Filed to story: The Regretful Billionaire: An Unpredicted Reunion
Danika left the dining room to retrieve her luggage upstairs. When she came down, she told Graham, “I’m gonna leave first. You can…do whatever you want, I guess. I can still get things done without you in Parrington.”
With that, she left the estate.
Graham could only blink, still reeling from what had just happened. He really didn’t know what to do now. Just a couple of suggestions had set Danika off like that. It was not like he was really stopping her from meeting Eustace, nor did he say he wasn’t going to Parrington with her. He sighed internally, “Like mother like daughter.”
“Why are you so nice to Danika, Dad? She’s so rude to you! I’ve never treated you like that, and you’re not even that nice to me!” Jolene whined. Graham glanced at her. “Really? What have I not given you since you were a kid, hm?”
“That’s not the same thing!* Jolene bit her lip, fussing, ‘You’ve never cared this much about me since I was a kid. I don’t think you’ve ever treated me as your daughter.”
Jolene had never thought anything strange of it, but only when Danika appeared in their lives did she realize it wasn’t that the man didn’t know how to be a proper father but that he didn’t want to be one to her.
“Nonsense!” Graham barked, getting up from the table. Jolene burst into tears. “Nonsense? Ever since Danika showed up, you’ve brought her to all these fancy events and given her all those nice gifts, like that jewelry. When have you given me jewelry?”
She had been hurting from these double standards for a while now. Graham’s scalp prickled as Jolene sobbed. “It’s just a piece of jewelry. You already have so many. Why don’t you get your mother to get one for you?”
“It’s not the same! I want one from you!” Jolene insisted. It made all the difference!
“Alright, fine. I’ll pick one for you soon,’ Graham replied. It was his fault in the first place, though he had only given Danika the jewelry because he thought it might look more appropriate for the event.
He didn’t think Jolene needed something else to add to her collection, so her outburst was quite a surprise. Graham wasn’t fond of Rowena, but Jolene was his daughter, and he did have some love for her.
Jolene beamed instantly. “Promise? No take-backsies!’
“When have I ever backed out?” Graham murmured and left the room. After all, he had to keep his word to go to Parrington with Danika.
After the man left, Jolene wiped her eyes, giggling, ‘At least I got the last word.”
Rowena smiled. “I’ve told you so many times to do that in front of your father, but you never wanted to. See how effective it is?”
“Well, I didn’t know I wasn’t his only child then. I thought I’d inherit everything from him, but that’s not the case anymore.”
She couldn’t tolerate her inheritance being split up for Danika, so from now on, she’d do whatever it took to claim everything Graham owned.
Feeling proud of her daughter’s growth, Rowena gently patted her head.” Don’t worry about that girl. No matter what happens, you have a mother, and she doesn’t.”
Jolene happily hugged her mother. “Of course. That bitch is destined to eat my dust. I can win over her just like you won over her mother all those years ago.”
Teach Them a Lesson
Danika had bought a flight ticket at the airport, not assuming Graham would come along with her. She regretted asking him to help her in the first place.
Maybe she could deal with Paul alone.
“Ah, well. I’ll figure it out at home,” she thought.
Danika lounged in the boarding hall, waiting for her plane to reach the airport. Just then, Eustace texted her, asking if she had boarded yet. She called him. “Where are you right now?” she asked.
“Airport.” Eustace asked curiously, “You haven’t left?”
“Not yet. I’m at the airport too…without Graham.”
Eustace could immediately tell something was up. ‘Where are you? I’ll come find you.”
He thought it was better to check on her in person.
“It’s alright. I’ll see you in Parrington.” Both their flights should be ready for boarding soon, so they didn’t need the mess of meeting and then separating to their gates again.
“Okay then. I’ll wait for you at the arrival hall. Call me once your flight touches down.”
“Okay.” Danika ended the call. She then browsed through the news on her phone, suddenly noticing news about her.
No wonder Graham said all those things this morning. Some people had taken photos of her and Eustace having supper last night. The article was too, insinuating Eustace was some boy toy she had on the side.
It looked like the reporters didn’t do their homework before publishing the news. Danika sent the news link to Eustace, asking him if he had seen it already. Eustace soon told her that he had and had already sent his people to take care of things. But
Danika asked him to stop, to let the news circulate and spiral out of control, much to Eustace’s confusion.
“I’ll set the lawyers on them when things boil over. A day or two in court will teach them a lesson and get them off my back.” She wasn’t going to sit around and be played with. It was annoying enough when they snooped on her and James, but now it was Eustace’s turn. Were they seriously going to do that with every guy she went out with now?
Knowing the paparazzi had successfully incurred Danika’s wrath, he had his company’s legal team start collecting evidence against them. If things escalated, he’d sue those reporters too.
The two then boarded their respective flights. What they never expected was that they happened to board the same flight.
Eustace’s seat was right in front of Danika’s, so she noticed him immediately upon sitting down, and they shared a surprised glance.
Eustace then came to sit beside her. “What a coincidence.”
“You’re sitting in someone else’s seat,” Danika pointed out.
“It’s fine. I’ve swapped seats with them.’ Eustace grinned.
Danika said nothing else, leaning back in her seat. Sitting together wasn’t a big issue as long as there weren’t any paparazzi on the flight.
Who knows if photos of them stepping off the plane would start circulating?
You Agree With Him?
The plane soon took off. Danika shut her eyes and rested while Eustace sat beside her, still giddy. He knew Danika was upset and didn’t want to talk right now, so he quietly stayed by her side, not asking her anything though he was incredibly curious about her situation.
After some time, Danika asked, “Aren’t you curious about what happened between Graham and me?”
“Of course I am. I just didn’t want to disturb you. You looked like you had a lot on your mind,” Eustace said with a smile. He had come to know her a little more after spending time with her all this while.
Danika sighed. He was right. She had wanted nothing more than to be left alone in a quiet space since boarding the plane. But her mood had lightened after some peace and quiet. “It’s nothing, really. I think he saw the news about us, that’s all.”
“He doesn’t want you involved with me, does he?” Eustace could easily guess what had transpired between the father and daughter.
Danika huffed. “Who does he think he is, really? What right does he have to control what I do or who I see?”
Biological father or not, she didn’t want to be restrained by him.
“I trust he means well, even if it doesn’t seem like it. You don’t need to pit him against you that much/ Eustace advised. He knew that, as much as Danika was against Graham trying to control her, she still cared about his thoughts.
She wouldn’t be this upset if she didn’t.
Danika shot him a glare. “So you agree with him? That we shouldn’t see each other again?”
“No, no, of course not.” Hell no! “All I’m saying is, maybe you two could talk about this more constructively. Or, I could prove myself to him with time.”
Eustace knew Graham disapproved of him being with Danika because of their prior divorce. It had established the impression that Eustace was unreliable and untrustworthy. Besides, Danika was recognized by the Zellwegers as their own now.
Someone lesser like a Quincey wouldn’t make sense to be with Danika. Eustace didn’t find these troubling. He’d solve whatever issue to be with Danika.
“It’s not like we’re still dating. I’m angry because I don’t like being controlled. It’s nothing to do with you.” Danika rolled her eyes.
Eustace knew her temperament, so he didn’t refute her. If she hadn’t wanted to take a step further with him, she wouldn’t have continued being in touch with him until now. Still, he kept silent on those facts. “I’m aware.”
Another roll of the eyes. “Whatever. I’m gonna sleep.”
Danika then closed her eyes, leaned back in her seat, and actually started to nap.
Eustace quietly instructed the flight attendant to bring her a blanket so she could keep warm. It was obvious to anyone looking at the two that Eustace deeply cared about Danika.
Meanwhile, Graham had departed on his private airplane after realizing Danika had long been on her flight. He felt really helpless. His intentions had been good, yet things had transpired in this manner so swiftly. He couldn’t even discipline her because of what he still owed her.
Graham sighed. Now he even had to appease his daughter’s temper because he couldn’t bear the thought of Danika not visiting their home in Bardoff City anymore.
Did You Give Up?
Eustace and Danika made their way out of Parrington Airport. Back in his territory,
Eustace had arranged for them to be picked up outside.
“You wanna go back to your home first?” he asked once they were safe in the car.
“Yeah. That’d be best.’ Danika nodded. As worried about Stephanie as she was, she couldn’t make any sudden moves lest Paul overreacted. It might get harder to rescue Stephanie if that happened. Plus, she hadn’t settled her resignation at the hospital yet.
They soon reached Perry Residence. Danika stepped out and turned to ask Eustace,
‘Aren’t you gonna rest up first?”
“Nah. I still need to look at things at the office. I’ll pick you up for dinner later.”
Eustace couldn’t rest now that they were going to move Quincey Group headquarters to Bardoff City. They had deep roots here in Parrington that needed careful unraveling.
Danika knew about it, too, and was concerned about him. “You really don’t have to do this, you know. Parrington isn’t so bad, really.’
“It is not so bad, but…there’lI be a lot more distance between you and me.’ Obviously, staying was the most convenient option, but he couldn’t bear to part with Danika.
Danika blinked in surprise, then smiled. ‘Take care then.’ She didn’t encourage him to stay because if one of them stayed and the other went to Bardoff City, their relationship might not work at all.
Additionally, long distances would only breed additional problems, besides the fact that they were already from different family backgrounds.
Especially if Eustace’s workaholism got in the way of their communication.
“I will.” Eustace nodded, glad that Danika wasn’t telling him to stay anymore. To him, it meant Danika wanted to be in a relationship with him, too, so he needed to go to Bardoff City with her at all costs.
He soon left for his office while Danika returned to her apartment. She had missed this place.