Chapter 11-2
Not A Small-Town Girl
Chapter 11-2
The phone rang, interrupting Danielleâs attempts to piece together the night.
"Sweetie, coming home for breakfast? Your Dad and I are waiting." Vivianâs warm voice came through.
"No need to wait for me, Mom. Iâll grab something here at my friendâs place before heading back," Danielle replied sweetly.
"Alright honey. Drive safe."
"Will do."
After hanging up, Danielle turned to Juniper with growing dread. "Who was the person last night?"
"Oh, just David Charrington, CEO of Charrington Group and possibly the most dangerous man in the business world. You treated him like a high-end escort. It was quite a show, but he still drove you back,"
Juniper replied.
"Gotta go." Danielle vanished at supersonic speed.
At Charrington Group, David summoned his right- hand man. "Nathan, full background check on last nightâs woman. And make sure those thugs understand Soulfield is permanently off-limits to them."
"Got it. You have a multinational conference call in thirty minutes. Also, the Waywood Club auction is tomorrow-theyâve got the Crimson Lily listed," Nathan Ross reported professionally.
Meanwhile, after leaving Juniperâs place, Danielle sent a message to Emery: [Need everything on my kidnapping 18 years ago.]
Emery: [Suspecting something specific?]
Danielle:
[Yes.]
She never questioned it before, but since returning to the Darlings, things werenât adding up. How did a kidnapper dodge all the security cameras and snatch her from a crowded party? Why zero leads after all these years?
The more she thought about it, the more it felt like an inside job-someone close to the family must have orchestrated the whole thing.
Emery: [Iâm on it. If someone orchestrated this, made you suffer all these years... theyâll pay.]
Back at the Darlingsâ Treeside Villa, Audrey was performing concern with theatrical precision. "Mom, whereâs Danielle? Donât tell me she didnât come home last night! Where did she sleep?"
"She stayed at a friendâs. Itâs sweet that youâre worried about your sister," Vivian replied with a smile.
"But she just got to Soulfield-what âfriendsâ could she have? I hate to suggest anything, but... I worry about her lifestyle choices, being so new here. Iâm sorry, Mom, I just want her to resist temptation." Audreyâs face was a masterclass in calculated concern.
"Sweetheart, donât apologize. Danielle knows how to handle herself," Vivian replied, touched by what she thought was sisterly concern.
Arriving home, Danielle just rolled her eyes at Audreyâs performance. âShouldâve gone into acting with those skills, she thought dryly.
Audrey rushed over with her worried face firmly in place. "Danielle, where were you? We were so worried! I get it-everythingâs new and exciting here, and you want to experience it all.
"But you have to be careful. The Darling name means something. We canât afford any scandals."
Danielleâs eyebrows knitted together, her expression turning ice-cold as she stared at Audrey. "Your imagination must be exhausting."