Filed to story: The Regretful Billionaire: An Unpredicted Reunion >>
Eustace went pale and felt an ache in his heart, but all he could say was, “Alright.”
Danika was about to hail a cab, but Eustace said, “I’ll drive you.”
Danika didn’t refuse him this time. She had already rejected him once. If she rejected him again, he might explode in anger.
They said nothing in the car. Eustace drove in silence, and Danika scrolled through her phone. There were already a few alumni talking about the celebration. Everyone was curious to see who was considered successful in the eyes of the university.
Danika said nothing, reading quietly.
“Danika,” Eustace said, sweeping his gaze over at her.
Danika locked her phone and looked at him. “What?”
“Do you hate me?” Eustace asked. Although he hated to admit it, Danika didn’t seem to like him very much. Her attitude was making it very apparent.
Danika fell deep into thought. A moment later, she said, “I don’t hate you. I just…don’t like you that much.”
It took time for feelings to develop, but disliking someone only took a while. After Eustace’s string of lies, Danika suddenly lost her feelings for him. She was surprised, too. Perhaps she was a cold person at heart.
“Is there any hope for me?” That was what Eustace wished to know the most. If Danika honestly wouldn’t give him another chance, there would be nothing he could do.
His question was giving Danika a headache. She didn’t answer him outright, merely asking, “Would you give up even if I said no?”
Eustace shook his head at once. “I’d never give up, even if you don’t give me a chance.”
Danika laughed. “So why are you asking this question?” He was going to persist anyway. He needn’t ask if there was to be a conclusion.
Eustace understood, but he still felt uncertain. He said nothing more and drove on. Soon, the car stopped at La Vie Jen Rose Designs.
Danika didn’t linger for long. “Thank you,” she said.
“No problem. Call me if you need anything.” he said like always, despite knowing that Danika wouldn’t call if something happened.
Danika waved at him, then went into the building. Eustace watched her leave before driving away unwillingly.
When Danika reached Jade’s office, only Jade was in there. She was surprised. “Didn’t you say I was to meet someone? Where are they?”
“I got the assistant to bring him around the company. They’ll be back soon. Have a seat.” Jade motioned for her to sit. She didn’t want Danika to be anxious.
Danika nodded and sat in front of her, asking, “What’s making you put him in such high regard?”
“Based on his resume, he’s way too qualified to work with us. He’s too good for this company.” Jade wasn’t exaggerating. She truly felt that he had a stellar application and that La Vie Jen Rose Designs wasn’t up to his standards.
Danika raised an eyebrow. She was curious now. “Really? Seems like an extraordinary person.”
“Not just that, he’s handsome, too,” Jade said, sighing.
“You’re not just hiring him just because of his looks, are you?”
Jade rolled her eyes at Danika. “Would I do that?”
Danika thought for a while and nodded. “You could be a cougar at your age. It’s possible.”
Jade was both amused and exasperated. She raised her hand, but Danika didn’t flinch. She knew that Jade would not actually punch her, and as expected, Jade didn’t.
“Oh, quit it. I’m not that type of person,” Jade said, pretending to be angry.
Danika smiled. It was at moments like this that she could feel relaxed.
Someone knocked on the door. Jade called them in, and two people walked in. One of them was Jade’s assistant. The other…
Danika’s gaze fell on him, and surprise flashed through her eyes. He was, as Jade described, young and handsome, but it wasn’t why Danika was surprised.
She might have been mistaken, but she could see traces of Eustace on him.
“Alfred, this is the owner, Danika Zellweger. Say hi to her.” Jade waved at him, her bright smile revealing how satisfied she was with him.
Alfred walked toward Danika and smiled. “Hello, Miss Zellweger. I’m Alfred Quincey.”
Alfred Quincey.
Quincey was his name.
Danika thought that it was too much of a coincidence. How could he both look like Eustace and share his name?
But she had never heard Eustace mentioning a brother. Could it really just be a coincidence?
“Danika?” Jade called out her name when she realized that Danika wasn’t responding. Could she be infatuated already?
Danika came back to her senses awkwardly. “Sorry. My mind drifted off.”
Alfred smiled, not taking it to heart.
The assistant had gone, leaving the three of them in the office.
Jade got Alfred to sit before briefly telling Danika of his credentials. Once Jade was done, Danika had to note how brilliant he was. No wonder he got Jade so excited.
“I’m curious to know, Mr. Quincey. Based on your resume, you could have chosen a much better company. Why did you choose La Vie Jen Rose Designs?” He had to know it was a startup company, miles away from other commercial companies.
Alfred wasn’t surprised at the question. He smiled, saying, “I understand your concerns, Miss Danika. But I think that talented people will be overshadowed in big companies. On the contrary, companies like yours, which have not matured yet, are able to showcase my talents.”
His words made sense. Danika nodded, believing him for now. “I don’t have any questions for you. You’re brilliant. Your application is a blessing to me.” She’d be wasting a gift from heaven if she turned him away.
Alfred kept his smile on as if nothing would excite him. “Well, in that case…I’m looking forward to working together with you.”
“Likewise.” Danika got up, and they shook hands.
It was a success. Jade was happy. “Let’s have dinner together. We’ll all be colleagues in the future “Of course. You can pick the restaurant, Jade. It’ll be my treat.” Danika maintained her formality as the boss.
Jade quickly booked a spot in the restaurant. She looked at them. “Let’s go. Our seats are booked.
“Alright.” Danika nodded and looked at Alfred. “Let’s go, Mr. Quincey.”
“Just call me Alfred, Miss Zellweger. Mr. Quincey sounds foreign.” Alfred meant to draw closer to them, and Danika didn’t see the need to refuse.
“Alright, you can call me Danika like Jade does. We can drop the formalities after work,” she said “Okay, Danika.” Alfred smiled brighter as if he was waiting for this.
They left the company. Danika sat in Jade’s car while Alfred followed in his own car.
Jade couldn’t help asking, “Well? He’s handsome, isn’t he? You were dazzled.”
“What do you mean? I was just tired Danika was exasperated Alfred was indeed handsome, but it wasn’t as if she’d never seen a handsome man before.
What were you thinking of?” Jade asked.
Danika thought for a bit before saying, “Don’t you think that Alfred looks like someone?”
“Who?” Jade was in the dark. She couldn’t think of anything.
“Don’t you think he looks like Eustace?”
Jade was stunned. She was about to say that he didn’t, but when she thought about it, they did seem similar. She couldn’t say why, it was just a feeling. “Maybe a little bit,” she said after a pause.
Danika’s suspicions were confirmed. She wasn’t the only one who thought so.
“Could he be Eustace’s father’s illegitimate son?” Jade said in surprise. Rich people were all like that. They would have illegitimate children. It was a possibility.
Danika had her suspicions, too. On top of that, she knew that Eustace’s father had eloped with Max’s mother. What if they had a son together?
The more Danika thought about it, the more creeped out she felt. If Alfred was Mortimer’s illegitimate son, could it just be a coincidence that he wanted to work at La Vie Jen Rose Designs?
She couldn’t be blamed for overthinking. There were too many coincidences. It was weird, no matter how one looked at it.
“If I’d known earlier, I wouldn’t have hurried the agreement.” Jade was flustered. She had probably thought of his motives, too. If he was truly Mortimer’s illegitimate son, working at La Vie Jen Rose Designs was a suspicious act.
Danika sighed. The agreement was already signed, so they couldn’t go back on their word now. They couldn’t just lose out on money like that.
“It’s alright. We’ll just observe if he has any ulterior motives. Keep an eye on him,” Danika instructed. They would handle anything thrown at them. She believed that they would catch him. one day. Then, she added, “But don’t make it too obvious. What if we’re wrong? We’d just upset him.”
“I know.” Jade nodded. However, her attitude toward Alfred was no longer as warm.
Alfred was on the phone in his car. “Don’t worry. Since when have I failed at anything?” he said to the person on the other end. “My identity? So what if they find out? I’m not some criminal. They can’t fire me just because I am your son.” He didn’t think that Danika was someone like that.
He talked with Mortimer for a bit, then hung up. He’d come to Danika’s company to grow closer to her.
Not long after, the cars stopped, and they walked into the restaurant.