Page 44

ANYA

I am the only one in this room, apparently, who is on edge. Daniel and his dad are chatting freely, and here I am, feeling so sweaty and tense. I am staring at the two. Daniel definitely got his height and voice from his dad, even though he has got the looks from his mother, and now that I have seen her pictures, I can easily say she was very pretty.

“I am just surprised how you got such a lovely girl to be your girlfriend.” His father laughs.

Daniel scoffs. “The same way you got mom.” He smirks. My eyes widen.

“Touché, son! I’ll give you that one.” He looks over at me with a smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

“You flatter me, sir.” I smile sheepishly.

“Please, don’t be so formal.” His father frowns. “Just call me Frank.”

“Okay,” I whisper. “Frank.” I exhale. This feels so weird, but I guess it’s normal here. I will have to make a mental note to instruct Daniel to address my parents as sir and ma’am when I introduce them. They would be so shocked if he started calling them by their names. I chuckle. Daniel and Frank stare at me. Daniel cocks his eyebrow, looking amused. I shrug and smile softly.

Frank bursts out laughing, his eyes crinkling at the corners—just like Daniel’s, a sight that always makes my heart flutter. He coughs. Nancy rushes to the jug kept on the dining table and brings a glass of water. Frank accepts it and drinks the water hurriedly.

“You should not drink water so fast.” I frown.

He looks at me, a soft smile appearing on his face. “I will keep that in mind.” I feel a warm glow at his acknowledgment, my tension easing a bit more. Daniel leans back in his chair, smiling at me.

“These two are always in a hurry.” Nancy shakes her head. “I have no idea why.”

They chuckle at the same time, and suddenly, the room drops dead silent. I glance at Daniel. He is already looking at me. His thumb grazes my palm as he sits up straight.

“Dad, I won the match,” he says quietly, looking at his lap, not making eye contact with his father.

I look at Frank, expecting him to be proud, but something different flashes across his face. A flicker of disappointment, his eyes widening in disbelief.

“You won?” Frank asks, his voice quieter, strained even. Daniel’s words hang in the air, the room heavy with palpable tension. Frank’s face hardens into a frown, his lips pressed into a tight line. “Won the match, huh?” Frank repeats, his voice low and tinged with concern. Daniel’s gaze remains focused on his lap. The silence stretches, thick and uncomfortable.

My stomach churns. I can’t help but feel a pang of anger beginning to rise within me. I clench my jaw. My breathing quickens, and I close my eyes to calm myself down. “Good for you,” Frank says slowly.

“What kind of father are you?” I raise an eyebrow, the words falling from my lips before I can stop them .

“Excuse me?” Frank looks at me, taken aback. Daniel finally raises his head. I can see his wide eyes from my peripheral vision, but I do not look at him. I am angry with him.

“I said, ‘What kind of father are you?’” I speak louder. “Do you know how hard your son worked for this?” I chuckle humorlessly. “You might not, but I know it. I have seen him being torn between wanting to win this match because this sport is his everything and wanting to lose it because you mean a lot to him, too!” I yell, “Because unlike you, he thinks about what you want. What will make you happy. Can’t he live his life the way he wants to?” I frown.

“Anya,” Nancy murmurs. My head snaps towards her, her eyes soften and she smiles weakly. My eyes widen in horror as I realize what I have done. I gasp, covering my mouth. A chill runs down my spine. I turn to look at Frank, expecting him to be furious, but his face is etched with surprise, not anger.

I know I have crossed a line, spoken out of turn, and my heart races in my chest. I slowly turn to look at Daniel, expecting disappointment or anger on his face, but instead, he looks back at me with a softness in his eyes and the faintest of smiles on his lips.

Without a word, he reaches for my hand, gently pulling me down to sit beside him. I can feel the weight of everyone’s gazes on me. I look down at my lap, feeling suddenly shy. I can feel the heat rushing to my face, a mixture of guilt and embarrassment. But I am not going to apologize because I believe what I said. Yes, my wording could have been better, but my thoughts still remain the same.

His thumb brushes over my knuckles. I want to move away; it feels too intimate, too exposed, but he doesn’t let me. Instead, he leans in, planting a gentle kiss to my forehead, grounding me in the moment. I feel a flush of warmth spread through me .

“It’s okay,” he says and smiles gently. My heart races with embarrassment, and I consider pulling away, but Daniel’s grip tightens slightly, his gaze firm yet soft. He shakes his head, silently telling me not to pull back. “Just let it be,” he says.

My breath hitches. I take a deep breath and nod slowly. I am still very much aware of the fact that his father is watching us intently.

“Dad,” Daniel says softly, but before he can continue, the doorbell rings. I breathe in relief. As I get up from the couch, Nancy stands up, too.

“I will go.” I smile politely. Thankfully, Daniel lets go of my hand. He probably understands that I need to vanish from this room for some time, especially after what I have done.

“I will accompany you,” Nancy offers. I manage to nod.

We walk towards the door and when I realize they are out of our hearing range, I turn around to face Nancy. “I screwed up,” I complain. “What will I do now?” I run my hands against my face.

She chuckles and holds my hand. “It’s okay. You’re fine.” I shake my head furiously, but she continues, “I’ve been telling Frank the same thing since the day I found out about all this.”

She sighs but smiles softly. “Still, I’m so happy Daniel has someone like you.” Her expression shifts as her eyebrows furrow. “Don’t get me wrong—I love his kindness. But sometimes, he puts others before himself and forgets that he’s getting hurt.”

She looks into my eyes, her voice firm yet gentle. “Don’t let people use him, okay?” Then, she beams at me tenderly.

She’s right: Daniel is like that. Being unkind makes him feel guilty. I can see it in the way he always bends over backward to please everyone else, even when it costs him his happiness. “I won’t let that happen,” I assure her, determination rising in my chest. “I want him to know that he deserves to be happy too.”

Nancy nods, her expression softening. “I am sure they will come up with a sane solution, because if they don’t—” she frowns.“---I am going to have to teach a lesson to these grown-up men.” She shakes her head and walks ahead. I snicker lightly, the tension in my chest eases a bit.

The bell rings once more and we hurry towards the door. Nancy opens it to find a man, probably in his fifties, standing before us. His demeanor is as stiff as a board, not a hint of a smile on his face. He is wearing a formal suit, which is immaculately pressed, with not a single crease or wrinkle in sight. And then, there’s that briefcase, held securely in his hand, as if it’s full of state secrets.

“Is Mr. Frank Grayson home?” the man asks, his voice steady and professional.

Nancy takes a deep breath before answering, “Yes, he is. May I ask who’s asking for him?”

He inhales sharply and reaches in his pocket. He takes out a business card and holds it out. “I am Killian Henderson, his lawyer.”

Nancy takes the card, her eyes scanning the name and title. She frowns slightly. I wonder what business Frank’s lawyer would have here, especially on weekend. It must be some serious matter to bring him all the way here like this. “Um, yes, he is here,” Nancy finally says, looking up from the card. “Please come in.” She steps to the side, gesturing for Killian to come inside.

He nods in gratitude and steps into the house, adjusting his suit cuffs. “Thank you,” he says crisply, his eyes flickering over to me for a brief moment. And then he walks in, his footsteps muffled on the carpeted floor, moving further into the house. We follow behind. I want to ask Nancy why he is here, but I refrain. By the look of surprise on her face, I can tell she doesn’t know either.

I walk behind Nancy and Mr. Henderson, into the living room, where Frank and Daniel are still sitting. The latter is leaning forward in his chair, his eyes fixed on his father. The two aren’t talking when Frank looks up and sees Mr. Henderson walk into the room. His eyes widen. “Killian?” He stands up, frowning at him.

“Mr. Grayson,” Mr. Henderson replies bluntly. He extends a hand towards Frank, who looks surprised.

“I haven’t called you, Killian. Did you need something?” Frank asks.

“I called him,” Daniel says, standing up. He shakes Mr. Henderson’s hand. My eyebrows furrow. What is he trying to do?

“Why?” Frank mutters. Daniel takes a seat in his chair. Mr. Henderson sits across from him. I am too stunned to even move. I guess everyone feels the same because we are staring at Daniel, clueless as to what is going on. He looks at me and pats the couch. “Please sit,” he says and looks between Frank and Nancy. I walk over and sit beside him. His hand finds mine and he intertwines our fingers.

“Do you have the documents?” Daniel asks after everyone has taken their seats. Mr. Henderson nods. He looks at me, his green eyes shining. I can see a clarity in them, indicating that he knows what he is doing.

“Dad,” he says, slowly turning towards Frank. “You want me to take over your company, right?”

“Yes, I do,” Frank mutters half-heartedly, looking at Daniel intently.

Daniel nods. “I will.” His grasp on my hand tightens. “I will take it over.”

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