Filed to story: The Regretful Billionaire: An Unpredicted Reunion
While he was ruminating and grumbling, someone appeared in front of him. “Derrick Clearwater, why are you here alone? I thought you were going after Danika Zellweger. Why is she having lunch with another man?”
“McKenna Poole!” he hissed, knowing she was mocking him. She smiled even brighter at his angry outburst. “You have to know your place even if you want to be a social climber. Did you seriously think you are good enough for the Zellwegers?”
McKenna harbored resentment toward Danika after learning that Derrick was pursuing her romantically. Therefore, she went to her dad and requested that he come up with an idea to get Danika fired. However, she decided not to pursue the idea after she learned about Danika’s identity from her dad.
Even though Dr. Poole was a respected director of a hospital department, he was nothing compared to the Zellwegers. McKenna refrained from giving Danika trouble out of fear of implicating the Pooles. Moreover, after she learned about Danika’s family background, she was confident that Danika would never be interested in Derrick.
When she dropped by the cafeteria, she found a handsome man with an unusual air on him sitting across from Danika. She beamed when she noticed Derrick sulking in a corner-he was gritting his teeth in silence.
She put on a fake front and comforted him, “Give up on your vain hope. Danika Zellweger is living in a world different from ours. She’s working here out of passion. But what about you? You’re only here because you need to earn a living.”
The difference between Danika and Derrick was unbridgeable despite all his best efforts. He rolled his fists begrudgingly but finally relaxed his grip after a while. “You’re right.”
McKenna smiled after seeing his act of resignation. “There’s a good movie showing in the theaters. Do you want to watch it tonight?”
He was surprised by her advance and looked at her quizzically. Earlier, he had attempted to pursue her with the thought of marriage. However, she was rather aloof to him back then. Why did she undergo such a huge change in attitude?
Let Go of Your Obsession
Knowing what was on Derrick’s mind, McKenna coughed awkwardly. “Derrick, I know you’re a capable man, but you couldn’t quite realize your ambitions. That’s why you wanted to climb the social ladder. But I hope you understand that you and I are ordinary people, and we should live accordingly. There’s no need to social climb just to survive. I wish you could let go of your obsession and focus on your work. Don’t be distracted by other matters.”
He listened keenly to her earnest advice, albeit puzzled at her willingness to talk at length with him. She blushed under his perplexed gaze and stammered, “1 think you’re a decent man, but I didn’t like you much before because you were a little arrogant.”
In other words, she was willing to get to know him better if he could change his behavior. He smiled, feeling speechless. It was a serendipitous moment for him.
“I got it.” He nodded as he realized that he needed a change in mindset. He had been obsessed with marrying the right girl, especially one from a wealthy family, to climb the social ladder. It was, honestly, quite pathetic.
“So, tonight…”
“I’ll buy you dinner,” he replied. They would have a nice dinner before the movies. He had previously perceived McKenna as a young lady who didn’t know life’s difficulties because she was born into wealth. However, the incident this time changed his impression of her.
She smiled and agreed to dinner.
While Derrick and Mckenna engaged in a pleasant conversation, one where she successfully persuaded him to give up on his feelings for Danika, at the other table, Danika was oblivious to what had occurred between the two.
“Evan, how are things going for Gilbert?” Danika wasn’t familiar with business operations and was clueless about Gilbert’s company affairs. She heard that he had planned to move his company headquarters from Parrington to Bardoff City, and it seemed he would settle down in Bardoff City for the long term.
Still, Bardoff City wasn’t an easy place to live in.
Evan nodded while eating. “It’s going smoothly. You must know better about Gilbert’s capabilities. Don’t worry about him.”
“Right.” She nodded. She had trust in Gilbert’s capabilities as well.
But…
She looked at Evan. “Didn’t you say that you came home to help Gilbert with his company? Why do you look free on most days?”
He had been visiting her almost every day as though he didn’t need to work.
“I have no choice. Gilbert is too capable. My help is not needed.”
He smiled, noting the suspicion in Danika’s eyes. Gilbert had requested him to come home and pursue Danika anyway. Work was a second priority at this point. Danika looked unconvinced and doubtful, but she didn’t press on. “You don’t have to visit me every day. There’s nothing much going on here.”
“No way. We still can’t locate the mercenaries. No one knows what they are up to. I have to protect you well,” he rejected her suggestion. Since he had promised to protect her, he had to do his best.
The mention of the mercenaries worried her. “Are they still nowhere to be found? I thought the Glasses were bankrupt. How would they even hide the mercenaries?”
“God knows.” Evan shook his head and added, “The Glasses are bankrupt, but that doesn’t mean they lost all their power. The wealth they amassed over the years is enough to pay their expenses for generations.”
Call Off the Engagement?
Danika agreed with Evan’s logic. A family as wealthy as the Glasses would not possibly be unprepared for crises.
“Don’t worry about it. Mr. Zellweger will take care of the problem.’ He understood her concern and offered some words of comfort. She nodded without a word and would rather not fret over those headache- inducing issues.
They dropped the discussion about the Glasses. A short silence later, Evan casually asked, ‘Have you checked out Eustace Quincey’s patient record?’
“Yeah.” She nodded but didn’t dwell on the case.
“How’s his condition? Are you confident in handling his case?” he prodded. She placed her cutlery on the table and mulled before answering, “50%? His hematoma is causing pressure on the nerves. There’s still a huge risk.”
“Why did you agree to perform the surgery, then? If the surgery fails, the Quinceys might find trouble with you.” In the days after Evan came home, he researched the Ten
Elites of Bardoff City and learned that the Quinceys were at the top of the ranks. Hence, he was rather concerned about Eustace’s surgery.
She flashed him a smile. “I don’t care which family he belongs to. Since he’s here to ask for help, and I have agreed to operate on him, he will be my patient from now on. I have no good reason to turn him away.” The reason she practiced as a doctor was to save lives. She would be going against her principles if she rejected Eustace’s request.
“You haven’t changed at all.” Evan wasn’t surprised at her reply; he knew it was hard for her to say no. He didn’t press on further, even if he was unsure and confused about Danika’s feelings toward Eustace. The question would be meaningless anyway. It’d be great if Danika didn’t have feelings for Eustace; he’d stand a better chance at winning her heart. However, if the opposite were true, he would not easily give up on pursuing her either.
He heard from Gilbert that Eustace had hurt Danika majorly. With this knowledge, he decided not to let Danika repeat her mistakes.
After lunch, Danika had to return to work in the afternoon, and Evan had no choice but to leave.
Meanwhile, James was called in for a meeting at the Windsor Manor, where his parents resided. He entered the living room and saw his parents there. They immediately invited him to take a seat.
“What’s the matter?” He refused to engage in small talk and went straight to the topic. His parents were slightly irritated by his demeanor but did not fight with him because they had a serious agenda on hand.
Do You Think That’s Plausible?
James couldn’t contain his laughter. “Dad, Mom, you’re too elitist. What would others think of us if they heard about this?”
Their faces fell, embarrassed at being called out. “How could you label us as elitist?
Everyone knew what had happened between you and Jolene Zellweger. In fact, they are laughing at us behind our backs. No one will fault us for calling off the engagement now.”
Patricia was a tad worried about James’ silence. “Could you have fallen for her?”
“Hah.” He scoffed, “Do you think that’s plausible?”
She thought about it and shook her head. No, that sounded improbable. She knew
James well, and he would never be attracted to sly and calculative women.
“If that’s the case, calling off the engagement is the best option for all.” No one cared if she hadn’t included Jolene’s best interests in her blanket statement.
James understood that calling off the engagement was the right course of action. He could not possibly marry Jolene after all. But…
When he was deep in thought, he heard Patricia speaking again. “Your dad and I found a nice lady for you. She’s way better than Jolene Zellweger.”
He rolled his eyes at the announcement. Patricia urged him, “Why don’t you meet with her when you’re free? I promise you’d like her.’
“I’m not interested,” he objected, but to no avail. Patricia went on, ‘How about this? I’ll reach out to her and set up a date for the two of you tomorrow.”
James said nothing, but he was obviously reluctant to oblige.
“I know marriage isn’t on your mind right now, but we can’t stand seeing you remain a bachelor and even fall victim to women with ulterior motives. Isn’t it better to get married?* she advised him earnestly. She wasn’t entirely wrong. If James were married, no woman would approach him with ulterior motives because they wouldn’t stand a chance to marry him anyway.
Patricia smiled in the face of his silence. “Alright, it’s a deal. I’ll share the address with you tomorrow. You should meet her. By the way, what do you think about calling off the engagement?” She gave him another push because he hadn’t confirmed his decision, leaving her worried.
He paused for a while and finally said, “Got it. I’ll make the necessary arrangements.”
He would never marry a woman like Jolene, so he might as well call off their engagement.
His parents were visibly relieved when they got his word. Later, James had dinner at the manor before departing for his villa.
Back at the villa, Jolene, who was making dinner in the kitchen, looked surprised at his early return. “Did you get off work early today? Dinner’s not ready yet.”
“You don’t have to make dinner. I had dinner at the Windsor Manor/ he answered as he sat on the couch. He could tell she was preoccupied while she busied herself in the kitchen.
She paused when she learned that he had eaten at the Windsor Manor. Then, she turned off the stove and exited the kitchen. “You went to the Windsor Manor?” she asked, feeling antsy.
“Yeah.” He nodded.
“Did your parents ask to meet? Did something happen?” She knew the answer but needed the verbal confirmation she dreaded.
He seemed to read her mind and brought up the topic, “It’s no big deal. They wanted me to call off our engagement. Why did they have to concern themselves with trivial matters?”
It wasn’t trivial to Jolene, but it was probably no big deal to James.
“What…what did you answer?” she stared at the man on the couch, knowing her fate was about to be sealed.
I Have Trust in Her James fell into a short silence that gave her some hope. Perhaps, he was hesitant to call off the engagement because he could sense her efforts and sacrifice. Her eyes were sparkling with hope, which didn’t escape James’ keen observation. He chuckled. “Did you really think I’d feel sorry to do so?” Startled, the color on her face quickly went away again. “I’ll announce the cancelation publicly in a few days. You can leave by then, ” he informed her. She felt cold from head to toe as she sensed the disdain in his eyes. Yes, he was mocking her. She maintained her composure with what was left in her. Perhaps, she had matured after going through ups and downs in life. She took a deep breath and uttered, “Sure. Let’s do that.’
With that, she retired to her bedroom, the only place that belonged to her in the villa. The tiny space wouldn’t be hers for long, though. She couldn’t hold it in anymore and sobbed in the blanket. Even then, she had to keep the volume down so James wouldn’t find out. On the other hand, James was surprised at how calmly she returned to her room. He expected her to cry and beg him not to call off the engagement. Hence, he was mentally prepared to deal with the scene, but the announcement went so smoothly that it almost felt surreal, even disturbing. On the next day, Danika contacted different hospital departments for a medical consensus on Eustace’s condition. After a discussion, they decided on the best strategy and the date of the surgery. Later, Danika had the hospital staff inform Eustace about the surgery date instead of doing it herself, mostly because she didn’t want any personal contact with him outside of work. She’d delegate anything that she could. When Eustace received the call from the hospital, he agreed to the date but was bothered that Danika didn’t personally contact him to relay the news. He thought, “She really didn’t want to have anything to do with me.’ “Was that from the hospital? Informing you about the date of the surgery?’ Blake sat across from him and pieced the information together from his conversation. “Mhmm.” He didn’t deny it. She lowered her head, an unreadable look flashing in her eyes. “Is it fixed? I heard that the risk is quite high. What if…” “I have trust in her,’ he muttered. She unknowingly clenched her fists tighter under the table but kept on smiling. “Is that so? I have heard of Dr. Zellweger’s reputation. They said she never had any failed surgeries. I guess you have a reason to trust her.” Eustace did not utter a word. Due to his memory loss, he could not recall anything about Dr. Zellweger, but he had an unexplainable trust in her, perhaps because she was Danika Zellweger. “In my opinion, your mental health is in good shape now, but if you choose to regain your memories, your current condition might be affected,” Blake voiced her concerns, which she had brought up to Eustace earlier but ignored. Still, she wanted to remind him of the downside, mostly because she was secretly against the surgery. She couldn’t be sure if Eustace’s love for Danika were due to some psychological complex or purely out of attraction. No matter what, if Eustace regained his memories, she would be at a disadvantage be
You’re Overthinking It
“I understood every word you said, but I can’t possibly live my life with memory loss. Plus, you know the long-term effects if I do not opt for surgery.” Eustace examined Blake carefully as though he suspected an ulterior motive.
Blake understood the necessity of the surgery, but she simply hoped that the surgery could be delayed for a few months. She knew better than to say her thoughts aloud, so she muttered, “I know. I’m just worried for you.”
“Don’t worry. My luck isn’t that bad.” He wouldn’t go down before he could take over the Quincey family.
Blake didn’t say a word because she knew that any objection would only irk him.
Instead, she turned her attention to Danika.
On that afternoon, Danika was surprised to find Blake at her office. “Miss Watkins, are you here to talk to me?”
