Chapter 56: Chapter 56

Chapter 56 Under David’s unwavering gaze, Danielle’s cheeks grew warm. Her heart raced, and her thoughts swirled in a chaotic mess.

"You should eat too. My plate is already full," Danielle muttered.

Whenever they dined together, David barely ate. He seemed to take pleasure in caring for her. One moment, he was busy peeling shrimp, and the next, he was serving soup into her bowl.

"I’m happy just watching you eat," David said with a warm smile, his gaze intense and sincere.

’What am I supposed to say to that?’ Danielle thought.

She glanced to the side and spotted a bottle of red wine with just the right amount of alcohol-perfect for the occasion. She reached out to pour herself a glass, only for David to take the bottle away. Her alcohol tolerance was average, but she certainly enjoyed drinking-though when she had too much, she could get a little.

"You can have juice," David said, placing a glass of orange juice in front of her.

Displeased, Danielle pouted. "Then why’d you even put the wine on the table?"

David looked at Danielle in amusement, thinking, ’She sure loves her booze.’

In the end, he gave in after seeing the sulky look on her face and poured her a small glass.

Danielle’s eyes lit up. She knew she couldn’t handle alcohol, yet found it hard to resist. Danielle raised the glass and downed it in one go. Half a glass of red wine was gone in the blink of an eye.

"Slow down. Are you afraid I’ll change my mind?"

David grabbed a napkin and gently wiped the wine from the corner of her lips.

His gaze was deep and full of affection as he looked at Danielle. A delicate flush spread across her fair skin, and the innocent, slightly dazed look in her eyes made her look like a charming little fairy.

When she reached for the bottle again, David caught her wrist. "Enough. You’ve had your share."

Danielle was a little tipsy, but her mind was still clear. "Are you scolding me?" She looked at David with a hurt expression.

"I’d never scold you." David’s voice was as gentle as it could be, as if afraid that she might take it the wrong way.

"Then why won’t you let me have more wine? You’re so stingy." Danielle shot him a glare.

It was clear that she was drunk; the contrast was pretty striking. ’Looks like I’ll need to strictly control her drinking from now on, especially when I’m not around, David thought.

"Danielle, you’ve had too much, and you’ll get a headache tomorrow if you keep drinking," David said. He let out a quiet sigh, bemused by how a romantic evening had turned into an intervention.

"I don’t care..." Danielle began to act all coy just to get another sip, as though the wine were something magical she couldn’t resist.

David relented again. "Fine. But just a little bit more."

Danielle giggled as she eagerly nodded. She stared at the bottle, saying, "Okay."

She was so endearing in her tipsy state that David couldn’t help but melt.

By the end of the dinner, Danielle was thoroughly drunk. Clearly, she couldn’t return home in such a condition, so David pulled out his phone to call Howard. "Mr. Darling, it’s David. Danielle had a bit too much to drink. It’s late, so-"

"A little bumblebee flies into the flower field. Buzz, buzz." Danielle’s voice rang out, cutting him off. "David, what are you doing? Aren’t you going to listen to me sing?" "What’s going on, David? Is everything alright?"

Howard asked with concern.

David sighed. "Don’t worry, Mr. Darling. I’ll take good care of her-"

"Come sing with me," Danielle interrupted again, clutching a makeshift microphone-a water bottle- as she jumped on the sofa. "Let’s see who’s the better singer."

David felt his heart jolt, worried she might lose her balance. "Mr. Darling, I’m afraid I need to hang up now," he said hastily before hanging up.

David could only watch helplessly as Danielle sang her way through an entire repertoire of nursery rhymes, jumping and twirling without a care. She even posed for him when he mischievously started recording her performance on his phone, blissfully unaware of the embarrassment she would face the next day.

Meanwhile, at the Darling residence, Howard and Vivian exchanged uneasy glances over the unexpected call.

Not A Small Town Girl (Danielle and David)

Chapter 55 "Who was that on the phone? What happened to Danielle?" Vivian asked worriedly.

"It was David. Danielle’s staying with him tonight. She had too much to drink," Howard replied. Even though he was fond of David, the thought of his daughter spending the night with him was still unsettling.

"She’s with David? Then there’s nothing to worry about," Vivian said, waving a hand at Howard.

Howard was speechless. ’What makes her trust David so completely?’ he wondered.

Overhearing her parent’s conversation, Audrey was livid. "Mom, Dad, Danielle isn’t even married to David yet. Isn’t it inappropriate for her to stay over?" she said, feigning concern.

"David is a decent guy; he’ll take care of Danielle," Vivian replied gently. "Besides, they’re engaged. It’s perfectly fine."

Audrey’s face hardened, jealousy bubbling in her chest as she thought, ’I’m supposed to be the one engaged to David! If that bitch hadn’t returned, it would have been me by his side. Why her? Why is everything hers? I won’t let her take what’s rightfully mine.’

Seeing her parents’ unconditional trust in Danielle, Audrey bit her tongue and decided not to waste her breath on them.

"Dad, Mom, since Danielle isn’t coming back tonight, you should rest early. Staying up late isn’t good for your body," Audrey said in a warm and gentle tone.

In her room, Audrey sat in front of her vanity, jealousy simmering within her. Anger surged through her, and she swept her hand across the vanity, smashing bottles of expensive skincare products onto the floor.

The sharp sound of glass shattering echoed in the room, but it wasn’t enough to calm the storm in her heart. Audrey clenched her fists, her chest heaving in rage. Audrey had admired David from a young age. She worked tirelessly to excel in music, chess, and painting, outshining her peers from prominent families. Yet, no matter how hard Audrey tried to measure up to him, David never glanced her way.

The jealousy she felt was impossible to ignore.

’Now that Danielle is back, he only has eyes for her,’ she thought, seething with resentment. Ever since Danielle cured their grandparents, they had been singing her praises nonstop, completely disregarding how she felt.