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Lahat ng Kabanata ng Reckless CEO One Night Stand : Kabanata 41 - Kabanata 50

132 Kabanata

41

Mary's POV Sitting on the garden swing with the night air brushing softly against my skin, my mind became a whirlwind of emotions and memories that were clashing with reality. A soft creak of footsteps approaching on the gravel made me tighten my grip on the chains. I didn’t need to look up to know who it was. Danny stopped a few steps away with his hands in his pockets. “You’ve already gotten yourself a boyfriend, right?” I let out a bitter laugh and finally met his gaze. “So what? Is there any problem with that?” He tightened his jaw but he didn’t deny it. He couldn’t. “You know how I feel about you,” he said quietly with humility. My breath hitched and I felt a flicker of pain as it crossed my mind. I quickly masked the pain with anger. “You also know how I feel about you, don't you?” I shot back at once. “But that didn’t stop you, did it?” His jaw clenched again as he couldn’t deny my words, the choice he made was now obviously suffocating him and I could see his muscles

42

AUTHOR'S POV Today was the day that Donna Cale and Danny Williams's would be finally engaged The news was everywhere. It dominated all TV screens, newspapers headlines and social media feeds. All the elites in the city had gathered for what could only be regarded as the event of the season. "In a union that merges two of the most powerful families in the country, Donna Cale, daughter of jewelry giant Cale Luxuries, and Danny Williams, heir to Williams Enterprises, the nation's top chemical and shipping conglomerate, are officially getting engaged today," a TV reporter announced excitedly. "With Danny also being the CEO of Williams Chemicals, one of the most influential networks in the industry, this engagement is nothing short of a power move. A love story straight out of a fairy tale and a business empire's dream." The camera panned to the grand venue to show the perfect decorations while flashing glimpses of the city's elite as they arrived in style and luxury. Donna, a rising

43

Mary's POV I lay in bed with my body wrapped in the blanket. My head rested against the pillow as I fought off the dizziness that was gnawing at me. I felt weak, exhausted and my thoughts kept weighing me down. Reid was sitting on the edge of the bed. He placed a damp cloth on my forehead with carefulness with his usual cold demeanor that had now softened with concern. "You need to rest," he said firmly and adjusted the covers around me. Rosa was also sitting on the floor with her leg crossed while she kept munching on her snack. "He's right, Mary. You've been pushing yourself too much lately. Maybe your body wants you to take a break." Rodney leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. "It might be emotional stress. You've gone through a lot recently." I sighed and closed my eyes for a moment before opening them again. "I'm fine. It's just a little fever." Reid scoffed. "You call this a little fever?" He gestured toward the medicine he brought for me. "Eat now and sleep af

44

Mary's POV For the first time in a long while, I felt light. I felt as if the weight I had been carrying all this time had been finally lifted. There was a glow in my eyes and a softness in my expression that wasn't there before. And Rosa and Rodney, both of them noticed it immediately. "You look different today," Rosa said and nudged me playfully. "Don't tell me Reid is finally showering you with much love that is making you glow?" Rodney smirked. "Yeah, I guess our stoic school captain has some serious charm after all." I forced a smile but inside me, guilt was twisting my stomach. They thought my happiness was because of Reid but it wasn't. It was because of Danny, because of the hope he gave me last night. My smile faltered slightly as I remembered that I had to tell Reid. He had been kind to me and always stood by my side. He was protecting me even when I didn't ask for it. He deserved to know the truth. I took a deep breath and made up my mind. I would tell him today.

45

Mary's POV As days passed, the bond between Danny and me kept growing stronger. The feelings I had earlier suppressed for so long were now undeniable. Danny had started sneaking into my hostel room at night just to see me. He would bring gifts and food especially chocolates since he had found out that I loved them. I raised an eyebrow as I looked at the table covered to the edges with snacks. "Danny, are you trying to bribe me with food?" I teased him. Danny smirked and leaned casually against the table. "No, I just want to make sure that my girl doesn't starve," he said and unwrapped a chocolate before handing it to me. I took it with a broad smile on my face but I couldn't ignore the guilt that was pressing against my chest. Reid. I still hadn't told him the truth. Meanwhile, Reid's absence from college became more frequent. His mother's illness seemed to be weighing heavily on him. Though I kept calling him regularly to offer support when I couldn't be there in person,

46

Mary's POV The college hall buzzed with laughter and whispers with students giggling in small groups while some exchanged the latest gossip. But as Reid stepped inside, the lively chatter died down and a hush spread across the hall. It had been days since anyone had seen him. His usual composed presence had been replaced with something heavier. He looked exhausted and his sharp features had become slightly sunken. His eyes were clouded with something unreadable. Some students whispered among themselves as they were clearly wondering if something had happened between him and me and me, if we had broken up. I stopped speaking with Rosa and turned at the sudden silence. My breath hitched when I saw him and without a second thought, I moved through the crowd to wrap my arms around him. "I missed you," I murmured against his shoulder. Reid didn't move, his arms remained stiff at his sides as he failed to return the hug. I slowly pulled back and frowned at him. "Reid?" I asked with

47

Mary's POV Reid kept his distance. At first, it was subtle until it turned to missed glances and short responses until everyone started noticing. Even Rosa and Rodney couldn't deny it, they would exchange looks whenever Reid snubbed and ignored our usual table at the cafeteria. I felt the weight of it all and the guilt kept gnawing at me. I started missing our easy conversations and our playful banter. Now, it was just silence and it was my fault. Rosa nudged me. "Okay, why don't you just spill? What's going on between you and Reid?" I forced a little smile. "Nothing, we just had a small fight." Rosa waved a hand dismissively. "Please. Things like that are normal in a relationship. You'll both get over it." She squeezed my hand. "Don't worry too much. It'll work itself out." I nodded weakly but deep down, I knew this wasn't just a misunderstanding. When I returned to the hostel that evening, exhaustion weighed me down and my heart felt heavy with emotions that I couldn't quit

48

Author's POV Danny was feeling uneasy. Everything was going too smoothly for his liking. The happiness he was feeling by being with Mary felt fragile. It was like a dream that could shatter once he woke up from it at any moment. A growing fear settled in his heart as if something was coming, something like a storm that could destroy everything within minutes. However, he was keeping his promise as he had started working methodically to break his engagement while administering his moves like a game of chess. Piece by piece, he had unraveled Donna's father's secrets. In a matter of time, he ensured that Mr. Cale's affair would soon be exposed. Mr. Cale had also grown restless and paranoid, he was already suspecting that someone was going after him. If things continued as he planned, the partnership between the two families, Williams and Cale, would collapse and the engagement would be called off. But Donna was also going to be a problem as she was always keeping watch. S

49

Author's POV Danny stood in his office with his arms crossed while his father leaned back in his chair. His father exhaled sharply. "The situation is getting out of control," he said while rubbing his temples. "We've tried everything to contain the rumors but someone probably an intelligent hacker is leaking the information faster than we can suppress it." Danny smirked inwardly. Good. Everything was going as he planned. His father continued, "For now, we need to put your engagement with Donna on hold. It will be done after we have assessed the damage and see where the situation leads. If it worsens, we might need to break it off completely." Danny forced himself to keep a neutral expression but inside, he was feeling victorious. "I understand," he said calmly and nodded in agreement. His father sighed in relief, he felt satisfied that Danny wasn't resisting. "Good. But there's something else." Danny who had already turned to leave, paused at his father's words "You need

50

Author's POV Donna stepped back and curved her lips into a slow but satisfied smile. "Oops." His vision blurred and the room started spinning. A cold wave of dread crashed over him as he realized that she had drugged him. He stumbled back and shoved her away. His heart pounded as adrenaline fought the haze that was threatening to pull him under. "You..." His words slurred and his limbs grew heavy. "Now, now," Donna purred as she watched him struggling. "Don't make this harder than it needs to be." He turned sharply and pushed past her while forcing his legs to move. He had to get to his car. If he could just get to his car. "Stop him." The command was sharp and within seconds, heavy footsteps pounded behind Danny. Danny forced himself to run but the cold night air hit him like a slap. He stumbled into the parking lot and his vision tunneled with his body becoming sluggish. He slapped himself and banged his fist against the metal to stay awake while his hands fumbled for t

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