Chapter 28 Sit on His Lap
“Go on now.” Emelia said gently, giving Danica a warm, motherly nod.
Danica turned and walked away without a word.
Wayne approached the bed, but Emelia’s face darkened. “What the hell are you still doing here? Get out!” she snapped.
Wayne’s lips curled into a small smile as he lowered his gaze. “I was wrong, Grandma. I’m sorry,” he said sincerely.
Her expression softened slightly. “I don’t want your apology. The person you really owe it to is Dani!”
“That’s right, Mr. Hamilton,” Cordell jumped in, his voice thick with disapproval. “You ran off with that Jennifer in your arms while Mrs. Hamilton was fainting, and it was Ms. Vance who stayed behind to take care of her! Feels like you were the adopted one, and Ms. Vance’s the real bloodline!”
Wayne was at a loss for words.
Emelia continued, “And don’t think we didn’t see you shove Dani. Her waist slammed right into the edge of the table! Just because she didn’t cry out doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt.”
“Mr. Hamilton, you can’t keep treating Ms. Vance like this!”
Emelia and Cordell fired one accusation after another at Wayne, not
giving him a second to defend himself.
He stood silent, expression unreadable.
After a glance in the direction Danica had
133 5t on Ha Lio
“Grandma, since you’re alright, I’ll head back to my room.”
He turned and left without waiting for a reply.
As soon as he was gone, Emelia let out a sigh. “Dani’s such a good girl. How could Wayne let Jennifer cloud his judgment like this?”
Cordell spoke softly, “Mrs. Hamilton, when you were unconscious, you kept calling Mr. Hamilton’s name. Ms. Vance heard it, and she went to the hospital and brought him back. She didn’t even try to take credit, but I knew she did it for you. She didn’t want to cause a rift between you two.”
Emelia nodded, deeply moved. Of course she knew how good Danica
was.
“Dani grew up starved for affection, and Wayne has always known how to make someone feel loved. Dani’s well aware of that, which is probably why she cares for Wayne so deeply. She truly, truly likes him.”
Wayne was born with every advantage, refined and effortlessly charming. He knew exactly how to love someone, and it showed in the way he indulged Jennifer, letting her act confident and carefree, as if nothing could ever stand in her way.
Danica understood this all too well. That was why she fell for him.
And that was also why she kept getting hurt.
“Don’t worry. Mrs. Hamilton,” Cordell said with conviction. “I believe one day, Mr. Hamilton will fall in love with Ms. Vance. And when that day comes, he’ll love her deeply.
Emelia chuckled softly. “I think so too. That day’s not far off.”
***
Back in his room, Wayne found Danica sitting at the vanity, wearing nothing but his white dress shirt, her skin dewy from a shower, applying
skincare with practiced ease.
She didn’t even glance at him when he entered.
Wayne sat on the edge of the bed and called her name, “Danica.”
But she didn’t respond.
He loosened two buttons on his shirt, his voice low as he called again,
“Danica.”
Still, he got no response.
She stood and made her way around him, clearly planning to go straight to bed, treating him like he didn’t exist.
But just then, his hand reached out and caught her wrist. With a light pull, she tumbled right into his lap.
It hurt. His thighs were all lean muscle–solid as stone. She landed hard, and it felt like her backside split in two.
Danica frowned, trying to wriggle free: “Let go of me.”
Wayne held her in place, his arms wrapped securely around her as he pulled her to straddle his thigh. His voice was deep, teasing, with a hint of amusement. “Why are you ignoring me?”
He sounded like he was coaxing her, doting even.
When a man like Wayne, with all his power and status, actually lowered. himself to coax a woman, it was easy to believe he was deeply devoted. That kind of tenderness could be addictive, drawing her in before she even realized it.
But Danica was sober. She knew full well that Wayne’s tenderness was never meant for her.
It was for Jennifer.
Her lashes drooped as she tried to get up. “Let go of me.”
Wayne chuckled, his smile more visible now. “You’re mad?”
Danica let out a hollow laugh. “Do I even have the right to be mad?”
“I was rough today. Did I hurt your waist?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No.”
But he had already found its way to her back, gently pressing against the sore spot. “Here?”
“Yes. There,” she thought.
She had checked in the shower earlier. It was bruised badly and would
take a while to heal.
Now his warm, broad palm was wrapped around the very place that ached the most. His touch was gentle and careful.
But Danica didn’t want it.
She hated the way he would hurt her one moment and try to make it up the next, and she despised his so–called generosity even more.
She’d rather he just stayed cruel.
After all, even without his concern, the bruise would still heal.
She pushed at his hand. “No. It’s nothing. Mr. Hamilton, please let me go!”
This was the first time Wayne had ever seen her truly angry. He had seen women angry before. Jennifer, for example, would throw tantrums and demand attention.
Chapter 20 Site
But Danica, when angry, just sat there silently with her head down, making him want to protect her.
Now she was gripping his hand, desperately trying to peel it away.
Wayne looked at her face, still fresh from the shower. “If you won’t tell me, then I’ll have to see for myself,” he said.
His long, clean fingers moved to her shirt hem and started lifting it.
Danica felt a chill on her thighs and let out a gasp, her hands flying down to stop him. “What are you doing? I’m not wearing pants! You pervert!”
Wayne froze.
He hadn’t noticed.
All he’d wanted was to check her injury. But when he lifted her shirt, he realized something.
She was still sitting on his lap, her bare, slender legs draped over his black suit pants, delicate and pale against the harsh contrast of fabric. It was a dangerously erotic sight.
And that split–second image–her shirt raised, her legs clamped together in panic–flashed through his mind again.
Being called a pervert for the first time in his life, Wayne was a bit annoyed.
“I didn’t mean to,” he said quickly.
Danica wasn’t buying it. “Oh please. You meant it!”
Wayne didn’t know what to say to that.
And then, a melodic ringtone broke the tension. His phone was ringing.
He had left it on the bedside table earlier. Danica turned to look and saw the name glowing on the screen.
It was from Jennifer.
She must’ve grown impatient waiting and decided to call him herself.
Probably asking him to come back to the hospital.
Danica pushed at him hard and scrambled off his lap.
She thought, “Is he going to go back and stay with Jennifer tonight?”
