Chapter Sixteen Jennifer
Chapter Sixteen
Jennifer
Although I’ve been nervous the entire car ride, my anxiety spikes as the car comes to a complete stop.
“Are we there?” I ask Daniel. He gives me a polite nod before stepping out, leaving me alone in the backseat. And fuck, I don’t mean to, but I panic.
I stay seated, focusing on a breathing exercise, but just as I reach for the door handle, the door opens, and I find myself staring into familiar brown eyes. “Ready to go, pretty?” he whispers, showing off his beautiful smile once more.
This time, I’m the one to nod silently. I take his hand, and several flashbacks of the first time he did this run through my mind.
The bakery we visited last week feels like a distant memory compared to the grandeur of the restaurant we’re about to enter. The exterior alone sends a fresh wave of anxiety through my body.
I stand frozen, quietly observing the building and the people coming and going. Daniel remains by my side, mirroring my stillness. Whether he’s preparing himself for the meeting mentally too, or waiting for me to be ready to go, I can’t tell.
Not that it matters.
“I definitely don’t belong here,” I murmur, breaking the silence.
He turns to me, his expression unreadable. “Nonsense. You’re here with me. Of course, you belong. Look at yourself.”
I glance up at him, my pulse quickening under the weight of his gaze. For a fleeting moment, I almost lose myself in the warmth of his eyes—until his hand rests lightly on my hip, grounding me.
“Let’s go, shall we?” His voice is soft, but there’s a firmness to it. “I’m sure my friend is waiting for us.”
“He’s not going to try to kill you, right?” I ask, my voice edged with nervous humor.
To anyone passing by, it might sound like a joke. Maybe that’s what I wanted it to be—a small attempt to ease the tension in the air. But deep down, I sense that Daniel isn’t entirely at ease either.
His face and posture betray nothing, as if carved from stone. But I notice the slight tremble in the arm looped around my waist, the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.
He’s way gentler than I first thought. He’s so… unbelievably sweet. Soft. Fuck...
“No,” he replies, his voice steady. “Not this time.”
I scoff as quietly as possible. “Well Daniel, if that’s supposed to be a joke, just know that it stresses me the hell out.” He simply laughs. “Don’t you worry about that, pretty. It’s all right.”
With that, he gently guides me toward the entrance, his stride purposeful. I take his word for it, trying to calm the storm raging inside me. If it’s just a friend, it can’t be as bad as I imagine—right?
As we approach the door, Daniel walks past the guards without a second glance. But my steps falter when I recognize one of them.
Hayden.
My breath catches, and my pulse hammers in my chest. What game is Daniel playing, and why the hell is Hayden guarding this place tonight?
“You said we’re meeting a friend,” I mumble, my voice barely audible as Daniel leads me to a table where a stunning couple is already seated.
“I am, pretty,” he says smoothly.
I scoff at the pet name, entirely inappropriate for the moment. But as we draw closer to the table, I force a smile onto my face.
Whether these people are his friends or enemies, I know my role. Look pretty. Smile. That’s what he expects of me.
Or at least, that’s what I thought.
Because as we stop in front of them, his friend’s wife doesn’t seem to have a poker face on.
Her smile is genuine. And so beautiful.