Chapter 82

“Why do I help you?”

Daniel raised his gaze in the dim light of the storage room. The room was dimly lit with only a small yellow light on the ceiling, casting a soft glow downwards and reflecting off the dusty surfaces.

Yet, this subdued light couldn’t conceal the man’s extraordinary presence. He exuded a mysterious aura, both cold and proud. But he also exuded an air of elegance and nobility. His every movement and gesture carried an enigmatic charm.

That day, ever since he first laid eyes on Olivia at home, everything about Daniel had been off. His heart raced, his breathing quickened and his vision turned black. The world around him seemed to fade away.

He only had eyes for her and could only see her!

He had managed to restrain himself up until now, stopping himself from embracing her tightly. He believed he had exercised the greatest self–control of his life.

Previously, he had thought he could take things slowly, gradually making her care for him, slowly making her like him and gradually discovering their shared history. However, the moment he stepped into this cramped storage room, he saw her curled up in a corner covered in dust, looking like a helpless creature.

His heart had squeezed at that moment as if scalded by something searing.

At that instant, he knew he was done for.

He wouldn’t allow anyone, even herself, to hurt her.

Were loved ones really that important, important enough to allow self–inflicted suffering?

He would not allow it.

With him around, no one would harm her.

Daniel blinked, suppressing the bitterness and moisture that threatened to well up in his eyes. His gaze shifted, and he returned to the cold, arrogant, and noble Daniel again.

He gave Olivia an irrefutable reason. “Because Andrew likes you.”

At this point, he paused for a moment and looked at Olivia’s face slowly. was just a glance, but it seemed to be substantial. It was like a soft little brush that brushed past her face leisurely and slowly.

For some reason, Olivia’s face heated up.

Fortunately, the room was dark and concealed the gradual flush creeping onto her cheeks.

“Just because of that?” Olivia frowned. While she couldn’t argue with this reason, it didn’t seem sufficient.

“Of course, it’s more than that.” Daniel lowered his gaze, his fingers brushing over the golden cuff on his sleeve. His gaze swept over the corner where Olivia had been sitting earlier, and he asked, “Do you mind if I sit down?”

Olivia lowered her head, glancing at the dusty floor beneath her. Then, she saw Daniel’s custom–made silver–grey suit. She thought to herself, everything’s grey, that’s great, no need to worry about getting it dirty.

She nodded. “Sure, go ahead.”

Daniel moved past Olivia and sat down in the corner.

Even though Daniel was sitting in a narrow and dark corner, his remarkable presence couldn’t be concealed.

Previously, when Olivia had been sitting there, she seemed like a helpless creature. Now that Daniel was sitting there, he appeared as if he was mingling among the common people, yet retaining his noble bearing. After Daniel sat down, he gestured for Olivia to join him. “You too.” When she hesitated, he raised an eyebrow teasingly and said, “Are you going to look down on me?”

Well, Olivia was helpless. She wondered why this man was so unrelenting.

Olivia walked to Daniel’s side and turned her back to the wall. She was about to sit down.

Unexpectedly, Daniel shifted slightly in her direction.

As a result, Olivia ended up directly in his embrace.

Feeling the hard and warm muscles beneath her, Olivia’s face turned as red as a tomato. She instinctively tried to get up, but Daniel tightened his arms and pulled her closer.

Instead of moving away, Olivia found herself sitting in his lap.

Perceiving the strong masculine aura around her, Olivia was momentarily dazed.

“Why are you so careless?” Daniel’s voice was gentle while his arms still wrapped around her waist. He said in a considerate tone, “Is the ground too cold for you to sit on? Just sit like this. I don’t mind.”

He looked tolerant and magnanimous.

Olivia was at a loss for words.

When a person did something wrong, their mind would go blank for a moment. They would be a little confused, but they would quickly regain their rationality.

After her senses returned, Olivia struggled to get off Daniel. “What are you doing? Let go of me.”

Daniel tightened his embrace slightly, not letting go. His face remained expressionless, but his cold eyes radiated a chill. “Don’t move. You fell into the water a couple of days ago, and now you want to sit on the ground. Are you made of steel? Are you trying to kill yourself?”

Olivia froze, and then, almost instinctively, she turned her gaze towards him, staring blankly.

Looking at her confused eyes, Daniel sighed in his heart. He softened his tone and said in a low voice, “Don’t move first.”

As he spoke, he took off his suit jacket and laid it on the ground. “You can sit here.”

Olivia obediently sat down.

For some reason, in front of Daniel, she always felt docile and submissive. She instinctively believed that he wouldn’t harm her and that he might even protect her.

Seeing how obedient Olivia was, Daniel was very satisfied. He felt that his fondness for her had deepened a bit more.

Speaking of which, his aesthetic preferences had always revolved around Olivia’s changes.

Five years ago, when she was lively and vibrant, he liked girls who were cheerful and energetic.

Five years later, Olivia would be cold and indifferent. He then found himself drawn to distant, aloof, and independent girls.

Now, with her being obedient and gentle, his preferences shifted again. Basically, whatever she was like, he liked that kind of girl.

Daniel came up with a very convincing reason. “My family has been pressuring me to get married.

Andrew really likes you, and you don’t dislike me. How about we give it a try?”

Olivia was surprised. “Are you saying that we should get married?”

It was too sudden, wasn’t it? Who would skip the whole process of falling in love and go straight to marriage?

Daniel shifted his position, asking her in return, “Is that not okay? We’re eventually going to get married anyway. When you went to Stars Bay with Ethan, wasn’t it an intention to spend time together and see how things went? I’m much better than Ethan.”

Olivia chuckled. “How can there be such a comparison?”

Daniel was very good at persuading people. He could turn something black into white.

He adjusted his cuffs and asked, “Do you like Andrew?”

Olivia nodded. “Yes, I like him.”

“Then, do you hate me?”

“I don’t hate you.”

“Then let’s get married.”

“Isn’t this too impulsive?”

“Why would it be impulsive?” Daniel objected, “It’s obviously efficient.”

Then, he explained the benefits of their marriage to her by listing them. one by one.

First, once they were married, the people from the Taylor family wouldn’t dare to bully her anymore.

With Daniel around, they wouldn’t dare to meddle in her marriage.

Second, they could each focus on their respective careers without. interfering with each other. If she didn’t like getting close to him, they could even draft a contract based on it.

Lastly, if she refused to marry him, he would have to find a stepmother for Andrew.

He reminded Olivia, “You know, stepmothers can be very malicious. Poor Andrew will have a hard time in the future. But don’t worry about him. too much. Children need to endure some hardships; they shouldn’t be overly pampered. Let him eat leftovers and sleep on the floor every day.”

Daniel talked as if Andrew was Olivia’s son. But wasn’t he Daniel’s son?