Chapter 60: Seeing His Other Side
As Daniel drove, he occasionally glanced over at Chloe. He had always known she was beautiful, but sitting quietly beside him, she stirred something deeper in him.
Watching her, his mood lifted, and he chuckled softly to himself before refocusing on the road. He seemed unaffected by anything, calm and collected.
While passing a street, they noticed several drones hovering in the air, forming different shapes. It was a drone light show, and it didn’t look cheap.
Their position offered a perfect view, so Daniel pulled over, and the two of them began watching the show with interest.
“How many drones do you think there are?” Daniel asked.
Chloe blinked, unsure. “A few hundred?”
“Probably not that many, maybe around 99.”
“How do you know?” Chloe asked, surprised by the precise guess.
Daniel pointed ahead. “See that guy over there? He’s proposing. Proposals often play on symbolic
numbers, and 99 represents ‘forever.‘ Plus, the bouquet on his back gives it away.
Chloe followed his gaze and sure enough, there was a man in a suit, holding a bouquet, about to propose.
“You’re really observant. I didn’t even notice that,” Chloe said, impressed.
Daniel simply smiled.
Chloe realized today that she didn’t know Daniel as well as she had thought. She had only understood part of who he was.
Now she saw that Daniel was not only professional but also very detail–oriented.
Earlier in their conversation, they had talked about stocks and tech companies. Chloe discovered that Daniel was skilled in finance, handling investments as well as anyone she knew.
Reflecting on it, Chloe realized that Julian’s circle of friends was filled with successful people. None of them were average, and they all excelled in their fields.
These people were the elite, and Chloe began to feel more confident in her decision to leave their world. The longer she stayed, the more out of place she would have felt.
As they neared her house, Chloe said, “We’re almost there. Thanks for driving me home.”
Since the car could only stop at the entrance of the alleyway, Chloe got out and politely thanked Daniel.
Daniel nodded, watching her as she walked away.
Their relationship had only just begun to thaw, so it wouldn’t have been appropriate to insist on walking her to her door. That would have been too forward and might have made Chloe uncomfortable.
Once she was out of sight, Daniel drove off. Not long after, his phone rang. It was Adam calling.
“Hey, where’d you two go? I just went to pay the bill, and when I came back, you were both gone! What’s going on?” Adam sounded confused.
Earlier, while paying the bill, Adam had run into his ex–girlfriend, someone he hadn’t spoken to in a long time. Though they had parted ways, seeing her again stirred old emotions, but not enough to rekindle anything.
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She had clung to him, which unnerved Adam. After managing to break free, he realized that both Chloe and Daniel had disappeared. He had no idea where they had gone.
Daniel, however, was calm. “You took so long, and Chloe had somewhere to be. I couldn’t make her wait, so I drove her home. What else was I supposed to do?”
“Well, I guess that makes sense, but what about Julian? Weren’t we supposed to run into him? I went through all that trouble to plan this ‘accidental‘ meeting, and you let the opportunity slip!” Adam complained.
He had been wanting to ask this question all night but hadn’t had the chance while Chloe was around. Now that he could finally ask, he wasn’t going to miss it.
“I couldn’t find him. He’s probably with Layla,” Daniel replied casually.
Even though the group didn’t see Layla often, they all knew she was clingy. When Layla was around, it was hard to get Julian alone.
Adam sighed, realizing there wasn’t much more to say. If that was the case, then the whole plan had been a waste of time. Frustrated, he vented over the phone, and after a few more words, they ended the call.
At that moment, another phone next to Daniel buzzed.
“You really think it’s worth all that money just to delay him for a little while? Isn’t it a bit of a waste?” The voice on the other end was a soft, sultry woman–Adam’s ex–girlfriend, the one who had stalled him.
Daniel chuckled. “This won’t be the last favor I ask of you. Just remember, take the money and keep quiet about it.”
“Don’t worry, big shot. I know the rules when I get paid,” she said sweetly.
They hung up, both knowing the deal would remain their secret.
Chloe returned home, took a shower, and was about to start reading her thesis when her phone pinged. It was a message from Daniel, along with a photo.
The picture was of her gloves. She remembered that Daniel had taken them from her when she got in the car but had forgotten to take them back when she got out.
*“Just got home and noticed your gloves. Let’s meet sometime so I can return them?”*
Chloe looked at the photo and thought for a moment before replying, “Could you give me an address? I’ll have someone pick them up.“*
*“I live in a gated community, and outsiders can’t get in. How about we grab coffee sometime, and I’ll give them to you then? I heard you went to H University for undergrad, and I’m studying for my MBA there. Maybe you could give me a campus tour?“*
Chloe couldn’t really refuse such a reasonable request. After all, their relationship wasn’t close enough for a casual meal, but a tour was a simple favor.
*“Alright, let’s plan for that. Just let me know when.“*
Daniel quickly replied, *“How about next week? I’m free Friday afternoon. Does that work for you?“*
Chloe had time on Friday, so she agreed, and with that, they both returned to their work, leaving the conversation at that.
