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“Are you still going to that charity event tomorrow evening? Need me to do anything?” Oliver’s voice snaps me from where my dark thoughts had taken me. I wish I had been the one to discipline those bastards. I would have taught them what happens to someone who messes with what’s mine.
“I’ve not been to one myself for too long. I’ll show my face, give a substantial amount of money and leave before dessert. If anything comes up in the meantime, I will let you know,” I answer, standing up and grabbing my jacket that’s hanging on the back of my chair. “I’m heading home, it’s been a long night, and my head is fried,” I admit shrugging on my jacket.
“You okay after seeing her?”
I know he is pissed off with me, but he also knows that his sister is why my head is now all over the place.
“She looks better up close,” I sigh, buttoning up my suit jacket. “She seems happy,” I add.
“She does, doesn’t she,” Oliver agrees. But even if he means to hide it, I can't miss the tiny tone that tells me he agrees she seems happy but isn’t. Would he tell me if she needed anything? Probably, but there again, he wouldn’t want to give me an excuse to see her.
“You will be happy to hear she hates me.”
“She doesn’t hate you; she never has. Daniel, it’s for the best; she’s too good for your world.”
And there it is, the stamp that sealed this whole mess. The reason I’ll never be good enough for his baby sister.
“See you later, brother,” I sigh as I pull the phone away from my ear.
“Bye, brother,” I hear Oliver reply as I end the call and open a message from Neil.
Neil: Miss Lawson is home safe and well. I acted like I had no idea where she lived. She’s none the wiser.
Daniel: Thank you. Return to Euphoria and help get the guys that assaulted her out of here. I’m sure they have received enough of a beating by now.
I know he won’t reply, so I slip my phone into my pocket before grabbing my keys and heading home. I know I will be unable to sleep as all I can think about is how amazing Gabriella looked and smelled. If only things could be different; if they were, she would be mine, and our lives would be perfect.
Chapter Five
Daniel
Is there anything worse than a bunch of people standing around in thousands of pounds worth of clothes, drinking expensive champagne and eating posh food, all claiming to care about the charity throwing the function?
Tonight, the charity in question is one close to my heart. It is a cancer research centre desperately looking for a cure to decrease the number of people dying yearly from the dreadful disease. Looking around at the people here, I know they aren’t interested in finding a cure. They make more money from the pharmaceutical companies that make the drugs used in the long and painful treatment of cancer. Why find a cure when they can drag out the treatment for years, making a pretty penny off the blood of lower-class people?
I give generously to any cancer charity as I have seen first-hand what it did to Oliver and Gabriella’s mother. Mrs Lawson was like a mother to me; I used to sneak in to see her regularly when she was in the hospice or hospital receiving various treatments. I paid for her to have the best care, and even though she asked me not to “waste my money”, I had enough to ensure she had the best of everything available to her. She knew how hard it was for me to stay away from her daughter, but like I said to her when she told me to follow my heart.
“What the heart wants isn’t always for the best of the people involved.”
She never really accepted my decision, but she knew there was no changing it, especially regarding her son’s feelings on the matter. As much as I wanted otherwise, Gabriella was, and still is, better off without me.
I take another sip of my whiskey and glance at my watch. Why did I get here so early? I planned on being here for half an hour, eating most of the five-course meal and leaving before dessert. But somehow, I arrived an hour before the food was announced.
“Boss.”
I turn around and see Harry, my personal bodyguard standing behind me.
“What’s up?” I ask, taking another sip of my drink.
“I thought you would want to know that Miss Lawson has just arrived.”
I nearly choke on my whiskey as my eyes bulge.
“What the fuck is she doing here?” I demand, looking around. But as my eyes land on her, I feel my heart stop.
The most beautiful woman I have ever seen is on the other side of the room. Gabriella is a vision in a long silk navy dress, her long blonde hair in a half up half down bun. The hair which hangs loose flows in her loose natural waves and stops halfway down her back. She is holding onto a white clutch as she speaks to a couple. Her smile lights up her whole face, and even under the room’s lighting, her skin glows brighter than anyone else here.
“Did she arrive with anyone?” I ask, unable to tear my eyes away from her.
