Chapter 73 The rumors about Davidâs cold, ruthless nature- how he was known to be unforgiving, even brutal- flashed through Sarahâs mind. Her heart raced, realizing just how bad this could get for her.
In that split second, Davidâs reflexes kicked in. He rushed to Danielleâs side, pulling her toward him with one arm while pushing Sarah away with the other.
The swift movement caused some of the juice to splatter onto Davidâs custom suit.
As Sarahâs body spun from the impact, the juice that was meant for Danielle now flew straight toward Audrey.
Audrey stood off to the side, her gaze fixed on Danielle, eager to watch her make a fool of herself. But to her surprise, it wasnât Danielle who messed up. It was Sarah, who-while balancing a tray of juice-ended up spilling it all over Audrey instead. In an instant, watermelon juice splashed across Audreyâs chest, staining her strapless dress. The juice trickled down her neckline, soaking into the fabric and clinging to her curves, leaving her looking more disheveled than anything else.
"Iâm so sorry, Miss Darling, I didnât mean it!" Sarah stammered, rushing over with napkins, desperately trying to blot at the mess. "Iâm sorry."
Howard and Vivian stood frozen in shock, too stunned to move. They watched in stunned silence, unsure of what to do next.
Danielle, on the other hand, wasnât surprised. Her gaze was cool and calculating, eyes fixed on Audrey with the quiet knowledge of exactly what Audrey had tried to pull. If David hadnât intervened, Audrey wouldâve been the one sidestepping the juice.
David, however, didnât seem to notice. His eyes were locked on Danielle. "Are you alright?" he asked.
Danielle snapped back to reality, her gaze flicking down to Davidâs suit, which was now stained with juice. "Iâm fine," she said quickly. "But your suitâs ruined."
David didnât seem to care. He was more concerned with her. After ensuring she was unharmed, he let out a deep sigh. "As long as youâre okay, thatâs all that matters."
Meanwhile, Sarah was still practically bowing to Audrey in apology. "Miss Darling, Iâm so sorry! Itâs all my fault. I wasnât careful, and now your dress is ruined."
Her apology was genuine, but inside, Sarah felt frustrated. Sheâd been bumped into earlier, which had caused her to spill the juice, but she couldnât exactly say that. Either way, it was her fault for not holding the tray better.
"Audrey, go change your clothes," Vivian said, her eyes scanning Audreyâs soaked dress. It was far too revealing now, and inappropriate.
Audrey glanced around, her eyes landing on David, who was completely absorbed in Danielle. He wasnât even looking at her, the one who had been splashed with juice. âWhy isnât he concerned about me?â
Audrey thought.
Her blood boiled with jealousy, but she forced herself to stay calm, especially with her parents standing there.
Danielle mustâve felt Audreyâs glare because she looked up, meeting Audreyâs eyes for a split second.
Audrey froze. âHas Danielle noticed something? No, it couldnât be,â she thought. After all, Audrey was the one drenched in juice, not Danielle.
"Mom, Dad, Danielle, David, Iâm going upstairs to change. Excuse me," Audrey said, putting on her best polite smile as she excused herself, refusing to blame Sarah in front of everyone.
As she walked past David, she shot him one last look, but David didnât even glance at her. He didnât acknowledge her at all. Audreyâs chest tightened with frustration.
As Audrey made her way upstairs, she overheard Vivianâs voice, full of concern. "Danielle, are you okay? Did that scare you?" "Iâm fine, Mom,"
Danielle answered smoothly, almost casually. "David helped me block it, but itâs his suit that got the juice on it."
Danielle was comforting Vivian, and even more, she was scoring points with David in front of her parents.
Vivian turned sharply to Sarah, her tone suddenly stern. "Sarah, you need to be more careful next time."
Sarahâs stomach dropped, and she couldnât help the tremble in her voice as she apologized. "Iâm so sorry, maâam. I didnât mean to. Iâm not sure what I tripped on when I approached Miss Danielle... but Iâll be more careful next time. I promise."
Audreyâs heart sank as she overheard this. âIs Sarah about to ruin everything? Has she figured it out?â she thought.
Audrey cursed under her breath. If she had known this would happen, she wouldâve handled Sarah much more harshly earlier. "Just go downstairs now and be more careful," Vivian said, not intending to make a bigger deal out of it, but hoping Sarah would be more mindful in the future. After all, Danielle had almost been drenched in juice.
At the top of the stairs, Audrey let out a relieved sigh when she realized her mother wasnât going to press the issue any further.
But then, Vivianâs voice rang out again, full of surprise. "Oh, Danielle, that necklace youâre wearing -itâs new, isnât it? Iâve never seen it before. Itâs so beautiful."
Danielle said, "Itâs from David."
Audrey froze in her tracks. She had noticed the necklace the moment she came downstairs. It was extravagant-an elegant, one-of-a-kind piece-and unlike anything Audrey had ever seen, let alone worn.
"David really put a lot of thought into it," Vivian said, admiring the necklace. "Itâs such a unique piece."
"Itâs his own design," Danielle replied.
Audreyâs chest tightened as though something sharp had pierced her heart. David-the powerful CEO of Charrington Group, the head of the Charrington family-had designed a necklace for her.
For Danielle? What was it about this girl that made her worthy of such a gesture, while Audrey- polished, poised Audrey-was left out in the cold?
Audrey couldnât take it anymore. She couldnât trust herself to stay down there any longer. If she did, she might just grab that necklace and rip it off Danielleâs neck.
"What? David designed this himself?" Vivian and Howard exchanged a look, clearly stunned.
"This design is incredible-so fresh, so elegant, without being over the top. It outshines most of the designs out there. I never wouldâve guessed David had such a talent for this. Heâs amazing," Vivian said, her face lighting up with excitement. She couldnât stop praising him. Howard nodded approvingly. "David, you went above and beyond by designing this necklace for Danielle yourself. Danielle, have you ever given David a gift?"
He couldnât help but compliment David, while also nudging his daughter to think about returning the favor.
Danielle paused, considering his question. She realized with a start that it was always the men giving her gifts-she hadnât given anything back.
Vivian and Howard exchanged a knowing look. They could tell immediately that their daughter hadnât thought about reciprocating.
"Danielle, look at this-Charringtonâs family heirloom is already yours, and now David has gone the extra mile to design a necklace just for you. You should think about giving him something too. Relationships are a two-way street, you know," Vivian said, her tone full of motherly wisdom.
David smiled warmly. "Youâre too kind. Iâve given Danielle gifts, but I never expected anything in return. As long as sheâs with me, thatâs the best gift I could ever ask for."
Danielle felt a little tug at her heart. She liked what David had said. Maybe love should be a two-way street. She had to start thinking about giving back, too.
Not A Small Town Girl (Danielle and David)
ï¤Chapter 72 "David knows how to say the right things," Vivian said with a proud smile. "Heâs tall, handsome, thoughtful, and charming-honestly, once you two get married, David is going to be such a great husband."