My Father Hit My Fiancé—Then the Billionaire Arrived

CHAPTER 2 — The Daughter Who Chose the Mechanic

Emily rushed into the repair shop twenty minutes later.

She saw Daniel's injured face and turned toward her father.

"You hit him?"

Victor pointed at Daniel.

"He lied about who he was."

Emily had just learned that her fiancé was Arthur Sterling's son. Shock and hurt crossed her face, but neither changed her first question.

"Did you hit him?"

Victor removed his sunglasses.

"I was protecting you."

"From what? A man who works for a living?"

Daniel had not invented a false identity. He had told Emily he repaired cars and tested safety systems.

Both were true.

But he had hidden his family wealth because every previous relationship changed when the Sterling name appeared.

Emily looked at him.

"You should have trusted me."

"You're right."

Before they could say more, Daniel showed her the brake report.

Emily's car had lost control the previous evening. Daniel pulled her through the passenger door seconds before the vehicle struck a barrier.

The scratches on his neck came from broken glass.

Victor already knew the crash involved defective components. Instead of reporting it, he came to pressure Daniel into changing the inspection results.

"You knew those brakes were in my car?" Emily asked.

Victor's voice softened.

"I was trying to handle the situation."

"You tried to silence the man who saved me."

Victor claimed an overseas manufacturer had deceived his company. Closing the contract would bankrupt Hale Automotive and cost hundreds of employees their jobs.

Arthur remained unmoved.

"Then you report the defect and recall the parts."

Victor looked at Daniel.

"You've never had to choose between rules and people's livelihoods."

"Safety is not a rule. It is a responsibility."

Sterling investigators accessed the supplier database. The failed brake assemblies had been installed in eighty-three vehicles.

One had already been involved in a serious accident.

Then investigators found the authorization approving the shipment after the initial safety warning.

The document carried Emily's electronic signature.

Victor stared at his daughter.

"You approved it."

Emily stepped backward.

"I've never seen that document."

Daniel examined the login data.

Someone had used Emily's identity to make her responsible if the defective brakes were discovered.