Chapter 17 - THE PRICE OF LOVING HER
Daniel expected Varenne’s parliament to object to his nationality.
They did not.
They objected to his surname.
Hawthorne.
For three weeks, newspapers dissected his family.
His mother’s financial scandal.
His company’s defense business.
The Sterling merger.
Every cruel moment recorded inside Hawthorne Hall.
One opposition leader summarized the problem in a single sentence.
“Varenne does not need a Hawthorne inside the royal family.”
Daniel could not disagree.
So he did something no one expected.
He resigned as chief executive of Hawthorne Capital.
Helena learned from television.
She called immediately.
“What did you do?”
Daniel stood inside his grandfather’s empty office.
“What I should have done sooner.”
“You loved that company.”
“I loved what I thought it could become.”
“You cannot destroy your life to make parliament comfortable.”
“I’m not.”
Daniel looked at the city below.
“I placed my shares into an independent blind trust.”
Helena went silent.
“I sold my direct interest in Hawthorne Defense.”
“Daniel.”
“And I resigned from every board connected to government contracts.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because you would have tried to stop me.”
“Yes.”
“I know.”
Helena was angry.
But beneath the anger was fear.
“Do you understand what you gave up?”
“Yes.”
“Do you?”
Daniel smiled.
“My mother asked me that too.”
Helena stopped.
“When?”
“Ten minutes ago.”
Evelyn had come to his office unexpectedly.
She looked smaller without her assistants.
Without board authority.
Without a house full of people afraid of her.
“You’re abandoning your grandfather’s company.”
“No.”
Daniel packed a photograph into a box.
“I’m leaving it clean enough for Sophie to run someday.”
Evelyn laughed.
“Sophie?”
“She is better than both of us think.”
“You’re doing this for Helena.”
Daniel looked at his mother.
“No.”
“I’m doing it because I finally realized I don’t want to become you.”
The words destroyed what remained of Evelyn’s composure.
“You ungrateful child.”
Daniel walked toward her.
“I loved you.”
Evelyn went silent.
“I spent thirty-five years trying to earn something from you that mothers are supposed to give before children understand how to ask.”
Her eyes filled.
Daniel had never seen that before.
He almost weakened.
Then Evelyn whispered.
“She will leave you.”
“Maybe.”
“She will choose the crown.”
“Maybe.”
“And then you will have nothing.”
Daniel looked around the office.
“No.”
“I’ll have myself.”
He carried the box toward the door.
Evelyn stood alone.
For once, she had no threat powerful enough to stop him.
That evening, parliament announced the date of the marriage vote.
Helena watched the news beside Adrian.
“Do you think they’ll approve?”
Adrian asked.
“I don’t know.”
“What will you do if they refuse?”
Helena looked toward the royal crown resting behind glass.
May you like
Then she thought of a tiny bookstore in Manhattan.
“I already know.”
