. “Son, I’m sorry you had to learn this way. But sometimes, the hardest truths save us from lifelong pain.”
Daniel’s eyes welled with tears, but he nodded. “Thank you for protecting me, Father.”
That night, Viktor returned to his mansion, no longer in disguise, but with a heavy heart. He had saved his son from ruin—but at the cost of breaking his trust in love.
