My Father Hit My Fiancé—Then the Billionaire Arrived
CHAPTER 1 — The Man Victor Should Not Have Touched
"How could my daughter ever fall for someone like you?"
Victor Hale's hand struck Daniel Cross across the face.
The sound silenced the repair shop.
Daniel lowered his head, fighting the anger rising inside him. His cheek burned, but he refused to retaliate.
Victor adjusted his sunglasses.
"I will never let Emily marry a mechanic like you."
Daniel had heard men use the word mechanic as an insult before.
They never understood that every luxury car depended on someone willing to get oil on his hands.
A black Cadillac stopped outside.
Arthur Sterling stepped from the vehicle.
Victor's confidence disappeared.
Arthur owned Sterling Motor Group, one of the largest privately held automotive companies in Europe. Victor had spent months trying to secure a supply contract with him.
Arthur entered the shop and noticed Daniel's swollen cheek.
"Who touched him?"
Daniel pointed toward Victor.
"He did."
Arthur slowly turned.
"You slapped my son?"
Victor's mouth fell open.
Daniel used his late mother's surname and had remained out of the public eye. Few people knew he was Arthur Sterling's only son.
Victor began stammering.
"I didn't understand who he was."
"Would the slap have been acceptable if he weren't my son?"
Victor had no answer.
Arthur stepped closer.
"You just made the worst mistake of your life."
Daniel touched his father's arm.
"Not here."
Victor forced himself to smile.
"This is a family misunderstanding."
"No," Daniel said. "This is about the safety report you ordered me to sign."
Daniel was not merely repairing cars. He was Sterling's senior mechanical engineer, personally testing components supplied by Victor's company.
He had rejected an entire shipment of brake assemblies.
Victor wanted him to approve them anyway.
Arthur looked at the report.
"Why were these parts rejected?"
Daniel placed a fractured brake component on the table.
"Because they fail under pressure."
Then he revealed the vehicle identification number connected to the first defective set.
The rejected brakes had been installed in Emily Hale's car.
