Chapter 34: Chapter 34

LEXI

On Monday morning, everyone Lexi saw seemed as happy as they would be on their favorite day of the week. The bus driver was chipper. Professor Calvin was less harsh, and her classmates seemed genuinely interested in the lesson he was teaching.

It felt like a Friday. A Friday of bliss.

Until class ended...

“Lexi!” a classmate who had never exchanged words with her before called out. Lexi turned to her.

With beauty and brains, this girl was the princess of the university. It helped that her family was also quite well off.

Lexi wondered why she took the time to learn her name. They were never—and would never be—in the same lane in life.

“Can I sit here?” the girl asked.

Lexi nodded as she packed up her messenger bag, ready to head home. She was about to stand when the girl placed her cell phone on the table.

On it, she saw Camille. Above her was a bubble with Daniel’s picture and the headline “Camille Lannister reveals relationship with Daniel Jackson.”

Lexi’s heart stopped.

“Girl, did you see this?” her classmate asked. “I’m a huge fan of Camille, but I didn’t know that she was dating Daniel Jackson.”

She scrolled down the length of the article, and Lexi saw the words “joint companies” and “marriage.”

The girl was visibly excited as she continued, “After he came to our class, I realized you knew him. Are they really dating? Can you get me an autograph? I’ll pay you obviously.”

Lexi tried to numb herself so that she wouldn’t cry. But her fingers shook so much that she had to hold her hands together under the table.

“C’mon, please? Seriously, I’ll pay you. She is my idol; I love her fashion, and she’s always with the hottest guys… Anyway, think about it and let me know at our next class.” Smiling giddily, the girl got up to leave.

Lexi was frozen, unable to even breathe. After a moment, she managed, “When was this taken?”

The girl paused, turning to show Lexi the date of the photo on her cell phone. She proudly said, “Yesterday. They are overseas together now. Camille says he’s a great lover, and there are comments from other girls who called him their best lover as well. I don’t think she’s worried about any of his exes, though. She is so cool and unbothered.”

Then the girl left with a group of her friends, all of whom wore name brands and looked as if they woke up in a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.

Lexi couldn’t care less about appearances, but she was concerned about the article that had just been released. She would not be able to rest until she had confirmed whether or not this scandal was true.

~How could you do this to me?~ she thought. ~Say everything you said last night, then turn around and sleep with her… How?~

DANIEL

Daniel paced the foyer of his suite. “Fuck!” he cursed under his breath.

He threw his phone across the suite, and it crashed loudly into a wall. The sound of glass breaking echoed throughout the room.

“Fuck!” he shouted.

Daniel stomped over to the phone and stepped on it until the glass shattered into tiny pieces.

A moment later, Johnson rushed into the room, clearly concerned about the crash. He usually accompanied Daniel on his business trips because he worried about him in foreign countries. Worried something might happen and he wouldn’t be around to protect him.

“Sir, is everything okay?” he asked.

“Does everything look okay, Johnson?” Daniel snapped. “You just like asking rhetorical questions, right?”

Unbothered by his boss’s fit of anger, Johnson waited. Daniel always explained what was going on after he’d had a chance to calm down.

But Daniel could not remember his head ever feeling like it would explode—the way it did now.

“Fuck!” He could not find a better word to describe his feelings.

After a few more minutes, Daniel turned to his driver. “Lend me your phone.”

Johnson turned over his iPhone and stepped out of the room.

First, Daniel dialed Camille, but there was no answer. More curse words fell from his lips.

Next, he dialed Draya, who was saved in Johnson’s phone as “Ms. Fox.” It rang twice before her soft voice filled his ear.

“Hey Johnson.”

Daniel could barely calm his racing heart. Could barely breathe.

He wondered what to say. If he should ask whether she’d read any articles today. If he should just explain what happened and what didn’t happen with Camille. He went over a hundred different scenarios in the span of a few seconds, but when he opened his mouth, only three words came out.

“I love you.”

Daniel hadn’t said those words to a woman since his mother was alive, but he was shocked to realize that he actually meant them. He felt he could lose a lot in this life—work, money, connections—but losing Draya wasn’t something he could handle. He knew that now by the fear he currently felt.

Draya was quiet for what seemed like forever. With each second, the massive lump in his chest ached more.

“Say something,” Daniel finally urged her.

“Are you just saying that because you slept with her?”

He sighed. “I’ve said a lot of things to you that I regret. Things that came from a shallow place. Things I wish I could take back. But I’ve never once lied to you, and I won’t start now. Please…trust me.”

This time, Draya sighed. “Did you fuck her or not?”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Daniel replied, “No, Draya. I did not. Not since you and I became what we are now. I haven’t touched another woman. She tried, but I rejected her.”

“Okay.”

His brows furrowed. “Okay, you believe me? Or okay, you think I’m an ass?”

She giggled softly. “Am I crazy if I say it’s a combination of both?”

Daniel exhaled, and Draya laughed louder.

“When will you be back?” she asked, and he felt so relieved he wanted to climb through the phone and pull her into his arms.

“I’ll be back today,” he said quickly.

“Today? Don’t you have your last meeting this afternoon? Plus, with the distance and flight length, how could you possibly make it back today?”

Daniel hissed through his teeth. “Fuck the meeting.” He was so done with everything. He just wanted to go back to Miami. Back to her.

“I’m attracted to your handsome face, your height, your eyes, your voice, but also your way of handling business. The Daniel I know would not allow this project he’s worked so hard on to be passed to someone else.”

He could not believe the admiration he felt listening to her words.

“I want the project, Draya, but is it worth it if I have to be in the same room as Camille? There will be reporters there. I don’t know what she’ll say, and I can’t piss off the board of directors with any drama. It’ll be a shit show if I get mad.”

“I get it,” Draya said, “but people like that expect you to fuck up everything you’ve worked hard for. You turned her down, so she tried to burn you… You need to act unbothered, to show everyone your professionalism. Don’t let her win, and don’t you dare come back if you lose.”

Daniel grinned from ear to ear at her threat. “What’s my reward if I get the project for J Corp?”

He felt his cheeks heat up as he waited for her to reply. He didn’t have anything special in mind—even a kiss from her would mean everything to him—but nothing could prepare him for what she actually said next.

“Me.” Draya smacked her lips and ended the call abruptly.

Daniel’s cheeks hurt from smiling.