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BONUS
Chapter for reaching 100 GT! Thank you all!🤍 ]
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[EVE]
"Eve, are you alright?" Daniel asked, breathless, his voice tinged with worry.
For a moment, I was stunned. Of all the people I expected, it wasn't him. I blinked, trying to make sense of it.
"Daniel? What are you doing here?" I asked, my eyes drifting over his soaked figure, rainwater dripping from his hair and clothes.
He ran a hand through his wet hair, pushing it back as he caught his breath. "They said you had already gone back, but your things were still in the theatre. I had a feeling something might've happened," he said, his gaze sweeping over me. "Are you okay?"
A strange warmth bloomed in my chest, a feeling I hadn't experienced in a long time.
I smiled. It wasn't one of my practiced smiles, the kind I usually give to charm or disarm people. This was different — a small, genuine smile, like a flower slowly unfurling under the first light of dawn after a long storm.
"You didn't have to come looking for me," I chortled softly, glancing towards the open doorway. "My bodyguards would've found me soon enough."
Daniel didn't respond immediately. He looked down at his drenched clothes, letting out a soft chuckle as he removed his foggy glasses to wipe them dry. He was soaked to the bone, shivering slightly, but he seemed more concerned about me than his own discomfort.
"How did you even know I was here?" I asked.
He placed his glasses back on, the faintest smile tugging at his lips. "It wasn't hard to guess. Everyone knew you were headed to the storage room. When you didn't come back, I got worried."
The sincerity in his voice, combined with the sight of him standing there, drenched and panting, made something in me crack. I hadn't realized how tightly I'd been holding myself together, like a porcelain vase on the edge of a shelf. And his simple act of kindness felt like the gentle push that sent it tumbling.
"Why?" The question slipped out before I could stop it, my voice barely above a whisper. "Why did you come looking for me? You didn't have to."
Daniel's eyes softened as he met my gaze. He hesitated, then looked away, staring at the rain pouring outside. "Because," he began quietly, "you don't deserve this. And we're friends now, aren't we?"
My breath hitched, the words hitting me harder than I'd expected. They were spoken softly, almost as if he hadn't meant for me to hear them.
But I did. And they sliced through me like a blade, reopening wounds I thought had long scarred over.
It wasn't just the physical trap of being locked in this storage room. It was the years of feeling unwanted, being treated as a replacement, discarded after I'd served my purpose.
The old bitterness and heartbreak welled up inside me, threatening to spill over.
"You don't deserve to be treated like this," Daniel repeated, his voice barely louder than the rain. He didn't look at me, but I could see the tension in his shoulders, the quiet anger on my behalf.
A lump formed in my throat, and my vision blurred with unshed tears. The pain, the betrayal, the feeling of being cast aside — it all crashed over me in waves, memories of the past flooding back with each heartbeat.
For the first time in years, someone had acknowledged it. Someone had seen through the mask I wore and the lies I told myself. And that simple truth shattered me.
I took a shaky step towards him, grabbing a fistful of his soaked shirt, needing to hold onto something solid. My voice cracked as I whispered, "Thank you, Daniel."
He finally turned to face me, his eyes searching mine. For a second, there was no mask, no pretense between us — just two people standing under the rain-soaked silence, sharing a moment of raw, unfiltered honesty.
The storm outside raged on, but inside, something in me quieted. The tempest of emotions that had been tearing me apart began to calm, replaced by a warmth I hadn't felt in what seemed like a lifetime.
Daniel placed his hand over mine, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "You're not alone, Eve," he said softly. "Not anymore."
For the first time in a long while, I believed him.
A friend. The word felt foreign, almost unfamiliar, but it had a comforting ring to it. I hadn't realized how much I needed this — someone who saw me, not as a pawn or a stepping stone, but as a person worth caring about.
Everything was changing, and for once, I found myself welcoming it.
As I stood there, watching the rain pour down, a voice cut through the sound of the storm.
"Well, this is a sight for sore eyes," a familiar voice suddenly said.
I whipped my head around, startled.
There, by the door, was Cole, leaning casually against the frame with his arms crossed and an umbrella dangling from one hand.
I quickly let go of Daniel's hand, the gesture almost instinctive. I noticed the flash of hurt in his eyes, but I was too stunned by Cole's sudden appearance to fully process it.
"Cole . . . ?" I managed, unsure of what to say. The air around him was electric with barely contained fury, and my heart clenched in my chest.
It was a different kind of worry — not for my safety but for the danger Cole exuded in that moment.
He stepped closer, his eyes flickering between Daniel and me. Daniel didn't back down. In fact, he positioned himself slightly in front of me, as if shielding me from Cole's anger.
"What are you two doing here?" Cole's voice was clipped, his tone barely masking the anger simmering beneath. His eyes narrowed at me. "You didn't show up on time. I was worried. And now I find you here, with him? Are you sneaking out here with this guy? Are you two dating?"
I felt my shock morph into irritation. My brows furrowed, and I shot Cole a glare. "What on earth are you talking about? And it's none of your business if we're dating or not."