Chapter 715
Christopher wisely bowed his head in silence as an undercurrent of tension filled the luxurious, elegantly decorated villa living room. Daniel smiled slightly and, without haste, asked, "Do you like it?" His tone made it clear he was prepared to give Tiffany the uniquely designed pen if she expressed interest.
Tiffany’s playful smile betrayed her question: "Are you avoiding the question, Mr. Cooper?" Clearly, there was no evading the topic.
Daniel sighed helplessly, a hurt expression appearing on his handsome face. "You're hostile toward me?"
Tiffany remained silent. In truth, it wasn't exactly hostility, but suspicion and distrust. The timing of the medical consultation and rescue had been too coincidental, and his generous gestures were hard to overlook. She couldn't help overthinking, feeling vigilant and suspecting his motives. All the doubts she'd pushed aside resurfaced upon seeing the pen.
'Perhaps this isn't just a pen, but a weapon,' Tiffany thought. As she twisted the cap, a sharp, triangular blade was revealed. She gasped silently, 'As I thought!' She had seen a similar weapon in Richard's study. Out of curiosity, she'd asked him about it then, and Richard explained it was a unique, unavailable item, merely a product of the designer's whim. Even if purchased, the appearance and design would never be identical.
A tremor ran through Tiffany’s heart as an incredible thought emerged. "Who are you, really?"
Daniel, sitting in his wheelchair, his worsening condition making his face almost translucent, yet his dark eyes remained deep and steady. Upon closer inspection, a trace of amusement lingered in his gaze.
"That's a bit of a silly question," he responded with a faint, teasing smile. Then, like a magician, he produced a small box from his pocket and offered it to Tiffany. "For you."
Inside were two identical pens. Tiffany was stunned.
Noticing her surprise, Daniel smiled. "I made all these myself. Small things, hardly worthy of praise, but it's rare to see Miss Kelley interested." He emphasized "interested," the tone inexplicably intimate.
Tiffany put the box away and sincerely apologized, "I'm sorry, I misunderstood." Since he made them, identical designs weren't unusual.
Her last doubt was dispelled. Daniel gave a slight, captivating smile, his deep gaze holding a unique tenderness. "It's alright."
Watching, Christopher was impressed and slightly shocked. 'So, Mr. Hampton is quite the actor? Anyway, as long as his identity isn't revealed!'
Later, Tiffany took Daniel to Luna Villa. Christopher carefully helped him from the vehicle into his wheelchair. June, forewarned, waited at the entrance.
As Daniel was wheeled inside, Richard felt a sense of triumph. 'After being turned away so many times, I finally managed to get in.' He turned to Tiffany, a hint of emotion on his face. Catching her calm but warning gaze, he stopped.
"Mr. Cooper, please compose yourself," Tiffany said.
Daniel thought, 'She won't let me kiss her, won't let me hug her, and now I can't even look!' Conscious of his role, Richard coolly withdrew his gaze, affecting nonchalance. Tiffany said nothing further, instructing June to arrange the guest rooms.
"Certainly, please follow me," June said, carefully assigning Daniel's group to the left side of the second floor, and Tiffany's bedroom to the right, separated by a long corridor—east and west wings.
After settling the guests, June informed Tiffany about Richard's actions at City Hall. Richard had refused to proceed with the divorce. Tiffany frowned. "But hasn't he already signed the papers?"
June explained that Tyrone, Richard's assistant, claimed the signature was a mistake. "So they want to take it slow. Miss Kelley, it's a big decision. Perhaps it would be best to wait."
"I understand. You go ahead, June," Tiffany replied.
June left. Tiffany retrieved her phone; it had been off due to numerous calls during Daniel's acupuncture treatment. Over a hundred missed calls! Family, Zoe, Abbie (who had seen the news), even Kenneth, and many unknown numbers—reporters.
Before returning any calls, her father, Charlie, called.
"Hello, Dad," Tiffany greeted.
"My dear, please don't do anything rash. Where are you? Let me pick you up," Charlie's voice was anxious, tinged with tears.
Tiffany’s heart softened. "Don't worry, Dad. I'll come home now. We'll talk."
"Alright, alright," Charlie agreed, his tone reassuring.
Tiffany texted Zoe and Abbie, then grabbed her coat and headed downstairs.
As she was leaving, someone called, "Miss Kelley."
Daniel, maneuvering his wheelchair from the elevator, didn't ask where she was going. "May I join you?"
"No, you may not," Tiffany immediately refused. Things were complicated enough; bringing Daniel would only make it harder.
"Alright," Daniel replied, smiling faintly as she left.
Two minutes later, a shadow slipped away from Luna Villa.
The divorce papers had caused a massive uproar. The recent wedding was fresh in everyone's memory; now, explosive divorce headlines! Garry had tried to suppress the news, but the rumors were uncontainable.
In his Royal Tower office, Garry wore a distressed expression. He'd impulsively found the buried divorce papers and carelessly signed them amidst other documents. The incident was largely his fault.
Tyrone, puzzled by Garry's unusual distress, cautiously asked, "Mr. Hampton, are you planning to stay at the office tonight?"
Garry, realizing it was nightfall, replied, "No," and left his office quickly.
As night fell, Garry exited the tower and was about to enter his car when he heard a fluttering sound. He turned to see a young girl, fresh-faced and charming, who had dropped a stack of documents. White sheets of paper were scattered on the ground.