Chapter 48 Daniella hasn't changed
Daniella's heart did some dancing at the sound of Loney's voice or perhaps, butterflies were romping in her stomach. Her lips curled into a smile, as she tucked a strand of her behind her ears and followed Loney.
Paul's gaze held Mabel's, his fist tightening around his glass, it almost broke, before both of them pinned their gazes on Danica. She was fighting to hold back her tears.
"Hey, relax okay? From what he told me, Daniella was the first girl he fell in love with but she didn't want him. It was a long time ago okay?" Paul forced a smile and was impelled to let go of his hard feelings at the moment.
He wanted Danica to feel better but she only got worse. If Loney loved Daniella, then he would never love her. She pushed her plate away and stood on her feet. Turning around, she ran up the stairs.
"You made matters worse Paul, why couldn't you keep your mouth shut?" Mabel chastised. If she had known that getting Loney home would be in Daniella's favour, she would have found her way around getting Danica to eat.
"I was just trying to help," Paul pushed his plate away, standing in the process.
"But you didn't." Mabel was upset. Danica hadn't finished her food and she was greatly disturbed.
"Let the girl come out. I will speak with Loney afterwards," Paul said and turned to leave the table. Mabel gave no response. She only imagined a way to help out Danica.
Loney led Daniella to his room, the latter gaping in amazement with the conviction that this was where she belonged. Finally, she achieved her dream. "Sit," Loney pointed to the expensive sofa and went to his closet. Daniella sat, admiring the room like an idiot.
Despite all the expensive hotels she went to do illegal things for Ray, she never came across anything like this. Loney's taste was beyond her foresight.
When Loney returned, he had changed up from his work clothes, wearing a t-shirt and shorts. He carried something like a briefcase and dropped it on the table. Then, he brought out some pictures and laid them on the table in front of Daniella.
"I need advice," he said casually. Daniella's heart fluttered. Loney wanted advice from her. That only meant that he trusted her. Her dumb sister was good for nothing. She was the right person. She grinned like a fool, "I am willing to help with anything."
Loney smirked, "good. Do you know anyone in these pictures?" He spread about fifteen pictures on the table. Daniella's eyes travelled eagerly through each of them.
"Oh, yes, the Frankenstein nerd. Our college clown." She remarked, not taking her gaze off the pictures. Loney froze as Daniella continued to speak. "Where did you get his pictures?" She asked.
Loney composed himself, hiding his bitter sentiments. "He is seeking a job in my company but how do you know him and what do you know about him?" Loney's voice went flat. Something in him had been poked.
"Don't hire someone like him in your company. Look, we were in the same college but no one wanted to be-friend him because he was below everyone's standard, wearing the same clothes every day and hardly eating anything nutritious. He was poorer than a church mouse but the only thing he had was the academic brain. Such a waste,"
Daniella concluded. Her voice was a little higher pitched than Danica's which got Loney irritated, aside from the fact that she was courageous and always spoke before thinking, unlike Danica who thought carefully about her choice of words.
"Is that all?" Loney clenched his teeth to keep from speaking anymore.
Daniella paused as if recalling something she was ashamed of. "I met him at the beach once and he had the guts to ask me out on a date. It was my worst embarrassment," disgust coated Daniella's words.
Loney was embittered. The past began to play on his mind, his eyes darkened in fury. "So what did you do?" He didn't fight to hide the coldness in his voice. He had restrained himself long enough.
"I told him my peace of mind. His appearance and everything about him was so disturbing and his presence was so.."
"Irritating," Loney concluded for her.
She gaped in shock. "How did you know?"
Loney forced a smile and said, "look at the picture again, what do you see?"
Daniella assessed the picture carefully this time, hopeful to show Loney how smart she was. "The eyes, it looks like.." Suddenly, the realization hit her.
"Oh my God, it's you? Loney Hubert?" She began to curse herself internally. Loney tricked her and she fell for it. Why couldn't she be a little smart? Why did she have to talk too much?
"Yes Daniella, and you haven't changed a bit," Loney stood up as he said flatly, hiding all the bitter emotions. His expression was unreadable.
Daniella had to think fast. She couldn't let the opportunity pass her. "Come on, we were just laughing about the past, nothing serious right?" Her stomach tightened in fear of Loney's dark expression. It was new to her but one thing was sure. Loney had changed so much.
Loney forced a smile, "because of you, I quit school."
Daniella shrugged, "well, I quit later too. I wasn't smart enough to graduate so that makes two of us," she laughed sheepishly. "Look, you still made it big. You should thank me right?" She rhetorically asked but Loney answered anyways.
"Yes, I thank you. I just thought that you must have changed over the years but you are still the same," he said thoughtfully. Strangely, the bitterness that lingered before had dissipated and he could understand why. It was when the thought of Danica crossed his mind. He had hope and wished Danica would give him a reasonable explanation for lying to him.
"Yes, I'm still beautiful and hotter than my sister," she flicked her hair to the back and ambled towards Loney, the latter avoiding her seductive move by widening the gap between them.
"So, why did you fake your death?" Loney found himself asking, irrespective of how he wanted her out of his life and his house.
"Oh, that, we went to the club and got kidnapped by a mafia in Russia. I kicked him in the groin to escape and everyone told me he would revenge so I faked my death to return to Mexico," she narrated smoothly.
Somehow, Loney found it hard to believe. Mafia's don't just kidnap people. There should be more to what she was telling him. "Is that so?"
"Yes," Daniella abruptly replied but Loney's expression wasn't convincing. "You don't believe me?" She asked.
Loney did not respond to her question. Instead, he said. "Thank you, Daniella. You can leave now."
Daniella was slightly disappointed but wasn't ready to give up. "So we can go on that date you proposed at the beach sometime?"
Displeasure heightened in Loney's demeanour. "You don't get it, do you? I moved on, Daniella." His voice was icy.
Certainly not what Daniella expected. Her face drained of colour, her countenance turned to chagrin. "Is it because of my sister? Come on, she's trash. She had a boyfriend way back. His name is Jones. He is still waiting for her. Besides, she's a liar. She didn't even tell me she was going to be a surrogate. Gosh, guess she wanted to give the money to that boy. He is so poor," Daniella sighed in displeasure.
Loney was cooked with so much anger and jealousy, he wanted to throw both sisters out of his house. He gritted his teeth, "get out, Daniella."
Daniella realized he believed her, therefore added more salt to injury. "Look, I'm telling you the truth and you shouldn't judge me as a bad person. If my sister was the one who met you in college, she would have also rejected you. She's no better than me." She curtly said, waking all the buried anguish in Loney.
"Just get out before I drag you myself," Loney growled and matched towards her to drag her out.
Daniella shivered, anxiety cruising through her veins. "Fine, if you want to know the truth later, you know my room. I will be waiting for you." She turned around and walked out the door.
However, she didn't go to her room immediately. She went to Danica's and was met with surprise. Her sister's room was much more beautiful than hers. She couldn't accept it.
"Why are you here?" Danica wiped her tears and asked. Her eyes were red from shedding so many tears.
Daniella felt excited, seeing her sister broken. "Oh, I just came to warn you. Loney and I used to date in college and now he wants me back. I told him I would think about it so don't sell me out with information about all the money I owed those mafias okay?"
Danica felt her heart shatter but she won't show her weakness in front of her sister. "You are so bold, Daniella. You stood in front of him and lied. Well, I'm done covering up for you."
"So, you are going to sell me out like that?" Daniella was amazed. She ascertained that her sister would do anything for her so why would she give up on her now?
"Get out, Daniella," Danica calmly said. She didn't know how to yell, no matter how angry she got.
"I'm not leaving. Besides, this room should be mine because it's next to Loneys'. You are his surrogate and I am his girlfriend. You should get out."
Danica got down from the bed and strode to the door. She opened it to let her sister out but found herself bumping into Loney.
Loney was trying to reach Danica on her phone but it was switched off so he decided to come to her room since it was just next door.
"What's going on?" Loney asked. He realized Danica had been crying. Besides, she was cold towards him when their eyes met.
"Daniella was just leaving," she said to him without eye contact. Her sister's disclosure of her relationship with Loney stabbed her so deeply, she couldn't hide it.
"Oh Danica, we will talk again later," Daniella said. She was startled upon hearing Loney's voice and rushed out of the door.
Something didn't add up to Danica. Why would her sister run off upon seeing Loney if the latter wanted her?
"Come with me, Danica," Loney's deep voice pulled her from her thoughts. Her heart banged in her chest.