Not A Small-Town Girl

Chapter 11-2

The phone rang, interrupting Danielle’s attempts to piece together the night.

"Sweetie, coming home for breakfast? Your Dad and I are waiting." Vivian’s warm voice came through.

"No need to wait for me, Mom. I’ll grab something here at my friend’s place before heading back," Danielle replied sweetly.

"Alright honey. Drive safe."

"Will do."

After hanging up, Danielle turned to Juniper with growing dread. "Who was the person last night?"

"Oh, just David Charrington, CEO of Charrington Group and possibly the most dangerous man in the business world. You treated him like a high-end escort. It was quite a show, but he still drove you back,"

Juniper replied.

"Gotta go." Danielle vanished at supersonic speed.

At Charrington Group, David summoned his right- hand man. "Nathan, full background check on last night’s woman. And make sure those thugs understand Soulfield is permanently off-limits to them."

"Got it. You have a multinational conference call in thirty minutes. Also, the Waywood Club auction is tomorrow-they’ve got the Crimson Lily listed," Nathan Ross reported professionally.

Meanwhile, after leaving Juniper’s place, Danielle sent a message to Emery: [Need everything on my kidnapping 18 years ago.]

Emery: [Suspecting something specific?]

Danielle:

[Yes.]

She never questioned it before, but since returning to the Darlings, things weren’t adding up. How did a kidnapper dodge all the security cameras and snatch her from a crowded party? Why zero leads after all these years?

The more she thought about it, the more it felt like an inside job-someone close to the family must have orchestrated the whole thing.

Emery: [I’m on it. If someone orchestrated this, made you suffer all these years... they’ll pay.]

Back at the Darlings’ Treeside Villa, Audrey was performing concern with theatrical precision. "Mom, where’s Danielle? Don’t tell me she didn’t come home last night! Where did she sleep?"

"She stayed at a friend’s. It’s sweet that you’re worried about your sister," Vivian replied with a smile.

"But she just got to Soulfield-what ’friends’ could she have? I hate to suggest anything, but... I worry about her lifestyle choices, being so new here. I’m sorry, Mom, I just want her to resist temptation." Audrey’s face was a masterclass in calculated concern.

"Sweetheart, don’t apologize. Danielle knows how to handle herself," Vivian replied, touched by what she thought was sisterly concern.

Arriving home, Danielle just rolled her eyes at Audrey’s performance. ’Should’ve gone into acting with those skills, she thought dryly.

Audrey rushed over with her worried face firmly in place. "Danielle, where were you? We were so worried! I get it-everything’s new and exciting here, and you want to experience it all.

"But you have to be careful. The Darling name means something. We can’t afford any scandals."

Danielle’s eyebrows knitted together, her expression turning ice-cold as she stared at Audrey. "Your imagination must be exhausting."