Chapter 04

DANIEL

"I'm glad you're okay now." Daniel soothed. His eyes containing so much care and softness.

"It's just a minor accident. Don't worry." 

Daniel nodded with a worried face. He took a quick glance around the room before planning to move.

"I'll take my leave now" He muttered but as he reached for the door knob..

"Daniel..." He paused in his steps to stare. "Thank you for coming." 

A small grin parted his lips. "Get well soon. Mr Clinton." He nodded again before exiting the room. Walking worriedly amidst the nurses that held one thing or the other,some were busy attending to patients with hearty smiles and kind gesture but all these things he were oblivious to,rather thinking about his boss's accident. He had heard he was in a car crash this morning,he couldn't help but at least visit and thank Goodness it wasn't something trivial to worry about. 

He stepped outside with a sigh yet optimistic of a speedy recovery. He glanced across the street,looking from his right to left enjoying the view of the buildings and it's people yet his mind tousled on thoughts of his joblessness. As he made to board a cab his eyes fell on her,the beautiful golden brown haired lady,voice like fine silk,the one and only famous actress. Zoey Johansson. But his enchanted smile disappeared abruptly when he noticed the plasters sporting different places on her face. She was about to enter a black Porsche that parked close to the hospital but he didn't waver. He jogged towards her direction hastily.

"Zoey!" He raised his voice loud enough for her to hear. He could notice the obvious uneasiness she displayed as he reached her but why?. He couldn't understand this eyes cloaked in distant fear,this uneasiness of hers.

"Are you okay?"

He asked with so much care and concern that it almost made her just cry in his arms and be comforted by the warmth of his broad chest but nay, she held herself back scared at the distant stare Gray gave from his car.

"What happened?" He asked,popping his face closer with his hand resting on her shoulder. Her breath were becoming unsteady gradually. Slowly succumbing to hyperventilation. The embarrassment,the fear,Gray,everything seemed to be heightened and choking at the same time.

"Zoey?" He called again noticing her senses were failing her, she looked like one whose vision resigned to dimness with every second that passed.

Daniel knew certainly something was wrong. He recalled this face of hers when they first met. This sadness, discrete fear, the familiar feeling of depression!,plus the plasters that clicked to most part of her face.

An accident,No!. If it was,she certainly wouldn't look like someone feeling pathetic. Then what will it be?,he asked himself.

"Get away from her!" He heard the voice. That manly,overly jealous,gruffy voice that growled behind his back. If he didn't know better,this anger stricken face looked familiar. Nevertheless,his stance and courage failed him from the dominating aura this man had.

He stood there like a helpless fool watching in horrific awe as this young man roughly grabbed her by the arm towards his Porsche, whilst he was angered at the helpless eyes of Zoey that all he could do was to curl his hands into a fist.

"Something is wrong!" He whispered to himself as the car drove past him with an alarming speed. Those eyes of hers were that of terror and trauma and it hurt him badly he couldn't do anything for her at that moment.

"Zoey Johansson...." He typed on his phone. "No!" He stopped, immediately deleting his search. 

"Zoey Johansson's relationship?" He clicked on the search button and behold if he was surprised it would be the many photos that popped on the screen.

"Gray Robertson" He mumbled,repeatedly rubbing his jaw. Now he remembered why the face was so familiar. He is the son of famous billionaire family,the Robertson's. But the Gray Robertson he met today was a jerk and perhaps a thing of fear for Zoey. He dug further with his research,and the more he knew the more his conclusion were solid.

This anonymous person Zoey loves was no other than Gray Robertson and he his no fool to not know things were ugly between both of them. 

###########

ZOEY

"That same man again..."

Gray uttered as they both alighted from his car.

She sobbed within,still broken at the last image that replayed in her head before she fell unconscious. She still couldn't believe Gray could smash a glass across her face and yet he didn't feel any remorse for his actions. He gracefully took her to an hospital for her injuries and yet never uttered a word of apology and there was Daniel. A man who doesn't even know much about her caring so deeply at the plasters he saw.

"Not even an apology?" She stood rooted by the car side while he stopped few meters away from her. His face only shot blankness,a grimaced face showing no remorse.

"You almost killed me Gray. What if it was something worse...what if.....what if I had died?" She tried yelling but her voice and body were too weak to support her resolve. He rolled his eyes with a little hair escaping his lips.

"You used to be so loving,caring and now... you're just a shadow of yourself. What changed?"

She asked the same question he had always refused to pay answer too. 

And for the first time in months he gave her a sincere look making her almost glimmer in hope.

"I'm tired of this relationship but I have no choice,do I?. When my family are so much inclined in me getting married to you neither are you helping matters too. Still clinging tightly to your love for me. You're a good person Zoey but that lovely person you fell in love with is long gone." He finished calmly,adjusting his well fitted suit before heading to the mansion.

The hot tears that escaped her eyes were no hurting compared to the throbbing pain she received from her chest.

"That's a lie Gray!. Say you love me!,Say it!!" She raised her voice as he headed for the entrance door.

He stopped in his tracks with his back facing her.

"The earlier you accept the truth,the better." He adjusted his perfectly fitted suit again before disappearing into the building.

It was like a picture of the man she loves fading away from her. Her legs failed her as she cried painfully. She just couldn't bring herself to accept his words,she preferred the Little light of hope that Gray was lying,that little light where he confesses just how much he loves her....

That little light.

#########

Daniel walked on the garden were they first met. At that time he was depressed,already hopeless on this forsaken life but even when she still had her own problems she managed to comfort him,to give him hope. The hope,the comfort, he failed at giving her. And now,as he walked towards that same sit furious at his uselessness.

He halted abruptly in his tracks. His eyes fell on her,again she was on that same chair. That same hood and glass.

"Coffee..." She heard the comforting voice say as he handed her the cup. She looked up to see his smile,that happy smile that never failed at giving her joy. She could have ignored him and just disappear but for the coffee.

"What happened?" He asked as he joined her. His question suddenly flashing the ugly memory in her head. It brought a new version of pain in her chest making her forget for a moment Daniel was still beside her.

"It's was an accident." She started in a slow whispery manner. "It happened during a shoot." She lied plainly to his face and obviously the look portrayed on his face showed he wasn't buying it.

"The look I saw on your face..." He wriggled his head,taking his eyes off her momentarily. "Plus that man's roughness. Gray Robertson,is it?. I know it's not an accident." 

Her hands clenched tightly;one on the plastic cup and the other against her skin. She didn't want him to get suspicious or any idea of her woeful predicament. So she faked a frown with her tone coming out harsh.

"I said it was an accident!" 

He sighed choosing silence and gulping his coffee.

"How are you feeling now?" He asked in a soothing voice.

"Much better. Thank you." She mumbled while her eyes danced aimlessly around the open space.

"Is it him?" He asked,she stared at him. "This someone you love." 

She nodded slowly taking her coffee alongside.

"Did he do this to you?" He asked while he held her gaze. Her eyes widened instantly!,even after lashing out he still didn't believe her lies.

"No." She glared at him in response.

"I am no fool,Zoey. I don't know what he did to you but I do know he's the cause of this. Your eyes says it all." He answered knowing fully well she was lying.

"My eyes can be quite deceiving. Stop saying stuffs you don't know." She retorted clenching her fist tighter.

"Your eyes can be deceiving to the others but not me. I can read them." He said in a calm voice removing not his gaze on her.

"And when did you start prying into my issues?." She retorted with a glare. "I just told you,he has nothing to do with this. I fell into an accident, that's all." She defended. He was trying to help,she knows but she was scared he could reveal the ugly side of Gray to the world. A truth that will be scandalous for both her family, Career and for Gray. 

"At least I'm saying this for your safety. Just know,that any man who commits this kind of atrocious act has no love but hatred and if you keep walking down this path..." He stood up. "You will regret it." She gasped upon hearing him and he didn't even bother waiting for a response cos he had left her.