Chapter 69

“We’re here,” Daniel announced as he stopped his car in front of the white gate of a two-story house.

“This is your house?” Samantha asked while getting out of the car.

“Yes,” Daniel, who had already gotten out of the car as well, answered. “Hold on, I’ll open the gate.” Then he proceeded to open the white gate of his house while Samantha was staring at the house before looking around, noticing that there were only a few houses around and we were quite far from each other as well.

“Please get inside first while I park my car,” Daniel said, which caught Samantha’s attention.

Without responding, Samantha went inside the gate, and Daniel went back inside his car and drove it toward the house’s garage. After parking his car, he got out again and went to close the gate and lock it before going to Samantha, who was just standing near his house’s door, waiting for him.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting,” he said as he inserted the key into the keyhole of his house. He then opened the door, got inside the house, stood near the door and held on to it, and with a smile on his face, he said to Samantha, “Come in.”

Samantha quietly entered the house. Her gaze immediately surveyed the living room, and she was quite fascinated with the cleanliness of it and how organized things were. While she was gawking at the paintings hanging on the wall, Daniel suddenly put his arms on Samantha’s back, just right above her waist, which quite surprised her, and then Daniel led her to the sofa. “Take a seat here,” he said.

And as if she were entranced, Samantha did what Daniel said quietly. She sat on the sofa and put her bag beside her. This time, she was looking at Daniel.

“You haven’t had dinner, right?” Daniel asked.

“Yes,” Samantha answered.

“Then, do you mind waiting? I'll just cook for a while.”

Samantha was surprised again. “You know how to cook?”

Daniel chuckled. “Yes. I know how to cook.”

“You’re good at it?” She asked again; doubt could be heard in her voice, which made Daniel laugh again.

“That depends if my cooking will suit your taste,” he responded while grinning.

Samantha raised her brow. “Is that so?” She then leaned her back on the backrest of the sofa as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Alright then. I’ll wait and judge it.”

Daniel’s grin grew wider. “Alright. I’ll make sure not to mess it up. I don’t want to lose face after all,” he said, to which Samantha only responded with a shrug, causing Daniel to shake his head before asking, “Do you want some water while waiting? I also have tea, juice, soda, and wine.”

“I’m fine. I’d rather have the drinks after eating,” Samantha answered.

Daniel nodded. “Okay. Then, I’ll be in the kitchen. And feel free to roam around.”

“I will,” Samantha quickly said, prompting Daniel to respond with a smile before making his way towards the kitchen, leaving Samantha in the living room, who followed him via her eyes for a few minutes until he vanished from her sight as he entered the kitchen.

Samantha went back to gawking in the living room. She looked around, still feeling a bit amazed at how clean and orderly the house was. With the personality Daniel has been showing her, she did not expect his home to be tidy and organized.

‘I really can’t judge someone this easily, huh?’ She thought while shaking her head, a small smile appearing on her lips.

After just sitting down, Samantha finally stood up, decided to stand up, and walked around the living room. She first went closer to the three paintings hanging on the wall, which had caught her attention the very moment she was inside the house. She’s not a huge fan of paintings and art, but the paintings in Daniel's living room were too beautiful and fascinating for her to not stare at them for a couple of minutes. She wonders how much those paintings cost.

After getting enough of staring at the paintings, she drew her attention to the vases and the flowers on them, which seemed to be fresh, as if they had just been picked. After staring and touching a few of the flowers on the vases, her eyes landed on the picture frames that were only a few distances away from the flower vases.

There were three picture frames displayed, and Samantha stared curiously at each of them. But the one that drew her attention the most was the photo on the left side.

It was a photo of a very beautiful woman who was smiling so sweetly and gently.

“She’s very beautiful,” she mumbled in admiration while staring at the photo. And the longer she stares at the photo, the more she realizes that the woman somehow reminds her of Daniel. “Is she Daniel’s mom?” She mumbled again.

Samantha knew that Daniel lost her mother at a very young age. As for how his mother died, Samantha didn’t know.

It was the first time she had seen and known what Daniel’s mother looked like. She’s been to Romeo and Daniel’s family home, but she was always so filled with thoughts that she did not even bother to look or notice if there were pictures in their family home, like in Daniel’s own place. And if there are photos of Daniel’s mother at their family home, Samantha wonders how her mother feels about it. But since Romeo had asked her mother to live with him, isn't it just right to put away the photos of his dead wife out of respect for his new fiance? It would be weird after all to display his dead wife’s photos for his new fiance to see. But then again, it’s not like the woman was just his dead wife. She’s also Daniel’s mother, so having her photos in their family home could be considered something normal as well.

Samantha sighed. Once she gets to visit her mother again, she will try to ask her about it. She wants to make sure her mother feels comfortable and happy with her current decisions.

After a few more seconds of staring at Daniel's mother's photos, she focused on the other two. The photo on the right was of a lady cuddling a kid, which Samantha assumed was Daniel, who was seated alongside her, while the photo in the middle was of three people: Romeo, Daniel, and his mother. The three of them were smiling happily, which made Samantha smile as well.

Her gaze then turned to focus on the young Daniel, and she couldn’t help but chuckle. “So cute.”

“Thank you.”

Samantha almost jumped in shock when she heard that voice and felt a body behind her. Her heartbeat went faster as well.

She immediately turned around to face Daniel. And when she realized that Daniel was so near her, she pushed him away to create a distance between them.

“Do you want to give me a heart attack? Why do you have to be sneaky?” There was a hint of annoyance in Samantha’s voice.

“I wasn’t being sneaky. You were just too enthralled by my cuteness that you failed to notice my presence,” Daniel responded while grinning. “So,” Daniel started taking steps towards her, closing the distance between them again, “am I really cute?”

Samantha rolled her eyes before pushing Daniel away from her again. “The young Daniel? Yes. But the Daniel that I am facing and talking to right now? No. And what are you doing here anyway? Are you done cooking?”

“Changing the subject, huh?” Samantha just gave Daniel a sharp glance, making the guy laugh. “No. I am not yet done. I actually just wanted to check on you, only to witness you ogling at my childhood photo, saying how cute I am.”