Chapter four

Marcus POV.

 When Danielle ran upstairs, I stared at the place where she disappeared, wondering what had upset her so much. One moment, we were joking, and in the next, she looked uncomfortable and ran away. 

'Did I say something wrong?' This thought kept popping back into my mind. Then I heard water running in the bathroom. Maybe it wasn't me; perhaps she needed a moment for herself. She went through a lot today, I should not expect her to act rationally, after all she has been through. I admired that she stayed strong for so long. Most women would have a complete breakdown in a situation like this. 

I pulled out my phone and dialled the number. 

" Sir?" James picked up almost immediately. 

" How is it going?" I asked quickly. Who knows how long Danielle will stay upstairs?

" We have almost sixty percents of shares. Do you want us to keep going?" 

" Idiots!" I let out a bitter laugh. " Get to seventy. It will be more than enough."

"Sure thing, boss," James replied, then hung up. I smiled to myself. Everything was going according to plan. 

My thoughts went back to today's events and Danielle, and I involuntarily gritted my teeth, thinking about Stephen. I could still see his cold eyes and vicious smile when he looked at Danielle. He broke her heart and was proud of it. But this was not enough; he had to humiliate her as well. I would never expect my brother and parents to stoop so low. 

Another quiet laugh escaped my lips. For the last couple of years, they have shown me what they are truly capable of, I honestly shouldn't be surprised by what happened today. They reached a new level of cruelty. 

I thought about Danielle again. Stephen built his social media on their relationship, posting almost everything worth mentioning: lavish engagement party, vacations, dinners. I nearly expected to see photos from the bedroom. He was like a lovesick puppy, and I thought he was truly happy. 

Danielle seemed perfect, almost too perfect for my spoiled brother. She was educated, had various interests, and volunteered at a charity organisation. I could not imagine how those two got together, since my brother was more interested in partying and chasing skirts. It looks like he had to put on an Oscar-worthy performance to get Danielle interested. 

I did not have a chance to meet her in person, so seeing this young, beautiful woman walking down the aisle in her stunning dress was like a bucket of cold water. She was breathtaking until the moment Stephen destroyed everything. 

I could still see her face, how she fought to hold her tears back, while looking at Stephen in disbelief. My heart broke at that moment, and then my blood boiled when her good-for-nothing sister pushed her aside. 

Then I also understood why my brother chose the other woman. She was more like him, while Danielle was too good for him. I think Stephen knew this, too, and he did not like it. My brother does not want to be outshone; that would hurt his fragile ego too much. 

That was why he decided to do what he did back then. He used me to humiliate Danielle even more, and me at the same time. He pulled the allowance card to force me to marry her. As if he only knew. 

I agreed not out of fear, but because I could not stand seeing this amazing woman standing there, broken and humiliated, while everyone present pretended it was no big deal. I could understand my family's behaviour- they were nothing more than cold-hearted bast*rds, but what her family did was beyond my imagination. 

At that moment, I swore to myself I would protect this woman at any cost. 

I have heard footsteps upstairs. Danielle was done showering. I had no idea if she would come down to me, but I could not sit here uselessly for the rest of the evening, so I decided to cook something. That would be a nice gesture, at least that was what I thought. 

But when I opened the fridge, it hit me I had no idea about cooking. Boiling water was my only skill, and that did not seem impressive. Then I spotted eggs at the bottom of the fridge. Boiled eggs, that was that! How hard could it be? Step one, you boil water- that I had mastered, step two, you put eggs inside, and cook them. How long? I had no idea, so I decided on five minutes. I could add an extra three minutes to be sure. 

Since Danielle was still upstairs, I decided to go with my plan. 

Ten minutes later, I was done and proud of myself. No spills, no burns, this could only be called a success. When I was about to congratulate myself, I heard footsteps. It was Danielle. She stood at the bottom of the stairs, dressed in sweatpants and a hoodie. Her hair were still slightly wet. 

Remembering how upset she was before, I smiled from ear to ear and announced proudly, " I made boiled eggs."

She offered me a puzzled look, but then her lips curled upward. Another success, I nailed it! 

" You shouldn't do it. I can cook us a dinner, " her voice was calm and soft, with this little hint of sadness that was making me furious. 

" Let's count it as a start, then. Honestly, that was top of my cooking skills, but it still counts." 

Danielle looked at me, and her smile dropped. " So, what do you usually eat?" She was seriously concerned. 

I didn't have a good answer, so I said the first thing that came to mind. " Takeout?"

Her face went pale, but she quickly composed herself. " Not anymore. Sit and relax, and I will cook." 

I looked at Danielle, and she immediately covered her mouth. " I am so sorry, I didn't mean to..."

I laughed, waving my hand. " Don't worry. I do not expect you to walk on eggshells around me."

Danielle rushed to the fridge, probably to hide the blush of embarrassment. She spent some time searching for ingredients and came back with her hands full. 

She spread them across the counter, and looked at them with her brows knitted. Then, after a while, I witnessed magic. I had never seen anything like that. I could swear she was chopping veggies, stirring something in the pot, and throwing steaks on the pan at the same time. 

Twenty minutes later, she set plates on the table and served the most amazing dinner I had seen in months. 

For a long moment, we ate in silence. I did not feel the need to talk as I devoured perfectly cooked steak with salad and mashed potatoes covered in some sauce. Each bite seemed to melt in my mouth, and I had to stop myself from moaning. 

Danielle was glancing at me from time to time, with a slight smile dancing on her lips. 

" I hope it was better than takeout?" she asked when we finished, and my plate was almost polished. 

" It was delicious." I nodded. " I can't believe my brother let go of someone who can cook like this." 

Danielle's smile dropped, and her posture tensed. I almost facepalmed myself.It looks like we are both good at making inappropriate comments. Perfect match!