Filed to story: The Regretful Billionaire: An Unpredicted Reunion >>
Since Danika was misled about the relationship between them, Faye didn’t plan to clarify things and went. along with it. “Yeah, I can be quite insecure. Eustace is a great man, and I naturally worry that he might fall for other women.”
“Miss Lawrence, stop acting so small. No matter how perfect he is, he’s just a human being. You don’t have to lower yourself for him.” Despite all of Eustace’s perfections, Danika still harbored a dislike for him.
“Does that mean you’re not interested in him?” Faye pressed on for confirmation.
Danika instantly gave up on her because the woman was stuck in her rigid mindset. She advised, “Your mindset is wrong. I’d suggest you cool down for now. You can’t be interrogating every woman he came across.
Faye was quiet, but there was a ruthless look in her eyes. She decided that Danika must have feelings for Eustace, given how she dodged her question.
She could not take it anymore. She came to a decision and looked up, all smiles. “I’ll take your advice into consideration.” Then, she stood up and hurried out of the restaurant, leaving a flabbergasted Danika behind.
“What was that? Did Faye really meet me for that short conversation?” she wondered.
Standing outside The Crispy Buns, Faye checked that she was out of Danika’s field of vision before making a call. “Money is not an issue. Ruin her reputation.”
Paul opened the door to a private lounge in JK bar and promptly frowned at the sight. “What are you doing, drinking in the afternoon instead of working? Eustace, are you alright?”
As he spoke, he sat across from his friend, looking both concerned and curious.
“I’m okay,” Eustace muttered and downed another shot.
He certainly did not appear fine in Paul’s eyes. He thought for a while and asked, “Looks like you’re upset because of Danika Zellweger. Why? Didn’t you talk to her?”
“I did. She said she never wants to see me again,” Eustace answered with a hint of bitterness.
At first, Paul was surprised by her resolve, but he could understand why. “It’s your fault for being married for two years but refusing to meet your wife even once. I can understand her resentment toward you.”
“But I never thought that she would…” Eustace sighed. He was a little regretful for not meeting with Danika earlier and saving his marriage.
Paul went over to him and patted him on the shoulder. “Why did her attitude upset you? Have you fallen for her?”
Noting Eustace’s silence, he went on, “You’re only lonely because there are no women around you. That’s why you’re attracted to Danika Zellweger. She’s just an average chick who isn’t worth your time. I know a few lovely socialites. Want me to introduce you?”
Indeed, Paul thought of Danika as an average woman who was more mysterious than feminine or seductive.
Eustace didn’t take that well and glared at his friend. “Get lost!”
“No, I’m serious. Give it a try. You might like the other women better.” Paul was amused at the rare sight of a lovesick Eustace.
Eustace observed Paul for a while and lifted a brow curiously. “You’re in a great mood today. Any good news?
“I wouldn’t say it’s good news. Well, I met a pretty interesting person.” Paul smiled with a twinkle in his eye. Eustace ignored his unserious friend.
“Oh, by the way, you said last night that you wanted me to give the Pearsons some trouble. Is that true?” Finally, Paul started a serious discussion. Eustace nodded at him, took another shot, and said, “Distract him so that he has no time for anything else.”
Paul grunted with a knowing look.
At night, Danika returned to the Perry Residence after a busy day at work. Although she didn’t need to go to the hospital, she had plenty of other work waiting to be completed. She wandered into the elevator but was too preoccupied with her thoughts and didn’t sense the presence of a man inside.
When the elevator bell chimed, she looked up and proceeded to get off at her floor, only to see the man moving ahead of her.
“Eustace Quincey? When did he enter the elevator?” she wondered.
Before she could react, he disappeared around the corner. She hurriedly got out before the elevator doors. shut and took her time walking toward her unit, secretly wishing she didn’t have to run into him again. When she heard the sound of his door closing, she went to her condominium and entered.
Back at her place, she experienced an uneasiness about the encounter but was soon over it. Eustace treating her like a stranger was exactly what she wanted from him, and she decided she should be glad about his reaction.
Once she organized her thoughts, she went to the bathroom humming a tune, ready to take a bath and go to bed.
The mood of her neighbor Eustace was a stark difference from her cheerfulness. He was dejected because she had not spared a glance at him in the elevator. He had almost talked to her but held himself back a few times, all because he wished her well when they parted ways at lunch.
“Hmph! She’s just another woman. There are more out there!” he thought.
The next day, Stephanie treated Danika to dinner as an apology for standing her up.
“You were always fooling around. I’m surprised to see the serious side of you after you started working,” Danika joked while sipping on juice. After the Zelliots nearly went bankrupt, Stephanie officially started working at Zelliot Inc. That was why the two had not caught up in a while-Stephanie was too busy getting up to speed at work.
Stephanie sighed defeatedly. “I don’t have a choice. My dad only has a daughter. Had I not taken over, he would have sold the company for cheap.”
“I think it’s good-you’re realizing your purpose in life,” Apart from the two years of marriage, Danika had not taken any break, as her dream was to maximize her potential. Stephanie, who could never understand her ideals, said with a long face, “A workaholic like you will never get me. By the way, how are things between you and Eustace?” She stared at Danika with anticipation, ready for gossip.
Danika rolled her eyes. “What else? He knew that I was his ex-wife. That’s all.”
“So, he knew?” Stephanie looked shocked, and her eyes burned with curiosity. “What was his reaction? Was he regretful?”
“Who knows? I don’t care.” Danika smirked and went over Eustace’s expression from yesterday in her mind. She guessed he did look somewhat regretful.
Stephanie grinned and rested her chin in her hands. She stared at Danika. “Are you sure? He’s your ex- husband, after all.”
“You said it-ex-husband.” Danika replied gravely and added, “Since he’s my ex, there’s no relationship between us anymore.”
Stephanie thought it was a pity. “To be honest, Eustace is not too bad. Don’t you want to reconsider?”
Danika looked horrified at the suggestion and touched Stephanie’s forehead. “You don’t have a fever, do you? He almost bankrupted your dad’s company. Why would you say that he’s not bad?”
“Those are two different matters. I have always been fair,” Stephanie said with a straight face. Danika dropped the conversation and stood up. “I need to use the washroom.”
“Let’s go together.” Stephanie stood up and followed her to the washroom. After they left the table, a waiter came over to refill Danika’s water. When no one was watching, he slid a white pill into her drink.
Soon, the girls returned to their table but didn’t sense anything amiss. Danika took a sip of her water and showed no reaction. From afar, the waiter let out a sigh of relief and sent a text.
After dinner, Stephanie and Danika left the restaurant. Since Zelliot Inc’s office was nearby, Danika decided to walk her friend there and take a cab home from the office.
“Danika…” Stephanie hesitated to speak.
“Hmm? What is it?” Danika gave her a confused look.
A few moments later, Stephanie still struggled to explain some recent events in her life to Danika. The man she encountered looked like someone not to be messed with, and she assumed he must have an unusual background. She worried that she would land Danika in trouble if she told her about him. After careful consideration, she decided to keep the man a secret for now.
“Nothing. It’s just… Time flies. In the blink of an eye, we are adulting, hustling, and surviving,” she lamented with a smile.
Yeah, time flew so fast..
When they were reminiscing, a van suddenly halted at the intersection. When Danika noticed the threat, three stocky guys had already barged out from the van, grabbed her by the arm, and dragged her into the vehicle.
“Danika!” Stephanie screamed in horror.