Chapter 265: Greeter

Chapter 265: Greeter

(Daniel POV)

"How do you think Noah will react when he sees you show up at his sister's family reunion party? What can you give her now? A title? You're already divorced. Protection? She has Noah. If you go, what can you bring her besides embarrassment?"

Grandpa's voice came through the phone, not loud, but every word felt like a nail. I stood there, didn't say anything.

"I understand you want to go, but you can't. It's not that I won't help you—it's that you don't have the right to be there."

Don't have the right. When those words landed, I felt my heartbeat skip. It wasn't pain, it was emptiness. Like something had been pulled out of my chest, leaving just a hole. Grandpa was stating facts. I knew that. But he still finished what he had to say.

"What can you give her now?"

I hung up. My fingers slowly tightened around the edge of the phone. What could I give her? Nothing. She signed the divorce papers, she didn't want my money. Didn't even want an apology.

I just wanted to see her once. Not to win her back, not to make amends. Just to see her. See if she's doing okay, see if she's gained a little weight, see if she's still smiling. Just one look. But Grandpa was right, I don't have the right. Even one look requires begging.

The next morning, I went to the Cooper estate.

Luke froze when he opened the door. "Mr. Cooper, what brings you here?"

"Is Grandpa up?"

"Just finished breakfast."

I changed my shoes and walked straight into the study. Grandpa sat in his rattan chair flipping through the newspaper. When he saw me come in, he didn't even lift his eyelids.

"What are you here for again?"

I stood in front of the desk, didn't sit. Silent for about ten seconds. Then I spoke. When that word came out of my mouth, even I felt it was foreign.

"Grandpa, I'm asking you for something."

His hand stopped.

He looked at me, something moving in his eyes. Not surprise, but that complicated look of "so you finally have a day like this too."

I'd never used the word "asking" before. When he punished me as a kid, made me kneel, starved me for a whole day, I never asked. When Thomas slapped me, I never asked. When I lay in that holding cell for twelve hours, I never asked. Now standing in front of him, I was saying "asking."

"The reunion party, let me go."

He put down the newspaper, looked up at me. "Didn't I make myself clear yesterday?"

"I know." My voice was a bit hoarse. "I won't go inside, I'll just stay outside. Just want to see her from far away."

He stared at me. I didn't look away. I knew what I was doing. A divorced man running to stand outside his ex-wife's reunion party—what did that look like? Like a dog. But I accepted it.

"I won't get close to her, won't talk to her, won't let anyone know I was there." My hands hung at my sides, knuckles clenched tight. "I just want... to see her once."

The study was quiet for a long time. The second hand on the wall clock ticked away, each sound like a hammer on my temple. He picked up the newspaper again.

"Do what you want."

Didn't say yes, didn't say no. I nodded once, turned and left. That was enough. He didn't say no.

The fifteenth of next month.

The Skylark Ballroom. The entire building's exterior was hung with warm-colored lights, both sides of the entrance lined with flowers, the doorway covered with deep red carpet. The parking lot was full of cars, security guards standing in two rows, one every few feet. Robinson stood at the entrance, tablet in hand, checking each guest's identity one by one.

My car stopped on the service road on the east side of the ballroom. Jack sat in the passenger seat, looked back at me.

"Mr. Cooper, are you sure?"

I opened the car door, got out. Dark gray suit, tie neatly done, looking no different from any regular business occasion.

The only difference was, I didn't go to the main entrance. I walked around to the side door of the hall, stood against a pillar. From this position I could see most of the main hall entrance area, but people inside wouldn't notice me.

Five twenty. A black car stopped at the main entrance. Grandpa got out, Luke following behind.

Jonathan got out from the other side of the car, suit sharp, smiling as he helped Grandpa. Grandpa didn't push his hand away. The two walked into the hall one after the other.

I stood in the shadow of the side door, watching this scene, didn't move. That position should have been mine. But I gave it up. Not willingly, but because I had no choice.

Five thirty-five. The Simmons family's car arrived.

Quinn and Laura got out first, William following, Chloe coming out last. She wore a burgundy dress, hair pinned up, earrings catching the light. Before she walked into the hall, her eyes swept toward the side door. Then she stopped.

"William." She tugged on William's sleeve, tilted her head toward the side door.

William followed her gaze and looked over. He saw me. Then he smiled, walked over with Chloe, stood in front of me.

"Mr. Cooper, why are you standing here today?" He glanced inside, then looked at where I was standing. "Nice spot, good view, well-ventilated. Kind of like the reception at a hotel lobby."

Chloe chimed in from the side. "Yeah Mr. Cooper, want me to get you a sign to hang? Write 'Welcome' on it?"

I tensed my jaw, didn't speak. William tilted his head, lowered his voice. "Or did you not get an invitation and came on your own?"

My eyes went cold for a moment. But I didn't say anything.

I couldn't get into a conflict with the Simmons family here, couldn't let people inside notice me, couldn't affect Sophia.

Chloe looked at me not fighting back, for once dropped the mocking expression. She stared at me for two seconds, turned and walked away with William.

"Let's go William, don't chat too long with the 'reception,' we'll be late getting in."

The two figures disappeared through the doorway. I leaned back against the pillar, breathing a bit heavier. Jack opened his mouth, wanted to say something, saw my expression, closed it again.

Five forty-five. Quinn and Laura came out of the hall for air, happened to see me. Quinn froze, walked over and shook my hand.

"Daniel, you came too? Waiting for your grandpa?"

I didn't explain, just nodded. Laura smiled beside him and said "feeling better?" They made polite small talk for a bit, then went back inside. Nobody thought much of it.

Outside the side door of the hall, it was quiet again. Jack's phone vibrated, he looked down at it.

"Mr. Cooper, Owen's here."

I looked up. At the main entrance, a dark car stopped. Owen got out, white shirt under a dark blue suit jacket, nothing in his hands. His steps weren't fast, but steady. After Robinson checked his information at the door, Sophia nodded and stepped aside to let him in. He had an invitation. She invited him.

My fingers in my pocket clenched into a fist. I turned around, took two steps toward the parking lot.

"Mr. Cooper?" Jack quickly followed.

"Let's go."

"But didn't you say—"

"Let's go."

Just as I took the third step, a voice came from behind.

"Daniel."

My feet were nailed to the ground. He stood at the side door entrance, hands in his suit pockets.

"Are you waiting here for Sophia, or are you about to run away?"