Chapter 0242


    “Whoa,” | say, picking up my coffee cup and raising it to my lips. “Rough night, Danny?”


    Daniel lifts his head and res at me a little. “Who told you to call me that?”


    |ugh a little wickedly and blow on my coffee before taking a sip. “No one. | just heard a little bird call you it.” | wrinkle my nose


    at him. “I think it fits.”


    Daniel just growls something nomittal and looks down at his te again.


    “Aww,e on, sugar,” | say, leaning forward and taking his hand. “Are you really feeling this poorly?”


    “Yes,” he sighs, sitting back in his seat but keeping my hand in his. “But Fay — we have to...”


    “| know,” | say, squeezing his hand and looking at him seriously. Because he’s right — we need a n. Daniel takes a deep breath


    and leans forward to whisper to me, all the time getting greener, as if he might barf all over his te.


    “Fay,” he whispers, “I don’t know what my dad has nned — but I have no intention of breaking this engagement or letting


    Natalia have a ce in this family. | went to my dad’s room this morning and he agrees —*


    “Oh,” | say, perking up a little bit and feeling a relieved. “That was you?”


    “Yeah — wait,” he says, looking at me narrowly. “How did you...”


    And | bite my lip, realizing what | just let slip.


    “Were you...there?” he asks, ncing around to make sure that he isn’t heard — but the kitchen is full, and quite loud, and the


    Italians aren’t here yet, so I’m fairly sure we''re safe. “What,” he says, scrunching his face a little with distaste. “Did he like —


    shove you in a closet to keep you secret?”


    “No,” | reply simply, sitting up straight and keeping my mouth shut. But | can’t help giving Daniel a sneaky little grin that lets him


    know that I’m keeping my secret on this one.


    “Okay,” he says, dropping my hand and covering his face with his palm as he leans back in his chair. “Now I’m really gonna barf


    |ugh and lean forward to tease him more, but a te slides in front of me before | can say another word and | look up to see


    Kent standing there.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    “All right?” he asks, looking between us.


    “Daniel''s going to barf,” | say, giving Kent a little smile before reaching for my fork and eagerly stabbing at the pile of eggs on my


    te.


    “Daniel,” Kent says, slipping his hands into his pockets and turning towards his son, “needs to learn his limits.”


    Daniel just ps a hand at his dad, who chuckles a little and opens his mouth to say something more, but at that moment the


    door to the kitchen swings open and Natalia and Alessi walk in, looking bright and fresh. All three of us turn to look at them and |


    consider, passively, that you’d never know that they ordered a hit on my fatherst night.


    Kent swallows whatever it was he was going to say to us and turns away instead, his demeanor going cold. “I’m busy today,”


    Kent calls over his shoulder to Daniel and | as he walks towards the kitchen, ignoring Alessi and Natalia as he goes. “But | have


    my phone. You two call if you need anything.”