Filed to story: The Regretful Billionaire: An Unpredicted Reunion >>
He stepped backward at once. “I’m joking. I’ll leave.” He was already walking toward the door.
Danika felt a little awkward. “Well, if you don’t want to go back to the mansion, you can stay next door. I actually didn’t want you to move out,” she said and regretted her words at once. Why was she telling him this? Did she want to see him every day?
Eustace had no clue about her inner turmoil, and his smile broadened. “For real? You won’t move out if I stay next door, will you?”
“Why would I? I paid for this house. I’ll live in it however I want,” she said.
Eustace felt at ease when she said that. “Alright. I’ll move back in. It’s closer to the company.” Most importantly, he’d be able to see Danika every day. They could even eat and talk together. It’d be a great environment for their feelings to flourish.
“Oh, just go. I want to sleep. You can stay wherever you want.” Danika waved at him, pretending not to notice the smile he failed to conceal.
This time, Eustace really did leave. She heard the sound of the door opening from his place and had a sneaking suspicion that he’d been planning on moving back in all along. Why else would he have his keys on him tonight?
Oh, whatever.
She walked toward the bathroom and took a shower. She lay in bed, falling asleep quickly.
Eustace, however, didn’t sleep at the same rate. He stared at the black walls, suddenly feeling that they were not appropriate. It was what he wanted before, but now, he found that he didn’t like it so much after all. On the contrary, he preferred Danika’s warm, cozy decorations. He shook his head, trying to stop thinking. about it. He walked toward his bedroom. He had to go to sleep as he was tired, too.
Stephanie went home after work. From afar, she could see that someone was standing at her door. When she drew near, she realized that it was Paul Wagner. Her face darkened at once, and she grew anxious. Ever since Danika rescued her from his villa, she and Paul had not contacted each other. She thought that he would not appear in her life again. But now…
The car stopped, and Stephanie tried her hardest to calm down. She got off the car and walked over. A faint ache appeared in her heart when she saw him, but she didn’t express it. Coldly, she asked, “Why are you here?”
“To see you,” he said.
“To see me?” She reacted like it was a joke. “To see what I’m like without you? If you want to see me weak and scared, you’re going to be disappointed. I’m doing well without you.”
Even though none of this was what she imagined when they first met, and even though she still harbored feelings for him, she was free now. She never was something to be controlled, even by the person she liked.
“You look like you hate me.” Paul took a long drag on his cigarette. There was an indescribable upset in his heart when he saw how cold she was being.
“Are you only realizing it now?” Stephanie smiled. She thought she’d been making it clear.
Paul looked at her for a moment before saying, “Cut the crap. I don’t want to do anything to the Zelliots, so come with me. Don’t get under my skin.” He was losing his patience.
“Paul Wagner!” Stephanie gnashed her teeth, glaring at him. “Still fooling around? Do you think I’m joking? Do you think I still like you?” There was a fire in her heart that begged to be released.
Paul said nothing, but Stephanie’s eyes told him everything. That was exactly what he thought.
Stephanie was furious. “I don’t like you anymore, so please, don’t let me see you again. Do you understand?”
“Yeah,” he replied calmly.
Stephanie didn’t know if he truly understood or was choosing not to. Seeing that he still wasn’t planning on leaving. Stephanie asked, “What are you still standing here for? The Zelliots don’t welcome you.” Her words were unpleasant to hear. She tore down Pauk’s pride, thinking that bruising his huge ego would make him leave immediately, but he didn’t.
Paul looked at her and said, after a long while, “It doesn’t matter if you like me or not. The most important thing is you must stay by my side until I say otherwise.” He just didn’t want to fight with Danika at the villa. It didn’t mean that he was going to let things rest. Stephanie was his woman. Even if she didn’t like him, he had to have her.
“You…” His words rendered Stephanie speechless. “What right do you have? Do you really think I’m afraid of you?”
“Well, what about your parents? Are you sure that they aren’t afraid of me?” Paul looked at her in amusement, enjoying how angry she was. He even thought it was interesting to see.
Stephanie gritted her teeth, wishing she could rip him apart. “They wouldn’t be afraid of you.” She believed that if her parents knew how much she had endured at the hands of Paul, they wouldn’t let her a fight.
go without
“Of course, they wouldn’t be afraid. But would you have the heart to let them fight against me?” Paul smiled. It pleased him to look at Stephanie’s sour expression. She hadn’t come to see him these past few days. He’d suppressed his anger all this while, and now, it was all finally coming out.
Stephanie clenched her fists. “What on earth do you want? You could have any woman you wanted. Why are you not letting me go?” She regretted involving herself with him.
“All along, I’ve been the one rejecting women. No woman dared to reject me.” In his eyes, Stephanie was leaving him without his permission. She was a woman who had rejected him. How could he bear that?
“So you’re just looking to nurse your wounded pride?” she said mockingly, not knowing why she even expected anything. A glimmer of hope had appeared in her heart when she saw him. She wanted him to admit that what he had done was wrong and to respect her. However, none of it happened.
He was still Paul. He would never change.
She looked up. The upset in her eyes had vanished, replaced with anger. “If that’s the case, come at us then. I want to see just how you’ll be fanning your ego.”
“So you don’t want the Zelliots to exist anymore?” Paul was surprised. He thought that Stephanie would succumb to him.
“I do. But I rather fight than beg for it.” If she returned to Paul’s side, she’d be wasting Danika’s efforts. Besides, she didn’t want to go back to him anymore.
“Alright. Let’s see how strong you can be!” Paul turned and got in the car, quickly disappearing from Stephanie’s sight.
Stephanie knew that a storm was about to hit the Zelliots. The only thing she could do was protect her family alongside her parents.
Dream Vonne Designs had its name officially changed to La Vie Jen Rose. Danika had considered the name for one whole night before finally landing on one that sounded good. She kind of understood why Yvonne would name it Dream Vonne now. It turned out that naming things was not an easy feat.
The name was changed, and because of Jade, the company was soon in full motion. Right now, what Danika needed to do was to create stunning designs that would help spread the name of La Vie Jen Rose.
Danika didn’t need to go to the hospital on the weekends. She stayed at home, keeping herself busy. Placed before her was a pile of paper that she had drawn on throughout the night. If Jade were around, she’d say something about Danika surpassing her, but Danika didn’t feel that way.
She held up a sheet of paper from the table. It wasn’t what she wanted. But what should La Vie Jen Rose’s style be?
In the middle of her fog, the doorbell rang. Danika sensed that it was Eustace and opened the door. She was right.
“You don’t seem surprised.” Eustace was bringing in breakfast. Danika’s eyes gave her away.
She walked into the living room, saying, “Who else would it be at this hour?” Ever since Eustace said he would move in, Danika had prepared herself for constant visits. She was turning out to be right.
“Are you designing?” Eustace asked, looking at the designs on her table