He couldn't have afforded to turn down the salary that Conrad Grayson had offered but that wasn't why he accepted the job offer. It was her.
She was beautiful, there was no denying but it was more than that. Beneath the appearance and beneath the icy exterior there was fear. In her eyes he could see a longing to be rescued but he could never figure out what she needed saved from.
Aside from small talk, one of his first interactions with Victoria occurred accidentally. He had been installing a security system for Grayson Manor. As he moved from room to room, he saw them. Conrad had her pinned against the wall, her long legs wrapped around his waist. Her skirt was hiked up and her head tossed back as he moved in and out of her. Her moans were hushed but still felt like little gifts. He knew he shouldn't but he couldn't stop watching, his mind racing with thoughts of the things he would do if it were him. Despite her moans, he was confident he could please her in ways that Conrad couldn't. He was so distracted that he hadn't realized that he was caught. Instead of yelling out of stopping, Victoria simply watched him watching them.
He waited to be fired but it never came. He knew Conrad well enough to know that if she had told he would have been fired. He waited for her to say something to him, but she never did. He knew logically that she had accepted it. They were all adults, after all. But deep down he held hope that she had silently been watching him, too. Envisioning it was him, not Conrad who made her moan like that.
Over the years he watched her, almost always alone. Did Conrad know how lonely she looked? Did he realize he was putting work ahead of her? Unless he needed her to dress up and charm the investors and board members, he was happy to leave her alone in that cupola, waiting for a prince to come save her.
As much as Frank wanted to be the prince, someone beat him to it. David Clarke was able to charm both Conrad and Victoria, landing the princess and the job. Initially, Frank let it slide. His allegiance was to Conrad, but he couldn't bear the idea of that spark dulling from her eyes. She never looked at anyone quite like she looked at David. Did Conrad notice? How could he miss it? Did she ever look at Conrad that way? If she had once upon a time, she certainly didn't now.
He knew she loved David before she did. He knew it was only a matter of time before she left the castle for the cottage. He couldn't bear the idea of not seeing her everyday. He knew what needed to be done. She assumed Conrad ruined David. She blame him when that sparkle in her eyes turned to ice, but it wasn't Conrad. He was the one who told Conrad. He was the one who gave Conrad the confidence to keep her. He was the one who knew she'd sell David out to ensure her sons safety.
Afterwards, he got his wish. He could see her every day, only it wasn't the same woman. There was no vulnerability underneath, he had taken that from her. She was beauty and ice, layered on top of one another until they all mixed together. She really was a fairy tale princess only now she wasn't locked in the castle. She had been chained to it. He had chained her to it.
He was stuck at a cross section he couldn't figure out. He knew she blamed herself, bore the brunt of her involvement. If it hadn't been for her, David Clarke would never have popped on Conrad's radar. Her guilt only magnified his guilt. He caused her to feel that way. He had stopped at nothing to ensure that he could see her. But if he relieved her guilt, she'd fly away. She would hate him.
Instead of being a man, he kept quiet, letting her live her years in a prison of her own guilt. That was his punishment.