Daniel clenched his jaw. After looking into her eyes, he finally loosened his grip.
"I’m sorry," Chantelle quickly said to Rowan and his brothers once Daniel let go of Oscar’s wrist. Then she grabbed Daniel and pulled him into a changing room backstage.
As the door slammed shut, Daniel suddenly felt uncomfortable.
"Talk. What are you trying to pull?" Chantelle leaned against the white wall with her arms crossed. She looked at him with a mix of sarcasm and expectation.
Daniel cleared his throat and said seriously, "I just don’t like other men getting close to you. I got a little annoyed, that’s all."
Chantelle’s voice turned cold. "So because of that, you’re ready to ruin my show; the one I’ve worked so hard?"
She looked him straight in the eyes. "I know you’re possessive and like to keep everything to yourself. You don’t want anyone touching what you think is yours. But guess what? I’m not your lap dog, Mr. Wilson. If you can’t handle seeing me talk to other men, then stay far away from me."
Daniel realized he had gone too far. Even six years ago, he never saw Chantelle as just something he owned. He only said those words to scare the Nelsen brothers.
"I wasn’t thinking. Please forgive me, my wife."
As he spoke, he reached out to hold her waist.
"Don’t start with your usual tricks, Mr. Wilson!" Chantelle snorted.
"You better understand this, I won’t live in anyone’s fantasy anymore. No one can stop me from doing what I want. If you keep hurting the people around me without a real reason, then I’m sorry. I’m not the woman you should keep by your side."
Chantelle pushed him away with full force. Daniel stumbled back and hit the wall behind him.
A sharp pain shot through his back. He winced and couldn’t help but feel a little hurt, both physically and emotionally.
"How long have you ever known them? Are you really picking a fight with me because of them? What do you mean I’m hurting the people around you? Aren’t I one of the closest people in your life?"
"Mr. Wilson, you know exactly what I meant. Don’t twist my words. It’s your choice whether you listen or not. Either way, I’ll do what I want."
After saying that, Chantelle pushed him aside and walked out of the changing room.
She was really hurt by how Daniel saw her as if she was just something he owned. It had always been like that. Even back then, he didn’t love her, but he also wouldn’t let her be close to any other man.
Even with someone like Philip, Chantelle was only allowed to say a few words. There could never be any kind of physical contact. Even casual conversations had to be short.
She used to ask Daniel why he acted like that. His answer had always been the same.
"I don’t like other people touching what’s mine."
To him, she was probably just a toy. He could choose to like it or toss it aside whenever he wanted. But no one else was allowed to touch it.
Her feelings didn’t matter to him. What she thought meant nothing.
Daniel didn’t run after her. He was afraid he’d lose his temper and cause a scene. That would mess up the whole fashion show.
Besides, even if he did chase her, he didn’t know what to say.
He stayed in the changing room for a while, smoking a cigarette alone. When he finally stepped out, he saw Railer standing right outside the door.
"What are you doing here? Where’s Kane?"
Lately, the two were always together. Seeing Railer alone made Daniel think something might’ve happened between him and Kane.
"Kane’s with Mommy. Steph too," Railer said softly. His eyes looked sad.
Daniel brought him to a nearby rest area and sat down with him.
"Why didn’t you go with them?" he asked.
He knew Railer really liked being around Chantelle.
"Maybe Mommy only wants to be with Kane and Steph," Railer said, looking up at Daniel. His face showed hesitation and doubt.
Daniel always saw Railer as the calm and mature one. It was rare to see him look so much like a child. That’s when Daniel felt something wasn’t right.
"Don’t overthink it. Mommy loves you very much," he said.
"It’s not the same," Railer said in a small voice. "Dad, you know....I heard Mommy tell Kane and Steph that they’re the most important people to each other. That no one can ever separate them. She said they’re family. So, I realized I might not be a part of their family."
"Did Mommy really say that?" Daniel felt a vortex of emotions rise in his chest.
So much time had passed. He really thought Chantelle had moved on. He believed she would slowly accept him again.
But now, it seemed like she didn’t even see Railer as family.
Chantelle always loved kids. There was no reason she wouldn’t take Railer as her son. Was this all his fault?
"Daddy, I don’t want to lose Mommy. I want her to love me like she loves Kane and Steph. Can you help me?"
Railer buried himself in Daniel’s arms, crying silently.
Right then, Daniel felt like both he and his son had been left behind. It hurt more than he could explain.
"Don’t worry. Daddy will do his best to make Mommy love you like she loves Kane and Steph," Daniel said. His throat ached as he swallowed the lump rising in it.
He took Railer with him to find Chantelle.
When they arrived, they saw her fixing Stephanie’s clothes. Kane was playing nearby and laughing.
Chantelle was pinching Kane’s cheek when she looked up and saw them. Her smile quickly disappeared the moment she looked into Daniel’s eyes.
Daniel felt his chest was about to explode. He gently pushed Railer towards Chantelle.
Railer slowly walked over and called her "Mommy."
Chantelle crouched down and ran her hand through Railer’s hair. Her smile was soft, but it didn’t have the same warmth or spark she gave with Kane and Stephanie.
Daniel had never paid much attention to it before. But after seeing it now, he realized something. Railer always seemed like an outsider. He didn’t really feel like a part of their world. It was like he was just circling around them.
Just then, Ashton came. "Sir, Camille wants to see you."
Daniel snapped out of his thoughts. "What does she want?"
His mood was already bad. Whoever crossed him now was going to feel it.