Chapter 78 David, who had been quiet the whole time, walked over to Danielle, gently pulling her hand into his.
"Did it hurt? Next time, just let me know if you want to hit someone. Look, your handâs all red," he said, his voice soft, full of concern as he rubbed her hand, clearly upset for her.
"Iâm fine," Danielle replied.
Skylarâs eyes flickered between them, still in disbelief. Wasnât she the one whoâd just been slapped? But here they were, David more concerned about Danielleâs hand than the fact that sheâd just been struck.
"Sarah, go to my room and bring me the acupuncture kit," Danielle instructed, her voice unwavering.
"Yes, Miss," Sarah said, hurrying off.
Danielle picked up the silver needles, her gaze flicking to Audrey, still pretending to be unconscious.
Danielle knew Audrey wasnât out cold. Sheâd only feigned it when she realized her parents were about to come down the stairs.
"Miss, do you think itâll hurt with such long needles?" Sarah asked nervously, eyeing the gleaming silver in Danielleâs hands.
"Usually it doesnât," Danielle said, her voice steady. "But it depends on the injury. For someone like Audrey, with her... condition, itâs going to hurt. A lot." Danielleâs lips curved into a faint smile as she watched Audreyâs lashes flutter.
Danielle moved swiftly, pushing the needle into Audreyâs pressure point with practiced ease.
Audreyâs face went pale, and sweat instantly beaded on her forehead, trickling down her temples. If she wasnât gritting her teeth so hard, she wouldâve given herself away.
Danielle was doing this on purpose, targeting her at her weakest moment. It was clear as day.
Danielle didnât take her eyes off Audreyâs reaction, a wicked smile tugging at the corners of her lips. âOh, she can handle pain, can she? Fine, letâs see how long she can keep this up, she thought.
With that thought, Danielle pulled out a few more needles and thrust them into Audreyâs pressure points, each one deeper than the last.
"Danielle, how many more needles are you planning to use?" Howardâs voice cut through the tension, his eyes glued to Danielleâs precise movements.
Danielle was unfazed, her voice calm and controlled. "Depends on how long Audrey takes to wake up."
Audrey was on the brink of collapse, the pain from the second needle far worse than the first. It felt as though ice-cold knives were slicing through her skin.
Before she could even begin to process the agony, she heard Danielleâs voice again. Audreyâs blood ran cold.
She wondered, âWhat does that mean? Is she going to keep doing this until I open my eyes?â The thought of it made her blood boil.
"I trust Danielleâs skills," Howard said, his tone firm, his approval clear. They had all seen what she could do, especially after she helped Logan and Alice recover. They did not doubt her abilities.
Audreyâs grip on the bedsheet tightened, her nails digging into the fabric. She thought, âHow could they not see what is happening? Danielle is targeting me on purpose.
"The next few needles are going to hurt even more. But Iâm sure sheâll be awake soon enough," Danielle said.
As though on cue, Audrey began to stir, just as Danielle was about to insert another needle.
"What... whatâs happening to me?" Audrey whispered weakly, her voice barely audible. "Miss, are you alright?" Skylar rushed to Audreyâs side, her voice full of panic. "Miss Audrey Darling, are you okay?"
"I... Iâm fine. I should thank Danielle for the acupuncture... She must have been so worried," Audrey said, her voice fragile as she sat up on the sofa.
Her lips quivered as she forced a weak smile, her eyes red from unshed tears.
Danielle glanced at her, her expression dripping with disdain. She didnât even try to hide her contempt as she looked at Audrey, almost like she was watching some tiresome play.
"Youâre welcome. But next time, donât faint so easily." Her tone made it clear she meant: [Donât bother pretending to faint in front of me again.]
Audreyâs blood boiled. She knew exactly what Danielle was implying. She cursed her inwardly.
Howard and Vivian, who had remained silent up until now, finally spoke up, perhaps worried the tension between the two women would escalate.
"Audrey, what exactly happened just now? Can you explain it to us?"
Audrey, hearing her parentsâ concern, lowered her head, big tears rolling down her cheeks. She looked so pitiful that anyone would feel sympathy for her.
"Mom, Dad, itâs all my fault. I twisted my ankle, and then... I bumped into David. When Danielle came downstairs, she misunderstood, and... and David didnât want her to think badly of him, so... he accidentally hurt me."
Danielle almost couldnât hold back a scoff. Audreyâs ability to lie so smoothly was impressive.
"Danielle may not have been back for long, but sheâs not one to hold grudges. Is this really what happened?" Vivianâs voice was firm, the hint of concern threading through her words.
Audreyâs gaze flicked to Skylar, her heart pounding.
"Mrs. Darling, Miss Audrey Darling is someone youâve watched grow up. You know her better than anyone. I swear, everything sheâs told you is the truth," Skylar replied, her voice full of conviction.
Danielleâs anger simmered beneath the surface. She thought, âSo this is how it is going to go today, huh? All the blame shifts onto me?â
"You swear?" Danielleâs voice was icy, her eyes locking onto Skylarâs with a cold fury that could freeze the room.
"Miss Danielle Darling, I know youâre jealous of Miss Audreyâs beauty and talent," Skylar said, a sharp edge in her tone, "but you canât just ignore the truth, can you?" She didnât flinch. She had just taken a few hard slaps from Danielle, and the sting of them was still fresh.
Davidâs jaw tightened, his eyes darkening as he turned to Nathan. "You know what to do, right?"
"Yes, Mr. Charrington," Nathan responded smoothly.
The bodyguards, positioned silently by the door, shifted as if on cue. The air in the room grew thick, and heavy with the anticipation of violence.
Anyone unfamiliar with David Charrington might have thought the Darling family was about to be torn apart. Nathanâs voice cut through the tension like a knife.
"Teach her a lesson."
Two towering bodyguards stepped toward Skylar, their hands gripping her with terrifying force.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
The slaps rang out, each one sharper and more punishing than the last.
The first slap split Skylarâs lip, blood trickling down her chin as she staggered back. She felt two teeth loosen in her mouth.
But the beating didnât stop there. Another slap. Then another. They hit her more than ten times, each blow landing with brutal force, like the bodyguards were savoring the pain they were inflicting.
The room fell into a stunned silence. The weight of David kicking Audrey across the room still hung in the air, but now, Skylar was taking the brunt of the punishment. Skylar, who had always been by Audreyâs side. It was like they were hitting Audrey, too.
The bodyguards stood tall and silent, their presence overwhelming, as if the slightest wrong word would send them charging again.
Howard, Vivian, and Joseph were frozen, caught off guard by the sudden escalation.
"David, what the hell do you think youâre doing?
This is the Darling family!" Howardâs voice cracked with anger as he tried to regain control of the situation. "You canât just go around hitting people!"
David turned to face him, his eyes hard as ice. "So, you know she spoke out of turn?" he asked, his voice a low growl.
"I thought you brought Danielle back here to love her, not to let people like her suffer. If you canât protect her, Iâll take her with me. Iâll protect her myself." His gaze was like a bottomless pit, cold and unforgiving.
David had always been ruthless, always dangerous, but for Danielle, heâd tolerate nothing less than the best. And if the Darling family made her suffer even a little, he would make them regret it.
"David," Vivian said, her voice trembling with urgency as she stepped forward. "Danielle is our daughter. We love her! You have to calm down. We wonât let anyone hurt her, I promise."
Not A Small Town Girl (Danielle and David)
ï¤Chapter 77