Chapter 57
Chapter 57
After Danielle was finally lulled to sleep. David retreated to his study.
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His trip to the border had resulted in an overwhelming backlog with a mountain of decisions waiting for him to address. There had been an international conference scheduled for that night, but he kept delaying it, caught up in listening to Danielle sing nursery rhymes.
The overseas executives had been speculating about the reason for the delays, wondering if the company was about to embark on a new major project.
It would probably shake them to their core if they ever discovered that the “major project” was David spending the evening listening to his fiancée sing and putting her to sleep..
When David finally entered the virtual meeting, all the executives were already waiting. He wasted no time with pleasantries and cut to the chase, diving straight into the main agenda of the meeting.
“This quarter’s performance has dropped by 12%. I want to know why,” David demanded, his piercing eyes fixed on the
screen.
The overseas executives shifted nervously under his gaze. “Mr. Charrington,” one of them spoke up. “A new company has recently emerged in the region. They’ve been targeting us aggressively, snatching several of our projects. They have strong financial backing, but the identity of their mysterious owner remains unknown.”
David’s expression darkened, his gaze inscrutable. Silence ensued, and no one dared to speak further. Despite being under thirty, David’s competence and imposing presence had earned him immense respect and fear within the Charrington Group. The meetings with him were always tense.
“No matter the cost, take back the projects they’re negotiating for. By next quarter, I expect to see growth.” David’s cold eyes and chilling voice left no room for argument.
The meeting stretched on for an hour before it ended. Afterward, David picked up his phone and called Patrick. “Dig up all the details on that overseas company.”
Patrick had already been investigating. As David’s right–hand man, his efficiency was unmatched.
“Mr. Charrington, the company’s registered owner is an ordinary guy. He used to run a small business before it closed down,” Patrick reported. “This new venture is heavily funded by an elusive investor, who goes by the name ‘Blair,‘ but beyond that, nothing more is known about him.”
“Alright,” David replied before hanging up.
Leaving the study, he headed to the guest room. Danielle had kicked off her blanket, curling up against the cold, her cheeks flushed in sleep. David gently pulled the blanket over her and gazed at her sleeping face, his eyes tender as he brushed a hand through her hair.
In that quiet moment, she seemed like a rare and precious treasure.
He had survived countless assassination attempts, escaping death time and again. Trust had never come easily to him, yet this girl had become his reason to believe in love.
As the first rays of the morning sun peeked through the window, they softly illuminated Danielle’s face, gently waking her
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Chapter 37
from slumber. She wrinkled her brow at the sunlight, gradually waking as she stretched her links. Opening her eyes groggily, she gazed at the ceiling, slowly coming to her senses.
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Where am I? This isn’t my room. What happened after dinner? Danielle wondered, A string of questions tumbled through her mind. ‘Wait, who changed my clothes?’
Her head throbbed with the dull ache of a hangover, and she cursed herself for not knowing when to stop. Groaning softly, she quickly changed into her own clothes and went downstairs, where she found David reading the newspaper with a coffee. in hand.
Sensing her gaze, David looked up, his eyes meeting hers as she stood at the staircase landing, looking dazed.
“Come have breakfast,” he said, gesturing to the table.
Her stomach grumbled, and the spread before her was filled with her favorite dishes–clearly prepared on his instructions.
“Aren’t you supposed to be at work by now?” Danielle asked.
Danielle was still trying to piece together the events of the previous night. She had stayed upstairs longer, hoping he would already have left. Little did she expect to see him drinking coffee leisurely and reading a newspaper.
Albert, the butler, answered with a chuckle, “Mr. Charrington didn’t want you eating alone, so he waited for you.”
Albert looked at the two of them with a warm smile. He had watched David grow up. Ever since David’s mother passed away, Albert had never seen him smile, and he became increasingly detached from everything around him.
It was the first time Albert saw David genuinely care for someone, showing a rare glimpse of tenderness. It brought him a sense of comfort to know David had someone special in his life.
“Does your head hurt?” David asked affectionately.
“I… I drank too much last night, didn’t I?” Danielle stammered.
Amused, David raised an eyebrow. “You don’t remember at all?”
‘What happened?‘ Danielle wondered. She had been told that when she drank, she became a completely different person. But since she always blacked out, she had no memory of what she did.
“I didn’t do anything improper, did I?” Danielle asked tentatively a stark contrast from her usual assured self.
David put on a sulk. “It’s fine if you don’t remember. I don’t blame you for what you did. I don’t mind.”
His words left Danielle feeling like a scumbag. ‘Did I actually do something out of line? Am I that bad of a drinker?‘ she thought in horror.
Her head throbbed faintly as fragments of the evening flickered back into her mind.
“Two little bumblebees fly into the flower field. Buzz, buzz.” She remembered singing aloud. “David, you’re so handsome. Come here, give me a kiss,” she had said with a giggle, her voice slurring. Then, she demanded, “Hold me. Sing me a lullaby.”
In her drunken stupor, she even tried to take his shirt off. Danielle buried her face in her hands, appalled by her behavior.
“Remember now?” David said playfully, clearly enjoying her reaction.
“Um…” Danielle’s voice trailed off, her head dropping as her cheeks turned red with embarrassment, struggling to get any
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Chapter 37
words nul.
Eat while the food is still warm, David said, sparing her from further reasing
All the while, Albert watched the exchange, thinking to himself. It seems like Mr. Charrington has really fallen in love with her‘
After breakfast, David sent Danielle to the mall. She had made plans to go shopping with Juniper. Before she got out of the car, he pulled out a black card.
“This is my supplementary card. Spend as much as you want–there’s no limit,” David said.
Danielle shook her head. “I don’t need it. I have my own money
He knew she was wealthy, but he wanted her to save her funds for her own dreams.
“My earnings are meant for my future wife.” David held the card out, putting a stop to any objections.
Seeing that he wouldn’t take no for an answer, Danielle didn’t decline further. ‘Why does everyone like to give out cards?” she wondered. She had already received at least a dozen cards from her parents and brothers.
“I’ll pick you up later.” David caressed her hair affectionately.
Juniper drove here. Focus on work,” Danielle said.
As she got out of the car, he pulled her back in, leaving her puzzled. He then unbuckled his seatbelt and gave her a peck on the forehead.
Danielle instantly blushed. “I–I’m going in now,” she blurted before hurrying out of the car.
David’s eyes followed her departing figure, his tender gaze lingering until she disappeared from view.
