Chapter 49: Chapter 49

DANIEL

“Thank you. We’ll be in touch,” Daniel said.

After the fifth woman he’d interviewed that day left, the CEO of Jackson Corp. removed his jacket and stretched his arms above his head. So far none of the candidates for the assistant position seemed even remotely capable, and now all the regular workers had gone home. He had no idea what time it was.

When the company’s main security guard knocked on his office door, Daniel used two fingers to usher the man in. Bobby doubled as his personal driver and bodyguard when Johnson wasn’t around.

“It’s gonna be a late night, Bobby,” he said. “You might as well head home. I’ll ask Lexi to come pick me up. Or I’ll take a taxi home.”

~Home.~

~It’s still a novel word to me. I never thought I’d have a place to call home, not since I was a child. But now I have a home with a woman I love. ~

~If only my mother was alive to see it. I think she’d be proud.~

Bobby waved his hands. “No need, sir. I already saw Ms. Fox park…but that’s not why I came up here.”

Just then, a woman who reminded Daniel of a present-day Fran Drescher walked into his office. She stopped to kiss Bobby on the lips, and Daniel was genuinely taken aback by the display of affection.

~How have I known him for so long without meeting his partner? Wait, have I met Johnson’s partner?~

Daniel made a mental note to get to know his closest staff members’ families.

“Sir, this is my wife, Ellie. She’s here to apply. I noticed how difficult it’s been for you to find someone, so I suggested that Ellie come in and try. She’s worked as a PA for ten years, and we also have children, so she fits the criteria you’re looking for.”

Bobby’s wife extended her hand to Daniel with the world’s most comforting smile. He took it, smiling back despite his disappointment in himself.

~How have I managed to call myself a competent boss when I know nothing of my security guard’s personal life? Have I taken the word “professional” too far?~

“Pleasure to meet you,” Ellie said. “I hope I can call you Daniel instead of sir sometimes. I’m ten years older than you, so wouldn’t it be weird for me to call you that outside of a business setting?”

Daniel didn’t see a problem with that. Especially since he was always annoyed by Bobby and Johnson calling him sir despite his protests.

~I’m glad Bobby’s wife knows how not to make me feel old and awkward.~

Daniel smiled at the woman. “Pleasure to meet you too. Daniel is fine. My girlfriend is on her way upstairs, and I’d love for you to meet her.”

Ellie took a seat. “What should I call her?” she asked.

“She usually prefers Lexi, but you can confirm that when she gets up here.”

Daniel was pleasantly surprised by Ellie’s attire. She chose jeans with no holes, flat shoes, a button-up blouse, and a tailored blazer. She looked far more professional looking than the other forty-somethings who walked in dressed like they shopped from the party section at Forever 21.

“I’m assuming Bobby filled you in on the role?”

The woman nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, and I’m excited to get started. I know everything about setting up schedules, sending emails, making flow charts; I’m knowledgeable with Microsoft Word and Excel; and I can also run errands and multitask, no matter what the situation.”

~So far, she’s the best one. I’m eager to see what Draya thinks, though.~

Not long after, a gloomy figure waltzed into Daniel’s office. Shoulders slumped forward, head down, eyes on the floor.

“Hey,” Draya murmured in a tiny voice, as if it was physically painful to speak at all.

~What’s with my little angel?~

Daniel called her over and forced her to settle onto his lap. Draya sat unmoving, stiff as a board, and stared at her fingers in her lap.

“This is Ellie,” he told her. “I’m considering hiring her for the PA position. She’s Bobby’s wife.”

Draya barely lifted her head to give Ellie a slight smile. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Ellie.”

~Okay, something is definitely wrong. My little angel sounds like she’s about to cry, and I will not have that.~

“Leave your resume with me, and I’ll call you with my decision tomorrow,” Daniel told Ellie.

The woman clapped her hands, pulled a fat folder from her large handbag, and placed it on Daniel’s desk. He could tell from the size that she included just about everything he could need: references, certifications, etc.

Daniel turned his attention to Bobby, who was staring lovingly at his wife. “Head home and take tomorrow morning off. Johnson will pick me up from home.”

Bobby nodded and placed his hand at the small of his wife’s back. As he led her from the office, Daniel turned his attention to his own little troublemaker.

“Okay, now that we’re alone, tell me what’s wrong with you. And don’t say nothing because I know you more than you think I do.”

Daniel didn’t think she’d outright lie to him, but he knew she was pretty good at finding crafty ways to withhold information. It was like her superpower.

When his angel looked at him with teary eyes, he knew the reason she was upset had something to do with Camille.

~God! How long is she going to drag this out? She used to be one of my best friends. The only person on the planet who understood me. She used to be special to me, not in the way she tells everyone but in a way that I thought we’d always share. ~

~Can’t she see that torturing my girlfriend will ensure that our friendship dies beyond repair? It’s as if she thinks I’d dump my woman and run to her or something. After all the years we’ve known each other, can’t she tell things are different now? Can’t she tell that I’m different now?~

With a sigh, Daniel leaned back into his chair. He wrapped his arms around the angel curled up into his lap.

“Tell me what happened,” he insisted gently.

Draya sniffed a couple of times, then wiped her tears away. “I’m okay. Really. Just hormones.”

“What did I tell you about lying to me? Or keeping things from me?” Daniel tried not to snap at her, but it was a hard habit to break.

“Some things I want to just keep to myself. It’s my burden, Dani. Not yours.” Even while speaking that bullshit, she still clung to him as if her life depended on it.

Fortunately, patience was something Daniel had been getting better at. Especially since learning he’d be a father soon.

“Please tell me. We are bonded already, and we’ll be married before this child is even properly formed. Marriage is a big deal to me, which is why I didn’t randomly do it before now. It’s a partnership, remember? I should be able to share your burdens, and you should share mine.”

Draya seemed to be battling with herself on whether to tell me or how to say what was on her mind. Finally, she whispered, “My birth mom showed up again.” She whispered softly.

That wasn’t at all what Daniel thought she’d say.

“Okay. And?” he asked, wanting her to get to the root of why she’s so shaken up.

“She said Camille paid her to reveal stuff about my past. Stuff even I didn’t know until now.” Her bottom lip trembled slightly.

“Stuff like what? I’m not seeing what information would have you so out of it. You were a kid back then. I already know your birth mother has a drug problem, I know she abandoned you, I know Reece raised you, I also know you were a virgin until you and I slept together… I’m failing to see what could be so shocking now?”

Through her tears, Draya continued, “She said my biological father raped her, and Camille knows everything. She’s going to tell everyone. Even if you love me enough to ignore it, your investors will talk shit to you; other people will talk shit to you. They already hate me for displacing your perfect childhood friend. Imagine how it’ll be after this comes out. I’m just not ready to even think about how bad things can get.”

As she sobbed into his neck, Daniel thought, ~Camille has reached a new low. I must see her soon to put an end to all this mess. Hurting me is one thing, but stressing out the love of my life while she’s pregnant? That I won’t tolerate.~

He cupped his future wife’s wet cheeks and dried them with his fingers. He forced her to look him in the eyes and then placed soft kisses on her forehead, nose, and full lips. “Listen to me, okay?”

Draya nodded, indicating that Daniel had her full attention.

“I love you. That’s all you need to believe in. Nothing else matters. I promised to protect you, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. Don’t hide anything from me; if you don’t tell me these things, I’ll be caught off guard, and I hate that more than anything.”

She curled up smaller. “But they’ll hate me, and they’ll blame me for dragging you into all this. They’ll say I’m not good enough for you. They’ll…”

“Who gives a fuck?” It seemed Daniel could only get through to her when the asshole in him made an appearance.

Her eyes widened at his outburst.

“Look, babe. I don’t care, and you shouldn’t care either. Trust me to handle this. Just stay off the internet, and avoid the paparazzi until I wrap things up. Okay?”

Draya stared at him for a moment, probably trying to decide whether or not to argue with him. After an eternity, she agreed.

“Good. Do you want to go home without me? I still have some stuff to do here.”

She shook her head immediately. “I’ll wait for you. Without you there, it’s just a house. You’re my home, Daniel.”

That was all Daniel needed to hear to get through anything. ~I’ll fix this mess no matter what it takes.~