Filed to story: The Regretful Billionaire: An Unpredicted Reunion
McKenna was practically steaming out her ears. She glared at Danika. “Are your tastes this shallow?”
Danika shrugged. “You misunderstand. He’s just someone I know from college.”
“Someone you know from college? Hah!” McKenna didn’t buy that one bit. Danika didn’t bother wasting her time explaining. No one in their right mind would be attracted to someone like Derrick.
“You’re crossing the line, McKenna!” Derrick yelled. The conversation wouldn’t end well if it continued.
Red with anger, McKenna stormed out of the cafeteria, leaving a wake of eyes in her direction.
Danika glanced at her fading silhouette, sighing to herself, “Is this man even worth getting this upset over?”
Derrick suddenly said, “Please don’t listen to her, Danika. I swear we have nothing to do with each other.”
“Oh?” Danika set down her silverware. “But what does that have to do with me?”
It wasn’t like she cared. Even this meal was just a way to placate Derrick. Now that she had finished her food, she was ready to leave.
‘TH be leaving first.” She turned and walked out, not even saying goodbye. Good riddance, more like.
I Really Don’t Care
Derrick hurriedly went after her. ‘Danika, there really is nothing going on between McKenna and me.”
The more he tried to explain, the more Danika wanted to roll her eyes. She really didn’t give two shits about those two.
Derrick followed her all the way to the hospital entrance, never once leaving Danika alone.
She finally stopped and turned to him, saying, “I’m sorry, but I really don’t care what happens between you two. Nor do you have to keep on whining about it in my ear. It’s not like we’re friends.”
“I actually did want to tell you something related to that, Danika,” Derrick quickly cut in, knowing things couldn’t continue that way anymore. He tried to catch her gaze, though all he saw in her eyes was distaste and irritation.
After a moment’s preparation, he said, “Danika, I’ve had feelings for you since that gathering in Parrington.’
Oh? The one where he mocked her about her job in Parrington Hospital?
As if reading her mind, Derrick added, “What I said back then.Jt was an attempt to get your attention, is all. I reflected on my choice of words back then and realized what I said was really hurtful. So I apologize. You don’t have to be my girlfriend right away, but I truly do hope you can at least give me a chance.”
If it weren’t for Danika already seeing this man for who he really was, she might’ve actually believed him. Heck, even his tonal inflection and gaze were colored with sincerity.
“Are you finished?” Danika asked.
Derrick nodded, his heart in his throat.
“I don’t care what you feel for me because, frankly, I don’t feel the same way. That never has and never will change,” Danika said.
She hadn’t intended her response to be so sharp, but if she didn’t word it this way, there was no telling what Derrick might continue doing. They still worked together in the same hospital, after all. She couldn’t just keep on tolerating his behavior.
Derrick’s expression wasn’t looking that good from the rejection. “Not even a chance, Danika?”
He was an attractive man with a decent career, and though he likely earned less than what Danika had, it’s not like he had married before. To him, a person’s status differed drastically when it came to whether they had married before. In fact, he even thought of himself as lowering his standards just by wanting to pursue a once-married woman like Danika.
“Sorry, no.”
Derrick’s expression grew uglier by the second. Danika wasn’t helping his pride whatsoever.
Still, he stopped himself from having an outburst. With a smile, he said,” That’s alright then. I won’t give up that easily.’
Danika nearly rolled her eyes. Before she could say anything else. Derrick turned and left as if his pride couldn’t handle any further rejection.
Danika clutched her head and sighed. “Won’t give up, huh?” Looked like she’d have one more pain in the ass to worry about.
Just then, a familiar figure appeared at the hospital entrance.
Eustace? Had he flown back from Parrington?
Danika’s first reaction was wondering if he’d overheard her conversation with Derrick Clearwater.
“Miss Zellweger sure does have her fair share of admirers. This has been how much now? The 20th?” Eustace jeered, walking her way.
Done with All This
Danika instantly knew Eustace had heard her conversation with Derrick. With a cold side eye, she said, “It can’t be helped. I’m too attractive.”
Eustace sneered. “Attractive? You don’t think attracting flies like that man is something to be proud of, are you?”
Danika’s expression faltered just the slightest. ‘Mr. Clearwater might not be a good man, but you’re no saint either, Mr. Quincey.”
She had given up trying to reconnect with Eustace ever since he cut her off when she sought him out to explain what happened before he lost his memories. Even now, she turned away from him.
For some reason, Eustace didn’t like that. He followed behind her. “I have a deal to make with the Zellwegers.’
“You should speak to my father then,” Danika tossed at him, heading to her car.
“But you were the person I dealt with about this before,” Eustace frowned, not liking the Graham card Danika was using.
Danika sighed. “Don’t worry. I’ve explained everything to him, so it’ll make no difference whether you deal with him or me.’
“What if I want to settle this with just you?” Eustace asked, surprised that he would even ask that in the first place.
Danika was just as surprised. She tilted her head curiously. “Why? My father’s much more experienced than I am.’
“I…I don’t trust anyone else.”
Danika huffed a laugh upon hearing that. “You really don’t have to worry, Mr. Quincey. We Zellwegers always keep our word and our secrets. Plus, didn’t you say it’s best we keep a distance from one another? In that case, wouldn’t my father be the best candidate for your business deal?’
Without waiting for a response, Danika started her car and drove off, leaving Eustace to stare at its figure, which soon faded into the distant traffic.
For some reason, his emotions were in turmoil. Yes, he did say to keep a distance from Danika and intended to do so, but it… …it felt terrible, and he didn’t know why.
All he could do was blame it on the memory loss.
He then made a phone call. “Find me the best neurologists worldwide, ASAP.”
Eustace had come to Bardoff Hospital to find a way to solve his memory loss from the accident, but even they couldn’t come up with a proper solution, so he could only turn his eyes to the international sphere.
Meanwhile, Danika was clueless as to this. She was currently cussing him out.
“First, he says to stay away from him, and now he wants to settle a business deal with her. Did he take her for some idiot he could fool around with?”
Danika was done with all this. If Eustace wanted to work out something with her family, he could always talk to Graham about it. Anyway, she didn’t have high hopes of a done deal.
Still, she couldn’t help but wonder why Eustace was at the hospital. Was he injured? Did he need help?
Seeing herself worry about him again, she couldn’t help but grumble about her own tenacity too. They’d promised to keep a distance, and still, she was concerned about him.
We’re Afraid
Rowena and her family spent the next three days utterly delighted about having seized Graham’s weakness. They chatted excitedly about Graham giving up his plot to take them down and what to do with him afterward.
But on the fourth day, they realized neither the Zellwegers nor the Windsors had stopped their battle plans. In fact, it was only getting more frequent and hostile. The Glasses were losing several important business projects day by day while their stocks plummeted by the second. The worst thing was, none of the other Ten Elites were stepping in to help.
Only then did the Glasses truly fear for their necks and sought out the Britts for aid. The Britts ended up merely sending their son, Brandon, as a representative.
“Brandon, what did Mr. Britt say? Will you help us?” Randy hurriedly asked. His relationship with Brandon had been decent all this time, especially when Brandon pursued Jolene.
Still, after the fiasco Jolene started, none of the Britts ever looked at the Glasses with respect again. Right now, Randy could only pretend like nothing had happened.
Brandon faked an apologetic tone, “It’s not that we don’t want to help, Randy. But we’re afraid.”
“Afraid?” Randy frowned.
“Yeah. Both the Zellwegers and Windsors threaten to come for us next if we help you guys. We can’t risk our necks like that,” Brandon sighed, appearing dejected.
“They can’t be serious, right? It’s not like they can actually do something to you?” Randy grumbled.
Brandon didn’t respond, though he really wanted to retort with, ‘And how do you know they won’t?” They had already moved against the Glasses, whom the Britts ranked underneath.
Brandon’s silence had said it all to Randy, who swung a fist angrily. “Can’t you see that our family depends on one another, Brandon? If the Glasses fall, who’s going to stop them from coming for your family next?”
Displeased with his attitude, Brandon snapped, “If it weren’t for your family pissing off both the Zellwegers and Windsors, this would never have happened, and our families would still be living peacefully with one another. This is your family’s own fault and no one else’s.”
Truly, Randy didn’t understand why the Zellwegers and Windsors were attacking them.
They hadn’t upset those two too much all these years, had they?
“Honestly, I feel like what’s happening to your family these days has everything to do with Danika Zellweger,” Brandon said casually after a moment’s pause.
“What do you mean?”
“Think about it. Has the Zellwegers ever done something like this before she returned?” Randy shook his head.
You Worried?
Danika had just returned to Zellweger Castle when Rowena stormed up to her, yelling,
“Why haven’t you stopped your war with my family? Do you want to see your mother dead?!”
Danika gave her a lazy stare. “Do you really take us for fools, Rowena Glass?”
