Chapter 129 Emery: [Danielle, thereâs a contract on the Black Web targeting you-100 million dollars.]
Danielle: [Say it.]
Emery: [Itâs an assassination order on Elliot.]
Danielle felt speechless. She typed quickly: [Can you trace who placed the order?]
Emery: [No, the account is encrypted. Theyâve been extremely cautious.]
Danielle frowned. A bounty of 100 million dollars was bound to attract many assassins. Has anyone from Black Web taken the job?
Emery: [Practically all of the top ten assassins have taken it, along with others. It would be wise to keep Elliot on high alert. Given his special status, we canât exactly assign protection directly.]
Black Webâs orders were unique: assassins could either be handpicked or compete to fulfill the contract. Whoever completed the task first claimed the reward. For Danielle, 100 million dollars wasnât much, but for most assassins, it was a fortune.
Danielle: [Itâs obvious they want to incite competition. The assassins will act fast to claim the reward.]
Whoever had placed the bounty on Elliot clearly spared no expense, enlisting an army of killers to get the job done.
Danielle: [Got it.]
She picked up her phone and sent Elliot a quick message to warn him: Danielle: [Elliot, Black Web has posted a 100-million-dollar contract for your assassination. Multiple assassins have taken it. Stay cautious and stick to your base.]
A reply came almost immediately. Elliot:
[Understood. Donât worry about me. Just take care of yourself at school.]
Just as Danielle finished reading, Davidâs call came in.
David said, "Sweetheart, what are you up to? Miss me yet?"
Danielle chuckled softly. "Didnât we just text this afternoon?"
David said, "You heartless little thing. I text you in the afternoon, and I still miss you. Or have you already fallen for someone at school?"
His playful jealousy made Danielle laugh out loud.
"Howâd you guess? Some of these boys are really handsome."
Davidâs voice turned mock-petulant, laced with jealousy. "Danielle, have you already forgotten me after just one day at school? Am I not handsome enough for you? Do those boys outshine me?"
Lying in bed, Danielle giggled uncontrollably. "Iâm teasing! I havenât even talked to any boys. Donât be so dramatic."
David said, "Do you still love me, then?"
Her teasing shifted to gentle reassurance. "Of course I do. Donât stay up too late working. Get some rest. Iâm going to bed now."
David said, "Goodnight, sweetheart. Dream of me."
In Room 808, Divine Club, Joshua complained, "David, can you put down your phone for five minutes? Youâve been glued to it since we got here.".
David smirked, glancing at his friends. "You wouldnât understand. None of you even have girlfriends. I have to lull my fiancée to sleep. Itâs called responsibility."
The three men collectively rolled their eyes.
"One more word, and Iâm finding a girlfriend tomorrow," Cameron grumbled, his voice dripping with mock annoyance. "Itâs childâs play for someone like me."
"Speaking of which, Jaden, I heard you went on a date today?" Andrew teased, his mischievous eyes sparkling.
This got everyoneâs attention. Jaden, the most averse to arranged dates, going on one? "Yeah," Jaden admitted flatly, offering no further details.
"What? Jaden on a date? The world must be ending," Cameron groaned, rubbing his temples. "My familyâs going to start nagging me next."
David, ever the troublemaker, chuckled. "Self-delusion at its finest."
Jaden gave him a sidelong glance but said nothing, sipping his whiskey. "The Prosper Group has been cozying up to the Stuart, Dixon, and Harris families. They finalized an investment deal this morning."
Cameron took a sip of his drink, his tone flat and indifferent. "The Prosper Groupâs intentions are crystal clear. While I was poisoned, my family started showing their true colors. Theyâve been lurking, waiting for the right moment. Iâve given them so much face, and this is how they repay me?"
If it werenât for his friends acting swiftly to secure his position as the head of the West family, heâd have been framed and eliminated countless times by now.
"Is your brother still holding out hope?" Andrew asked knowingly, his voice laced with concern. He knew the West family well-especially the ones who thrived on manipulation. With Cameronâs blunt, straightforward nature, without his friendsâ support, he wouldâve been schemed against long ago.
"Give up? Heâs never given up. Heâs always watching me, just waiting for something to go wrong," Cameron said, his voice emotionless. From childhood to now, he couldnât even count how many "accidents" heâd survived, but he never once suspected his brother-until that one time.
Andrewâs sharp gaze turned serious. "Let us know if you need help." David chimed in, his voice low and deliberate. "If Turner becomes too much of a problem, Iâll handle it. Itâs childâs play for the Johnson family."
"Exactly. Weâve got your back."
Joshua broke the tension, smiling slyly. "By the way, my grandfatherâs 80th birthday is next month. David, why not bring Miss Darling along?"
Davidâs expression softened. "Weâll see."
The next day, Danielle entered her new classroom and quickly found a seat. To her surprise, two familiar faces were among her classmates-Emma and Celine, people she had met in Switzerland.
"Danielle, what are you looking at?" Juniper asked, noticing her distraction.
"Nothing, just some familiar faces," Danielle replied nonchalantly. "By the way, our skincare line launches today,"
Juniper said.
Danielle nodded confidently. "Itâll sell well."
Across the room, Emma noticed Danielle immediately. Her mind churned with jealousy, recalling how her Instagram post hadnât elicited any reaction from Audrey. Seeing Danielle in her class only fueled her bitterness.
Meanwhile, other classmates whispered among themselves.
"Who is she? Sheâs gorgeous."
"Her figure, her height-sheâs a total knockout."
Emma overheard the chatter and gritted her teeth.
She wished she could scratch that perfect face of Danielleâs.
"Emma, is Danielle really in our class? Sheâs only a freshman?" Celine chirped, seemingly oblivious to Emmaâs disdain.
Emma shot her a sharp look, silently cursing her naivety.
Just then, a boy from the front row turned around. "Hi, Iâm Grant Walter. Nice to meet you."
Danielle gave a polite nod. "Hello."
"Can I add you on WhatsApp?" Grant asked shyly.
Danielleâs tone remained cool. "Danielle. And no, itâs not necessary."
Grantâs face turned crimson with embarrassment, and the other boys who had considered approaching her quickly changed their minds.
Their advisor, a balding, portly man named Kaden Langley, entered.
"Good morning, everyone. Iâm your advisor. Head to the admin office now to collect your military training uniforms. Be on the field in 30 minutes."
Groans erupted across the room.
"Move quickly. If youâre late, your drill instructor wonât go easy on you!"
Chaos ensued as students scrambled out the door.
Not A Small Town Girl (Danielle and David)
ï¤Chapter 128