She suddenly felt guilty about her lies, but she could not do anything about it anymore but push through. She just hoped that what she was getting from this would be worth all her sacrifice. She was about to lose her integrity, the trust of her parents, and many more if anyone discovered them.
“Are you sure that he is the right man for you?” Ethan asked her, hoping to make sense of his daughter’s decision.
He could not figure why Daniella decided to take such a big jump into marriage, not after what happened with Nick. He had to make sure that his daughter was not making another mistake.
“I know what I am getting into, Dad. You don’t have to worry about me.” That was not a lie. She knew what she agreed to.
“What about your life here and your career? What if he decides that he have to return home and take his father’s place?” Her father continued to question her. “Are you ready to stand by his side and leave everything behind?”
“I am sure that we can make a compromise if that time ever comes.” She was not sure what her father was saying. It all sounded foreign in her brain, but she tried to respond as if she had an idea about it.
“If this is your decision, I won’t stop you. Just remember that your mother and I will always be here for you.” Her father looked at her as if he was waiting for her to change her mind. “Well, if that is the case, then my princess will truly become a princess after you get married.”
She was a bit shocked by her father’s last statement. She was unsure what he meant when he said that, but she had to pretend that she knew what she was doing. “Well, isn’t that what you wanted all this time, for me to become a princess?”
She tried to fish for more information without letting her father know that she had no idea of what was happening.
“As the future duchess, I hope that you are ready for the responsibility.” His father continued to give her warning as if this was not what he wanted for her.
But in her mind, the word duchess was what got stuck. Why did her father say that? Did that mean that Alex was going to be a duke someday? It was new information that her mind could not fully fathom.
She still could not believe what her father was implying in their conversation. She was only able to confirm it when she had her conversation with Alex, where he finally revealed that he was indeed a certified real prince.
“Hey, Dani. Marcus just called and confirmed the flight for tonight.” Jacky interrupted her musing as she brought her back to the present. She walked into her office, disrupting her trance.
She turned to her friend as she tried to refocus her attention on what she was saying. “Oh, ok.” Acknowledging the arrangement before Jacky left her to get back to her work.
They were leaving tonight, and it was almost noon. Dani realized that she had barely finished any of her files. Evan informed her earlier that another associate would take over her immediate pending files under his supervision while she was away. Still, she wanted to make sure that everything was in order before she left.
“Eeeehhhh.” Jacky just strode to her office, screaming as if the building was on fire. “Look what just came in.”
She did not bother to see what her friend brought with her. Whatever it was, it could wait. She did not want to lose her track of thought on the document she was perusing.
“Seriously, you’re just going to ignore me.” Jacky stood her ground and waited for her to acknowledge her presence.
“What?” She finally asked, looking up to her friend, who was seemingly excited about something. She figured Jacky would not pester her like this if it were not significant, either to Jacky or her.
“I wanted to show you this.” She placed her phone in front of her to show her what the fuss was all about.
On the screen was a picture of a very handsome teenage boy who had a big smile on his face. He was carrying a medal in his hand with a message just under the photo. “This is for you, Dani and Jacky.”
“Wow, Andy won that.” She let out a whistle upon seeing the accomplishment of the young man.
She could not help but be proud of what their young brother achieved at a very young age. Andy finally lived the life that he deserved. It renewed her reason why she had agreed to this arrangement. He reminded her why she was doing this in the first place. It was not for her ambition but a great cause.
Dani and Jacky were flying together with Alex and Marcus to Alex’s hometown. Alex insisted that they should arrive together to avoid any speculation about their relationship. Now that their parents knew about their relationship, they must be extra careful in their actions.
“I still can’t believe it. Andy is now a grown young man and very handsome too.” Dani said to Jacky as they sat on the plane. Dani could not take the image of the young boy from her mind.
She remembered when Jacky first introduced him to her. He was so skinny and had bruises on his face and body. The foster parents, who were supposed to take care of him, maltreated the young boy.
“Who would have thought that he had a talent in arts.” Jacky also was so proud of her brother.
Jacky met the young boy in one of the foster homes they stayed in for a year before they separated again to go to another home. During that time, Jacky had taken care of him because he was a sickly boy. They considered each other as family.
But life was never easy in the foster system as they bounced in different families, some were good, but some were not. Unfortunately for Andy, he ended up in an abusive family. When she learned about it, she asked Dani if she could help.
“I am still thankful for what you did for Andy,” Jacky told Dani as they talked about him some more. After a while, Dani excused herself to go to the bathroom.
“What are you two talking about a while ago? Who is Andy?” Marcus inquired as he sat on the chair that Dani vacated. He could not help but overhear the last part of Jacky and Dani’s conversation and got curious.
“I just received a message from my brother.” Jacky showed Marcus the photo of Andy, proudly pointing out his latest accomplishment.
“You have a brother?” Marcus was slightly shocked by this new information.
“Yes, not by blood, but we grew up in the foster system together.” She explained to him.
Jacky did not usually share personal information, especially about her past life and who she considered her family. She was not sure why she suddenly felt like letting Marcus in with her little secret.
“Oh! He kind of looks like you. I can easily mistake the two of you as real siblings.” Marcus commented, which Jacky did not realize until Marcus pointed it out. There were some similarities in their features. Jacky noticed it now.
“So, what happened to him? Why were you thanking Dani earlier?” Marcus could not help but be nosy. He wanted to know more about the girl that was making him sleepless at night.
He figured that her mystery was what kept him intrigued about her. If he could only learn more about her, then he could finally let go of her and move on. He was not particularly interested in getting serious with her or anyone just yet.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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