Chapter 3
Daniel left in the end.
After I said that, he stared at me for a long time with an unreadable expression in his eyes.
As I was tidying up the master bedroom, he slipped out without making a sound.
I glanced at the guest room, which was so spotless it looked like no one had ever stayed there, and let out a helpless sigh.
Were Helen and her sons my nemesis?
Then, my nemesis showed up.
Helen brought an ultimatum. If I didn't finish the mission before Christmas, everything we had agreed on would be off the table.
After she left, it felt like my whole world was crashing down.
Frederick, that jerk, hadn't been home in ages, so the new drugs I bought were collecting dust.
What made it even worse was that I couldn't go through with it.
I was not some stud like Dutton.
All I could do was hope, day and night, that my one time with Daniel would be enough to get me pregnant.
But then, my period came.
Lying in the bed where Daniel and I had shared our wild night, I couldn't fall asleep.
What did that last look in his eyes mean?
Was he mad at me? Did he hate me?
As I was lost in thought, the door suddenly swung open.
It was Daniel.
His face was filled with brooding resentment as he stepped closer.
He towered over me, looking down at me. "Rebecca, why didn't you try to make it up to me?
"Why are you pretending nothing happened between us?
"Why do you like my brother instead of me?"
I felt embarrassed and guilty, but the words stuck in my throat.
Seeing me stay silent, Daniel snapped.
He pulled me up from the bed, grabbed my hand, and pressed it against his abs.
Everything happened so fast that my mind went completely blank.
His voice was low and hoarse, tinged with grievance. "Don't you like me?
"Don't you want to have sex with me again?"
My lips parted, and I couldn't help but swallow hard.
My blood was boiling. I rolled Daniel beneath me, ready to take control.
But then, a sudden warmth flooded out from my body.
Oh, no.
My eyes snapped open.
Staring at the bloodstained sheets, I felt my desire vanished. A bitter laugh escaped me.
Who the hell would have a sex dream while on their period?
*****
With only a month left before Helen's deadline, I finally saw Frederick again.
He was lying on the couch, knitting a sweater.
The forest green yarn flowed smoothly through his fingers, creating elegant arcs.
It was my favorite color.
It was said that men looked their best when they were focused. I bet Frederick was hands down the most attractive of them all.
I couldn't take my eyes off him, eagerly waiting for him to finish that nearly complete sweater so I could try it on.
As I watched, random, entirely inappropriate thoughts started popping into my head.
I felt Daniel, who was focused and serious, was pretty irresistible, too.
How did Helen end up with two such irresistible sons?
Just as I got lost in my thoughts, Frederick's voice snapped me back to reality. "Becca, what do you think of this sweater?"
"Let me try it on," I said, grinning as I practically skipped over to him, grabbed the sweater, and slipped it on.
Alright, this was what I was waiting for.
But the next moment, my smile froze.
"Don't!" Frederick's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "It's a gift for someone else."
"Who is it for?" I asked.
He gave me a shy, bashful smile.
Of all the things I could've inherited, why did it have to be my mom's ability to see right through people?
I used to joke about being the backup plan, but in the end, I wasn't even that. I was the joke.
I could almost hear my heart shattering.
"You're the only one who knows, so don't tell my mom," he said.
He actually asked me, the one who'd love nothing more than to marry him, to keep his secret that he had someone else in his heart.
"1.5 million, and show me who you love. Then I'll think about it," I said.
Seriously, who could possibly outshine me? I was gorgeous, considerate, witty, amiable, easygoing, and always upbeat. Who on earth could top all that?
I stared at him, waiting to see what kind of jaw-dropping revelation he was about to show.
Frederick smiled and unlocked his phone.
My eyes widened with curiosity, but all I saw was Frederick nodding shyly.
Wait, it was a man?
Just then, the doorbell rang, and Frederick gestured for me to stay quiet before heading over to answer it.
It was Daniel.
The moment I saw him, my eyes lit up, and my mood instantly lifted at his arrival.
He looked incredibly flustered, sweat practically dripping down his forehead.
He was gasping for air, scanning the room as though he was looking for something.
He caught my gaze for a moment and then quickly looked away.
I bet he was embarrassed as hell right now.
Luckily, he had no idea what awful thing had just crossed my mind. If he did, he'd probably die of embarrassment.
Okay, that was my bad.
I tossed the sweater onto the couch in frustration and curled up alone in the corner.
Daniel seemed like he was in a rush, but the moment he stepped inside, he slowed down, acting all casual.
He glanced around, his eyes lingering on me before subtly shifting to the sweater on the couch.
His brows furrowed, and there was a strange tone in his voice. "Knitting that for my brother?
"Guess things are moving pretty quickly between you two, huh?"
I looked up but didn't bother responding.
Frederick quickly tucked the sweater away, skipped any explanation, and changed the topic. "So, what brings you here? Something is going on?"
"I didn't feel like staying at home, so I'm crashing here for a couple of days," Daniel said, sprawling across the couch, his eyes flicking over to me again. "Relax. I won't mess with whatever you and Rebecca have going on."
The two brothers bantered back and forth, each of them lost in their own thoughts.
I was all ears, hoping Daniel wouldn't say something stupid and blow the whole thing.
Thank god he kept quiet about that night.
With that, my scheming kicked into high gear.
Frederick was not going to have a baby with me, but if I wanted to marry him, I needed a kid in the picture.
It looked like I would have to use Daniel. Sorry about that.
After all, he wouldn't want Frederick to find out about that night, right?