Daniel maintained his silence.

Linda stole a quick glance at him and couldn't help but feel he was even more intimidating when he stayed quiet. However, his silence now carried a touch of sadness.

After a while, he spoke softly. "Is he... treating her well?"

"Whether it's good or bad, it's not your concern anymore," she replied.

"It is my concern!" Daniel's voice trembled slightly. "If he treats her well, I promise I won't disturb her anymore. But if he mistreats her, I'll do anything to bring her back to me."

"Why did you act like you did in the first place, knowing all this?" Linda asked with a bitter smile. "Where were you when she wanted to be with you the most, have children with you, and live a happy life together?"

Linda's words rendered Daniel speechless.

"Reflect on it yourself," Linda said calmly before leaving the room. "Think about what she meant to you in the past. Did you truly see her as a woman, or did you treat her as a means to alleviate your loneliness?"

Daniel slowly rose and ventured into the courtyard. The night was draped in fog, casting a veil over the sky. He shivered, lighting a cigarette.

The history between him and Maisie was straightforward.

Daniel and Maisie met at a dinner party.

Maisie was a struggling student from a modest background who had been deceived into attending by a certain businessman.

This businessman had a favor to ask of Daniel.

Even though he was no stranger to such situations and knew the businessman intended to offer Maisie to him, Daniel couldn't help but pity the anxious girl.

That night, Maisie appeared extremely uncomfortable. She had never been to such an event and didn't know when to raise her glass or speak. She resembled a lost rabbit in a forest, anxiously scanning her surroundings for a safe refuge.

Daniel politely clinked glasses with her. However, Maisie couldn't handle alcohol, and her eyes welled up with tears.

Not one to force others, Daniel asked a few questions and had his secretary arrange for Maisie's return home.

To his surprise, Maisie came to see him the next day to express her gratitude.

"What are you thanking me for?" Daniel asked with a smirk.

Unable to meet his gaze, Maisie confessed, "Thank you for not letting me stay there last night. I was deceived into going. The boss said he would give me some money if I went to the meal..." Daniel chuckled and waved it off, advising her not to take it to heart. "In the future, when you take on part-time jobs, be cautious. There's no such thing as a free lunch."

"Okay!" Maisie nodded earnestly. "I'll remember!"

Later, Daniel learned that she was truly struggling financially. She was raised in a family that favored sons over daughters, and Maisie's father had passed away when she was young. Her elder sister was married to an unemployed and abusive man, but her mother refused to allow her to divorce. Her sister-in-law shared her mother's domineering and miserly nature. Meanwhile, her elder brother was seriously ill and desperately needed money for medical treatment.

Initially, Maisie's mother had no intention of sending her to university. Only after Maisie vowed never to accept a single penny from her family did her mother reluctantly agree to support her education. In college, she worked diligently to support herself, eating the cheapest food and taking on the most grueling jobs to get through her first two years independently.

Nonetheless, the burden of her brother's medical expenses weighed heavily on her.

Her growing closeness to Daniel led to their eventual relationship. At the time, he had just ended a superficial marriage and was seeking companionship.

They each fulfilled their own needs.

She had never anticipated Daniel becoming a relentless presence in her life.

On the weekend, Toph prepared a grand and heartwarming proposal ceremony for Arya. An outdoor screen played comics they had co-created, followed by the announcement that one of their joint works would soon become an animated movie-their first project of this kind.

Toph looked at Arya, skillfully guiding a drone to land in front of her with an engagement ring. The ring featured a 5.21-carat diamond.

He held the ring and knelt, like the prince from his comics.

"Arya, I know I haven't been good enough in the past," he said, looking into her eyes and uttering each word clearly. "I couldn't let go of the past and couldn't embrace the future. I'm a rather difficult person... I have many flaws. For instance, I tend to get impatient when drawing, and I never really listen to your opinions during disagreements...

"My brother is right. I'm just an immature child.

"But..." His voice slightly choked. "Thanks to you, I've grown up."

Arya's eyes welled up, and she covered her mouth, trying hard not to let her tears fall.

"Arya, my heart is clear now... That immature child has matured. I'm a man with the sense of responsibility and duty that a man should have.

"So now, I have a request-"

Toph hadn't finished speaking when the guests erupted into cheers, urging Arya to say yes.

"Hey, stop cheering!" Toph waved his hand and flashed a sunny smile. "You didn't even let me finish what I wanted to say. Why are you making Arya say yes?"

"What do you mean?" Chris was the first to speak up. "After putting on such a performance, you're not going to propose?"

"You don't understand!" Toph raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Arya, smiling warmly. "My request is simple. Now that I've grown up, I don't know if you're willing to become a little girl, letting me cherish and pamper you for the rest of our lives?"

Sᴇarch the FindNovel.net website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Tip: You can use left, right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.Tap the middle of the screen to reveal Reading Options.

If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report
Hᴇlp us to clɪck the Aɖs and we will havε the funds to publish more chapters.