Not A Small Town Girl (Danielle and David) novel Chapter 72

Chapter 72

Geoffrey bit his lip but held his ground. "Dad, you know how cold David is. I want to talk to him, but he won’t even listen."

"Enough," Logan cut him off. "I’m done with this conversation."

Polly’s voice softened, trying again. "Could you speak to David? Get him to let Sebastian stay here?"

Logan shook his head firmly. "The Charrington family is under David’s rule now. I’m not getting involved in this."

Turning to Woody, he added, "Help me upstairs."

Logan didn’t even try to hide his disdain. Their schemes were written all over their faces, and he wasn’t about to entertain them any longer.

At Charrington Group, Nathan walked into David’s office. "Mr. Charrington, Sebastian’s back. Geoffrey and Polly just picked him up from the airport, and he should be at Charrington Manor by now."

David glanced up, his gaze as sharp as ever. "So he’s back. Big deal. He’s still useless."

His tone was frosty, sending a chill through the room as if the very air had frozen in place.

Nathan added, "He’s been chasing women abroad. Geoffrey and Polly think bringing him back will somehow threaten your position.

"They’ll probably try to get your grandfather to keep him here," Nathan observed.

As David’s right-hand man, Nathan always paid special attention to those from the Charrington family.

David shrugged dismissively. "Logan won’t care. He’s never been one for this kind of thing." He stood up, adjusting his suit. "I’m going to pick up Danielle." Nathan couldn’t help but think, ’The boss sure loves rubbing his relationship in everyone’s faces.

Danielle glanced at the clock-it was almost time for her to leave for the day. She was flying overseas tomorrow and had some packing to do.

Just as she stepped outside, she saw David standing by the car, his suit perfectly tailored and a cigarette in his hand. He looked effortlessly cool, standing out like a man who belonged.

As soon as Danielle appeared, David noticed her immediately, flicking the cigarette away before striding toward her. "Tired?"

"No," she replied with a smile.

The entrance to Black Web headquarters was buzzing with people, all of them sneaking glances at the scene unfolding in front of them.

"When did Ms. Darling get a boyfriend?"

"I had no idea! Who’s that guy? He looks so familiar."

"I know who he is! That’s the CEO of Charrington Group."

"Wait, for real? The cold-blooded, ruthless David? The one they say could kill a man without a second thought?"

"Looks like Ms. Darling’s boyfriend is anything but ordinary."

Danielle couldn’t help but notice the whispers and the stares. Calmly, she took David’s hand and spoke, her voice clear and confident, "This is my boyfriend, David."

Before anyone could react, she guided David to the car. "Let’s go," she said.

"Understood, Mrs. Charrington," the driver said, as the car engine roared to life.

The crowd was still frozen in place, trying to process what had just happened, but by the time they could react, the car had already sped off. "Our boss is so cool."

"Wow, she just publicly acknowledged him! Can we get some confetti?"

Inside the car, David smiled at Danielle, his eyes softening. "I’m really happy. You’ve finally admitted it in front of everyone."

"Oh, but I want to be with you," David said, his voice carrying a hint of playful stubbornness.

Vivian’s face lit up. "Well, then, I’ll have the chef make extra of your favorite dishes tomorrow. You can stay here, and David can keep you company."

David, who’d been feeling a little down, now smiled at the suggestion. "Are you sure? That’s too much trouble." "Don’t be silly, David. We’re family," Vivian said warmly, reassuring him.

"What would you like to eat, David? I’ll ask the chef to prepare it for you," Howard added kindly.

Noticing how much David cared for Danielle, Howard wanted to show him the same kindness.

David gave Danielle a soft, affectionate look. "I’m not picky. If Danielle likes it, I’ll like it."

Vivian couldn’t help but smile even more at his words. "Alright then, you’re always welcome to come over for dinner. We’re family now, so don’t be shy."

Turning to Danielle, she added, "You should bring David here more often for meals."

Danielle chuckled at how pleased David seemed with himself over simply getting a meal at her house. "Got it," she said with a smile, amused by his efforts to look like the victim just to get a dinner invitation. Meanwhile, Audrey stood off to the side, completely ignored by the group. Not a single person seemed to care about her presence, and it stung.

Time and time again, her family-her parents, her brothers-had dismissed her in favor of Danielle. The jealousy and resentment began to simmer in her chest.

Just then, the maid Sarah walked in, carrying a tray of freshly squeezed juices. "Good afternoon, everyone. Here’s some fresh juice for you all."

Audrey managed a small, almost imperceptible smile.

"Danielle, this watermelon juice is your favorite," Vivian said, handing it to her with a warm smile.

As Sarah moved to hand the juice to Danielle, Audrey quickly sidestepped and "accidentally" bumped into Sarah.

The collision knocked Sarah off balance, and the cups of juice flew toward Danielle. Sarah’s face went pale as she watched the juice heading straight for Danielle. If it splashed onto her clothes, it wouldn’t just upset Howard and Vivian- David, with how much he adored Danielle, would never forgive her.