Filed to story: The Regretful Billionaire: An Unpredicted Reunion
She smirked at his words and leaned against the wall, staring coldly at him. “Wife? That’s an unfamiliar word.”
“Cut the nonsense. Are you going or not?” he snickered.
She pursed her lips but ultimately agreed to it. After all, she had to keep an eye on Eric in case he sent someone to assassinate Graham again.
Eric left the bedroom and went into his study.
“Sir,” the assistant lowered his head and greeted Eric right when he entered.
Eric took a seat and asked, “Is Graham Zellweger dead?”
The assistant’s expression froze in terror. “I’m sorry, sir. Graham Zellweger went missing, and we haven’t found him.”
“You haven’t? What are you doing?” Eric was unhappy with his men and questioned their abilities for failing to get rid of Graham Zellweger.
The assistant dared not utter a word. Worse, his phone buzzed at the wrong time, making him sweat all over.
Eric glanced at the unmoving assistant and said unhappily, “Take the call! What are you doing, standing there?”
“Oh, sure.” The assistant quickly picked up the call. Soon, a smile appeared on his face. “Sir, Graham Zellweger showed up.”
“Okay. So, you know what to do, right?” Eric looked intently at him. If his men failed to kill Graham Zellweger, they’d be good for nothing, and he would have no reason to keep them around.
The assistant nodded furiously and was driven out of the study by Eric. Meanwhile, Eric sat in his chair, staring blankly at the room next door. No one knew what was on his mind.
Back at Graham’s villa, Mr. Ortiz looked a little concerned. ‘Miss Zellweger, Mr. Zellweger has just come home. If the outsiders learn about him, they might send someone to murder him.” In his opinion, Graham should be kept hidden.
“Mr. Ortiz, since we’re here to look for Lynette, we need some clues. If those people do not show themselves, how will we get the clues?” At the very least, they should figure out who harmed Graham.
In contrast to Mr. Ortiz’s worried face, Danika was totally laid back. “Isn’t there a charity dinner tonight in Bayside City?”
“Yes. There seems to be one,” he answered.
Danika stood up and beamed at him. “Get my dad ready. We’ll attend the dinner tonight.”
“Huh?” Mr. Ortiz was confounded. “Miss Zellweger, shouldn’t we lay low during these times?” They had attracted unwanted attention with just their presence. If they attended the dinner, they’d only attract more eyes.
Moreover, Mr. Ortiz felt that Graham was in no mood to attend any charity dinner.
Knowing what Mr. Ortiz was thinking, she smiled and said, “We don’t have clues now. If we attend dinners like this, we could at least get something. Go, Mr. Ortiz. Tell my dad everything I’ve said. He will go.’
She knew Graham would agree to anything as long as he could find Lynette.
And she was right. After hearing the message conveyed by Mr. Ortiz, Graham agreed to the idea without hesitation. Mr. Ortiz was visibly worried, but all he could do was arrange for more bodyguards.
When night descended on Bayside City, crowds were swelling in its grandest five-star luxury hotel. Those who attended the charity dinner were famous names in the city. They mingled around with wine glasses in their hands. Those who watched from the outside might mistakenly think of it as a meetup among close acquaintances.
The dinner was about to start when Danika and Graham showed up. They located their seats and sat down. Since they were at the event searching for clues, she kept a low profile and picked a place in the back, where she started observing the guests in attendance.
Barry Bell and Georgina Simpson were in attendance as well. They sat in the row before Danika, but they didn’t notice the presence of Danika and Graham. Just when Danika thought the dinner was starting, the door to the hall opened, accompanied by a flurry of activity.
“It’s Eric Dafoe!” someone gasped.
“He even brought Lynette Bell to the event. The audacity!” another added.
Danika and Graham were shocked to hear Lynette’s name, and both turned to look at the two guests. At the door, Eric had an arm around Lynette’s waist. Although both were no longer youthful, they looked regal from afar. Complicated emotions gripped Danika. The woman for whom her dad was searching high and low effortlessly showed up before him with another man. Worried for him, she turned to look at him. ‘Dad, are you okay?”
Graham didn’t answer. She looked closer and saw tears shimmering in his eyes. His attention wasn’t on the man with Lynette; he cared more about Lynette herself. Indeed, anyone would be as agitated as him at a reunion after decades.
Lynette seemed to have sensed Graham’s burning gaze. She wanted to turn around to have a look, but Eric forcefully led her to the first row and sat her down. The couple didn’t notice Graham’s presence, and Lynette kept her mouth sealed about her odd feelings just now. Instead, she sat beside Eric with feelings of resentment and disgust for her partner.
The dinner started in no time. The items at the auction were all sponsored by the dinner guests. Danika sponsored an item in her collection-a ruby pendant left behind by Lynette years ago- to look for her mom. To her disbelief, Lynette turned up at the event with a man. The man seemed to be an Eric Dafoe from the whispers around her.
Danika pulled out her phone and covertly texted Zack, asking for help to look into Eric Dafoe, who appeared to be from an unusual social background. She knew she had to proceed carefully from now on.
The auction continued. The items auctioned at the beginning did not attract Eric’s attention. His eyes were mainly on Lynette. When she expressed a liking toward any of the items auctioned, he’d win the bidding to get it for her, and his biddings were generous.
Graham collected himself, his eyes still on Eric and Lynette in the front row with a bitter smile on his face. “Looks like your mom has found love again after all these years. That’s good.’
He had no plan to disturb Lynette. If she was truly happy, he would not interfere in her life.
At that time, Danika looked away from her phone after reading the information sent by Zack. The sight of Eric and Lynette seemed the more ironic to her.
“Dad, you’re overthinking. Don’t you think Lynette doesn’t like Eric Dafoe?” Danika still squirmed at the thought of addressing Lynette as “Mom”. After all, they’d never met in person. It took her a long time to address Graham as “Dad.” At this moment, Lynette was nothing more than a stranger to her. Had it not been for Graham’s insistence to search for Lynette, Danika was prepared to live a life without her mom.
However, her mindset shifted after she read the details about Eric.
Graham turned to her with a confused look. “What do you mean? Is your mom forced into the relationship?”
“From the information in my hands, after her family took her back to Bayside City, she was forced into marrying Eric Dafoe. They don’t have a good relationship over these years.” The information showed that Lynette wasn’t into Eric, but the man seemed to treat her well.
Still, Danika believed that there was more to the story. Even if Lynette disliked Eric, she could have treated him with basic respect. There must be a good reason behind her intense disgust for him, and Danika was sure she’d find out the truth sooner or later.
Graham didn’t know what to feel about the information. “If your mom doesn’t like Eric Dafoe, we need to figure out a way to help her escape!” He knew too well the torturous feeling of spending years with a partner one didn’t love.
“Let’s find a chance to ask more questions about this statement. What if the information is incorrect? We can’t break their marriage.” Although she hoped to see Graham living out his later years in happiness, they should not be breaking up anyone’s family in the process. Even if Graham was her dad, she would not accept him if he ruined anyone’s family.
Graham nodded. He didn’t need Danika’s reminder. “Don’t worry. I’m not that hopeless.”
The auction was still ongoing, and Lynette felt someone’s gaze on her. In Eric’s presence, she dared not act in a way that raised eyebrows. She focused on the items on the stage to divert her attention.
“The next item is a ruby pendant sponsored by Miss Danika Zellweger from Bardoff City. The starting bid is one million dollars.” Once the host introduced the items, the guests at the event started whispering to each other. The Zellwegers, from Bardoff City? Why would the Zellwegers attend this particular charity dinner?
Not only was Danika unflinching in the face of the attention and gossip, but she also stood up and greeted everyone at the event. This time, Lynette finally noticed Danika’s presence. In fact, Lynette’s mind was a mess after she heard the Zellwegers being mentioned onstage. She immediately knew Danika’s identity from their close resemblance. She turned to the ruby pendant being auctioned on the stage, and her face soured.
The ruby pendant was something she left behind for Danika before her family dragged her away. She was surprised to see the ruby pendant again and at an auction event at that.
In a second, multiple thoughts rushed through Lynette’s mind. Eric clearly spotted the change in her expression and cast a different look at Danika.
The auction started. Someone bid for the ruby pendant, but not for much. There was no reason to keep the pendant in the auction since Danika had intended to look for Lynette with the pendant, but Lynette was right there in front of her. So, she decided to take back the ruby pendant by bidding for it.
“Five million.” Danika raised her auction paddle. The people around her understood her intention and let her have her way. They did not want to get on the wrong side of a Bardoff City family.
Just when Danika was expecting to retrieve the ruby pendant, Eric raised his auction paddle from the front row. “Ten million.”
There was a collective gasp because no one had expected Eric to express interest in the pendant. He spun around and looked at Danika. “I’m sorry, Miss Zellweger. My wife loves the ruby pendant.”
“Is that so? That’s an honor, but it’s an item that my mom left behind for me. If possible, I’d like to have it back.” With that, she raised her paddle and pushed the bid up to 15 million dollars. By saying that, she informed Eric of her identity. She knew he was not dumb, and he would figure out her identity by now.
Before this, she had doubts about the claims of a bad relationship between Lynette and Eric. By now, she was confident that there were no feelings of love between the two. Lynette feared Eric, and he was driven by a sickly urge to possess her. She decided that she’d bring Lynette with her.
“20 million.” Eric engaged in a battle with her. She smiled and offered 30 million, but he doggedly outbid her.
Feeling defeated, she said to Eric, “Mr. Dafoe, why don’t you offer 100 million dollars if you can afford it? I’ll give up if you do so. Otherwise, keeping up this bidding war is a waste of time.” She made it clear-if Eric could not afford to offer 100 million dollars, he shouldn’t waste his time bidding because she was more than capable of offering that figure.
“If so, I shall grant your wish.” He scoffed and lifted his paddle. “100 million! 11
Everyone gasped again. No one had expected the unassuming ruby pendant to be the item that was auctioned highest price in this event. More than that, they were curious about Eric’s feelings for Lynette.
Rumors had it that the couple were not close. Someone even claimed that Eric physically abused her at home. But if the couple were on bad terms, why would Eric spend 100 million dollars on an item Lynette loved?
Lynette had no idea what was going on in the mind of others. If she knew, she would scoff and spit on their rosy take. Others might not understand Eric’s motive, but she knew he was doing everything out of his urge to possess her.
Eric knew about Danika’s identity, and he naturally noticed Graham, who was right beside Danika. Of course, he would not admit defeat in front of his wife’s ex-lover.
Lynette and Graham exchanged glances. The last time they looked at each other was decades ago. They were no longer a young man and young lady, but they confirmed their feelings for each other after the look. Falling for each other again after many years-that was the definition of true love.
“Congratulations, Mr. Dafoe! The ruby pendant is yours.” Danika gave up on the bidding war. “I’ve long heard that the wealth of the Dafoes from Bayside City could rival that of a nation’s riches. The rumors are true!”
She had poured over the information sent by Zack, from which she learned the prowess of the Dafoes. But she was not going to back down.
Eric shot a glance at her and smiled. “Miss Zellweger, you are being humble. Everyone here knows that the Zellwegers is one of the Ten Elites in Bardoff City.”
The guests were speechless. Right, the Dafoes and the Zellwegers were influential families everyone had to defer to.
“If that’s the case, I wonder if you’re interested in a partnership?” she inquired.
Eric was astonished at her comments because he could not figure out what she was up to.
“I’ll discuss further with you after the auction.” Since the auction was ongoing, she didn’t want to discuss more under the watchful gazes of the others.
The conversation ended there, and the auction took off again. Still, Danika and Eric were not in the mood to watch anymore.
Eric whispered in Lynette’s ear, “Your daughter is way more clever than you. ” Lynette did not say a word. He added, “What do you think the father and daughter are up to? Are they here to bring you with them?” Upon closer look, the smile on his face appeared murderous.
She bit her lip and denied it, “You’re thinking too much. I’m now your wife. Why would I leave with them?”
“Is that so? Good.” He chuckled and said no more. No one could tell if he was convinced by Lynette’s words.
At the same time, Lynette was dumbfounded by Danika’s move. She wondered, “Danika, what exactly are you doing? Didn’t I ask you to leave with your dad? How could you engage in his shenanigans?”
After Danika took her seat, Graham frowned. “Danika, what are you…”
“Dad, it’s fine. Everyone knows what’s going on, and there’s no need to beat around the bush with Eric Dafoe. Even if you claim you’re not here to look for Lynette, he wouldn’t believe you.” Danika was unconcerned. Eric would make a move anyway, so all they needed to do was to prepare for the imminent attack.
Graham nodded. After learning that Lynette wasn’t having a good time with Eric, he badly wanted to leave Bayside City with her. Therefore, he offered Danika his full support. His only concern was for Danika’s safety.
The auction came to a close, and thus began the boring dinner event. Between the glass clinking and small talk, Danika located Eric and prepared to approach him with a glass of champagne.