Chapter 104 Vacation
ANNA'S POV
The rays of sunshine that peeked into my room were enough to wake me up. The thing was that I didn't want to get up just yet. I wasn't even sure that I wanted to get out of bed.
But it was my fault, I didn't drop the curtains the night before.
I groaned, getting up with a headache. The house was incredibly silent. I didn't know what I expected the house to be like, but it definitely wasn't this.
I headed straight to the bathroom, slipping my clothes off, as I got into the shower. The water was extremely cold, but I didn't even care. It helped keep me awake and alert.
I got a glimpse of myself in the mirror when I was done, and I looked nothing like myself. My hair looked limp, and my eyes were red and puffy. The last time that I looked like that, I was pregnant. And crying for a stupid man to take me back.
My hands were shaking as I slipped on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. I wasn't sure if I was in the mood to go to the office. I just wanted to make sure that my mom and dad were okay. I covered my face with layers of make-up. They didn't have to know that whatever happened affected me.
As I came out of my room, I headed to my parents' room, and it was empty.
“Where are my parents?” I asked one of the maids who was walking past.
“They went to the office earlier this morning. They said they wanted to keep themselves busy.”
I couldn't complain about that. They wanted a distraction and maybe I wasn't going to be able to give one that was good enough. If work was going to do it for them, then I wasn't going to argue.
I turned to Daniel's room, knocking on his door. He had a training session that morning, and I didn't know if he even went.
“Come in!” He called out, and I slowly wrapped my fingers around the cold doorknob. I pushed the door open, and Daniel was lying down in the clothes that he had worn the previous night.
“Are you okay?” I asked, and he gave me a small nod.
“Are you?” He asked in a raspy tone. Daniel, who was usually cocky and playful, wasn't himself. Isabel was a huge part of the family. And it was going to make a difference if she wasn't here anymore.
“I am. Just tired. You didn't go for your training today?”
“I wasn't in the mood,” he muffled into his pillow. “Besides, Ryan would be coming over today. I thought I should be around when he arrives.”
“He doesn't have to come,” I said a little too quickly. “He doesn't have to stress himself.”
Daniel cocked an eyebrow as he watched me in amusement. “He'd simply do anything that the family does for him. It's really that simple.”
I wanted to argue more, but I didn't have it in me.
“Do you want me to get you some food?” I asked, and he shook his head.
“I'll be downstairs when I'm ready. You get started, I'll have my bath and come.”
I gave him a small nod, ruffling his hair. That was finally enough to get a smile out of him. A genuine smile.
The weight on my chest seemed to have been lifted, and I headed downstairs, where the table was already set.
I took one of the turkey sandwiches first, taking a small bite. Just as expected, it tasted like cardboard in my mouth. I managed to swallow anyway, polishing off the rest of the sandwich.
True to Daniel's words, he was downstairs in a few minutes, in casual clothes. He first asked the maids for some lemon water. I watched him as he took a piece of chicken, sipping on the lemon water. I didn't want to think about how much he drank. That was the one thing I had never seen him do.
“I'm sorry,” I said, and he looked up at me immediately.
“I already told you. It's not your fault. And it would be better if we don't talk about it anymore.”
“Maybe if I wasn't here, then she would have taken over the company just as she wanted to.”
“And then what?” He asked in a snappy manner. He exhaled slowly. “Listen, if you were here first, even before the both of us were adopted, this thing would still happen. Isabel will always be Isabel. So please, just let it slide. The company is yours. Take care of it like your life depends on it.”
I gave him a small nod, then the doorbell rang. The maids hurried to attend to it, and Ryan walked in with flowers. I got to my feet immediately, wanting to apologize for how dismissive I was, the night before.
He quickly wrapped his arms around me, and I found myself doing the same as I inhaled the smell of his aftershave. It brought some kind of peace that I couldn't describe.
“Sorry for how I was replying yesterday. I wasn't myself,” I said, and he waved me off like I was saying rubbish. He handed me the flowers, and I grinned.
“More wild flowers,” I whispered.
He pointed at the chocolates that were in the flowers. “And something sweet for a sweet lady.”
Daniel groaned. “The both of you are disgustingly cute.”
I wanted to scold him, but I couldn't bring myself to do that. I liked the fact that he thought Ryan and I were cute.
As if he wanted to annoy him more, Ryan leaned down for a kiss. I felt butterflies in my stomach immediately, and one of my fingers found his hair, while the other curled around his suit.
He pulled away from the kiss slowly, and I couldn't help but bite my lower lip.
“Come on a vacation with me,” he whispered, and I blinked twice.
“But work…”
“I'll handle it,” Daniel said, raising his hand. I gasped.
“You never took over the business when mom and dad asked you to.”
“Trust me, Anna,” he said, grinning. “This is different.”
“The way you take my things so seriously is extremely suspicious.”
Ryan tipped my chin with his index finger. “Make your decision, Anna.”
My eyes were fixed on his lips as I made my decision.
“Yes,” I whispered. “I'd come with you.”