Chapter 4 Have You Touched Enough

Joshua, standing nearby, felt a chill creep up his spine at Daniel's icy demeanor.

"Mr. Edwards," he said carefully, lowering his voice. "I was startled by that name as well. Still, people with the same name are hardly rare. And this woman looks nothing like Miss Harris ever did."

Back then, Alexandra had been the undisputed beauty of Atokton, her elegance and charm leaving countless men hopelessly smitten.

Daniel, in particular, had fallen so deeply for her that he'd remained devoted for years, refusing to even glance at other women.

Yet the Alexandra at the hospital today bore no resemblance to the woman Daniel had once loved-plain, forgettable, worlds apart from that dazzling figure.

"And there's more," Joshua continued, his tone turning thoughtful. "This woman has lived overseas for years. Her perfumes only started gaining recognition within the past two years, and now, she's preparing to return to the country and build her career here. Frankly, something about her feels off. The records show she had no background in perfumery at all, yet she suddenly began creating fragrances and somehow managed to gain Miss Edwards's trust. All of it combined makes her deeply suspicious."

Years of dealing with women angling their way into his life had dulled Daniel's patience for schemes of any kind. He had seen many similar tricks.

A thin, derisive smile tugged at his lips as he flicked the file into the trash without another glance.

***

Once I left the hospital, I got behind the wheel but didn't head to meet Karson.

When his call came through, I told him something unexpected had come up and that my plans had changed.

In truth, I'd never planned to see him today in the first place.

I drove straight to the airport to pick up my friend, Jenifer Moore, who had just flown back to the country.

Since it had been ages since we'd last met, I took her to Nova Club for drinks, eager to unwind and catch up.

Just as we stepped out of the elevator, though, a muffled sob drifted down the corridor, low and restrained.

A flicker of curiosity made me glance toward the sound, and my steps faltered when I recognized the tall, cold figure standing there.

Daniel occupied the center of the hallway, an oppressive chill rolling off him, impatience evident in his eyes.

Behind him was a heavily made-up woman in revealing clothes, crying softly as she trailed him, her delicate sobs carefully arranged to make her look pitiful.

"Danny, why did you withdraw your investment?" the woman sobbed, clutching his arm as if she might collapse without it. "Is this really because Emily went missing under my care for a few hours today? Are you going to punish me over that?"

Her voice quivered as she continued, "I only stepped away to use the restroom. I told the bodyguards to watch her; I honestly don't know how she slipped away. If you're angry, then be angry at me, but please don't drag my family or our company into this."

"What exactly are we looking at?" Jenifer whispered impatiently at my side.

I gestured for her to be quiet and replied in a low voice, "Hold on, let's enjoy the drama for a bit."

So, that woman was Daniel's girlfriend.

The same woman who had dared to torment sweet, timid Emily. The thought of that made my blood boil, my palms itching with the urge to storm over and slap the woman.

Daniel's eyes had gone sharp, his stare stripped of warmth and brimming with barely restrained fury.

Without sparing her so much as a glance, he said coldly, "Leave."

He then wrenched his arm free and walked off without hesitation, his long strides tinged with finality.

"Danny!" the woman cried out, rushing after him, only to be stopped cold when a bodyguard stepped in her path.

Fixing her with a frigid stare, the bodyguard stated evenly, "Miss Jones, stop harassing Mr. Edwards. Or it won't end well for you."

His voice dropped another degree as he continued, "You know how shattered Mr. Edwards was after Miss Edwards' biological mother died. That child is everything to him-more precious than his own life. But your recklessness nearly put her in danger. The fact that Mr. Edwards chose not to pursue this further is already an act of mercy."

The woman clenched her teeth, biting hard at her lip, reluctance and grievance burning in her eyes. "But I'm his fiancée!" she said hoarsely. "Even though I made a mistake, couldn't he forgive me just this once? Why does my entire family have to pay for it?"

Without the slightest shift in expression, the bodyguard answered, "The engagement was set up by Mr. Laurence Edwards, and Mr. Daniel Edwards has never once recognized it. If you have a problem, take it up with his father."

Left with no choice, the woman could only turn around and leave.

Jenifer clicked her tongue beside me, rubbing her chin with amused disbelief. "I honestly didn't expect Daniel to be this hopelessly devoted to a woman."

Watching Daniel follow through exactly as promised, I felt a quiet weight finally lifted from my chest.

At least from this moment on, no one would dare mistreat Emily again.

Jenifer and I soon slipped into the private room, settling in with our drinks as easy conversation flowed between us.

After a while, curiosity got the better of me, and I asked casually, "So why did you return to the country all of a sudden?"

With a playful wink, Jenifer leaned closer. "Because of Mr. Lewis. He was worried you'd be handling everything by yourself here, so he sent me back to help you," she said, her smile turning teasing. "He's ridiculously considerate toward you."

That was hard to argue with, and I simply dipped my head in quiet agreement.

As if struck by a sudden thought, Jenifer rummaged through her bag. "Oh-right. Mr. Lewis also asked me to bring the new perfume you recently developed, Lunar Blossom. He thought it might give your business a boost."

Her movements paused, irritation flashing across her face. "Damn it. I must've left it in the car. Wait here; I'll go grab it."

I opened my mouth to tell her there was no rush, but she was already hurrying out the door, her heels soon clicking away down the hall.

With a quiet sigh, I shook my head, poured myself a couple more drinks, and eventually wandered off to the restroom once the alcohol began to buzz through me.

By the time I came back, a soft, drunken haze had blurred my vision, smearing the edges of the room into something indistinct.

The lights inside had been switched off somehow, plunging the space into shadow, with only a thin wash of moonlight slipping in through the window.

Narrowing my eyes, I made out a lone figure seated on the sofa and staggered over.

"Back so soon?" I slurred under my breath.

No answer came, and a flicker of confusion crept into my mind.

Why didn't Jenifer say anything back?

I lifted my hand and gave the person's shoulder a casual pat, only to feel an unnatural stiffness beneath my palm.

Frowning, I murmured lazily, "Why are you so tense? Relax a little, will you..."

The moment the words left my mouth, my dulled instincts finally stirred, sounding a quiet alarm in my head.

The feel of it... It wasn't like a woman's body at all.

Through the fog of alcohol, I touched the person again, testing the unfamiliar firmness with hesitant disbelief.

Huh?

Something was definitely off.

Beneath my palm was a flat, broad abdomen, tightly defined, packed with muscles.

This person was... a man.

Just as the realization slammed into me, a low, husky male voice cut through the silence, tight with restraint.

"Have you touched enough?"