Ch. 2131..2140
Chapter 2131 Two Becomes One
The corners of Danrique’s lips quirked up as he watched Francesca chatting friendly with the household staff.
He liked watching her blending into his life and chatting away happily in the house. “I'll head up first.”
“Go on.” Francesca limped up the stairs slowly with her injured leg and the tail of Danrique’s coat dragging behind her.
Danrique had already reached the upper part of the stairs and intentionally slowed down to wait for her.
However, she still couldn't keep up. With a frown, he halted his steps and reached his hand out to her.
Francesca pursed her lips and glared at him. Despite that, she still put her hand in his after she caught up to him. With a slight tug from him, he lifted her into his arms.
The long coat slipped onto the stairs, but his steps didn't falter. He carried her up the stairs toward her room.
"You haven't explain.”
Francesca's heart pounded upon seeing the closeup of his handsome face, but she reminded herself to keep her wits with her.
I have to know what's going on between him and Hazel this time.
Danrique ignored her question and carried her into her room. With a kick to the bathroom door, the door slammed open, and he threw her into the water-filled bathtub.
Plop!
Water splashed everywhere.
Francesca grasped onto the rim of the bathtub tightly like a lifeline. She sucked in mouthful after mouthful of air into her lungs once her head was out of the water.
Danrique started unbuttoning his shirt while staring at her.
“Danrique, you b*stard!”
Francesca finally caught her breath and slapped the water in the tub.
“If I'm a b*stard, then what are you?”
Danrique tossed his shirt to the side and started on his pants.
"You—" Francesca was about to cuss him out when she noticed he was taking off his pants. “What are you doing?” she exclaimed with surprise.
“What do you think?” After his pants fell to the floor, he stepped into the tub.
"Ah!" Francesca covered her eyes with her hands and turned her back to him. “Y-You don’t come any closer—"
Before she could finish her sentence, Danrique had held onto her nape, turned her around and pressed his lips harshly against her soft ones.
Francesca's eyes widened with shock. She tried to struggle, but he had her confined to a corner of the bathtub. He grabbed onto her wrists and held them above her head against the wall.
His fervent kiss was like a storm battling her, making her lose her head.
Soon, thoughts of breaking free were thrown out of her mind. Her body trembled in his embrace as passion engulfed her like a tidal wave.
The temperature in the bathroom began to rise. The passion they had for each other overwhelmed them. Their desire couldn't be suppressed any longer and burned wildly inside them.
Right before he entered her body, Danrique held her face as he panted. “Are you scared?” Francesca's tiny body continued to tremble. Panic filled her clear, big eyes, yet she wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him toward her.
“It'll hurt, so bear with the pain for a bit.”
Danrique nipped on her ear as he lowered his hips. He was like a beast gnawing at her. Francesca's body arced from the pain. Tears flowed from her eyes as she bit down hard on his shoulder. Her arms circled his waist tightly and her nails nearly broke his skin.
Danrique was satisfied with her response. He slowed down his movement as he kissed her.
At that moment, the two had become one. The estrangement between them was gone.
Francesca thought she would be repelled and would be scared when she fantasized about this happening. She thought she would reject the idea but was surprised to learn that she was willing to submit herself to the man she loved.
Tenderness stirred within Danrique when he felt how pure and innocent she was. He didn't dare to move too rashly. Instead, he was very gentle with her.
Snowflakes fluttered outside the window as though they were dancing, cheering for their beautiful love.
After a long while, Francesca tiredly slumped against Danrique’s chest and slowly drifted to sleep like a soft kitten.
Chapter 2132 Happiness
Danrique gazed tenderly at the sleeping woman in his arms. When he realized how different she looked from her usual fierce and arrogant self, he couldn't help but chuckle.
After kissing her on her forehead, he promptly wrapped a towel around her and carried her to bed. Francesca instinctively rolled under the covers, where she curled into a ball and went back to sleep. Even when Danrique grabbed a hairdryer to dry her hair, she barely roused as she snuggled up to him and rested her head on his lap.
Just like that, Danrique ran his slender fingers gently through her hair until he had gotten it completely dry.
After a quick clean-up, he lay on his side next to Francesca and watched her quietly.
However, he soon found it impossible to resist her cuteness and leaned in to trail kisses down her forehead to her cheeks.
Then, he gently bit her lips until she woke up.
Despite still being in a daze, Francesca moaned and instinctively cuddled the man as her hand began to roam over his body. “You scoundrel!”
Needless to say, Danrique was more than pleased with her response. Without further ado, he cupped her face and kissed her passionately.
Soon, things turned passionate between them, and grunts of ecstasy rang out from the room. Upon hearing those unmistakable sounds of lovemaking, the maids who had come to deliver meals for the second time blushed and quickly retreated.
Norah, on the other hand, beamed with delight when she saw their reaction. “Are they still at it?” The maids nodded shyly.
“Hahaha! Oh, that's wonderfull” Norah exclaimed while clapping her hands. “That means we can look forward to having little princes and princesses next year! Haha!"
Before long, the other maids had also joined in the cheering and laughing.
Sean and Gordon exchanged glances, and there was no doubt they were feeling just as happy for Danrique.
Sloan, however, was the only one who remained sullen.
“Hey, Sloan, what's the matter with you?” Mylo whispered as he pulled the man aside. “Do you still have feelings for Ms. Felch? I suggest you get over her and move on. Otherwise, you'll land yourself in hot water!”
“No, no,” Sloan mumbled. “Why would I have impure thoughts about Ms. Felch? She's my savior and also Mr. Lindberg’s woman. I have nothing but respect and admiration for her. It's just...” "What is it?” Mylo probed.
“I'm just worried,” Sloan replied as he looked toward the master bedroom. “Mr. Lindberg's so big while Ms. Felch’s so petite. What if she can't take it?”
After hearing that, Mylo instantly smacked the back of Sloan's head. “Shut up! Don’t say nonsense like that again!”
"Okay..." the latter whined as he hung his head in shame. “But Ms. Felch will be happy, won't she?” "Of course! Mr. Lindberg is an elite among men, but despite having women from all over the world throwing themselves at him, he only has eyes for Ms. Felch! We should be happy for her for being so blessed.”
“Ms. Felch is just as amazing!” Sloan retorted, looking slightly miffed. “She's the best girl in the world and every man’s dream wife, but she only loves Mr. Lindberg. He's mighty blessed too!” "Will you just shut up?” Mylo scolded as he pulled Sloan's ear. “Where does your loyalty lie exactly? Don't forget you work for Mr. Lindberg!”
With that, Sloan once again lowered his head and said nothing more. My only wish is for Ms. Felch to live happily ever after. What's wrong with that?
Upstairs, the couple continued going at it until evening, when Francesca finally fell asleep on Danrique’s chest.
The sight of a petite woman lying comfortably on a big, muscular body was, without a doubt, beautiful.
Not only was Francesca rising and falling with Danrique’s breathing, but she could also hear his strong and steady heartbeat
In return, the latter wrapped his arms tightly around her in a warm and loving embrace.
They were undeniably in love, and they were happy.
Chapter 2133 In Trouble
All of a sudden, Francesca shuddered as a nightmare jolted her awake. She was struggling to get out of bed when Danrique quickly pulled her back with a hug. “What's the matter?”
“I think something's happened to William,” Francesca blurted. “Monica told me earlier that—"
Alas, an annoyed Danrique cupped her face and interrupted, “Shoosh! You're not allowed to think of other men when you're with me.” “That's not it. I—"
Before Francesca could finish her words, Danrique kissed her hard, thinking that'd be the best way to shut her up. No matter how much she struggled, the latter refused to let her go.
Just then, they heard a loud rap at the bedroom door. “Mr. Lindberg, I have something urgent to report,” Sean shouted.
Knowing how dangerous it was to disturb Danrique at that moment, the poor man couldn't stop sweating bullets.
Francesca quickly used the opportunity to push Danrique away and glare at him. “We've already done it four times, and my body is about to fall apart. Do you really still want more?”
“Fine. I'll let you off this time,” Danrique said as he playfully bit her earlobe and got out of bed. “Stay in the room. Don't wander about.”
After a quick shower, he changed into a fresh set of clothes and hurriedly left the room.
Francesca made a face at the retreating figure before getting out of bed to take a shower too.
It wasn't long before she realized there were traces of him all over her body and how sore and painful she was. My goodness. It feels like my body has been taken apart and pieced together again!
However, as soon as Francesca recalled how intimate she and Danrique had been, she couldn't help but turn crimson.
When she heard some noise outside the bathroom, she thought the latter had returned and hastily stuck her head out to check. To her surprise, it was Norah who had brought two maids along to clean the room.
Upon seeing Francesca peeping at them, Norah burst into laughter. “We're here on Mr. Lindberg's orders, Ms. Felch. Please, carry on with your shower. We'll be done cleaning by the time you're out.” Still as red as a tomato, Francesca quickly ducked back into the bathroom and continued with her shower.
Sure enough, the sounds outside died down after a while, and Norah's voice rang out. “We've finished cleaning up, Ms. Felch. I've left your clothes on the sofa. You can take a rest after your shower. We'll bring you your dinner immediately.”
“All right. Thank you, Mdm. Norah,” Francesca replied, albeit still somewhat embarrassed.
Once she was certain Norah had left, she wrapped herself in a towel and walked out of the bathroom
As expected, the room was spick and span, and even the bedsheets and pillowcases were all replaced. A set of casual attire in Francesca’s size was also neatly placed on the sofa, right next to her backpack.
Francesca quickly got dressed and took out her phone from the backpack to call William
However, when she realized his phone was off, she decided to call Robin instead.
After a long while, the latter finally picked up the phone. “Ms. Felch!”
“Robin, where's William? Why can't I get through to him?”
“His Highness is currently resting. He isn't feeling too well...”
“It's been more than twenty hours since we left! Does he have to rest for that long?” Francesca asked anxiously. “Has something happened to him?”
“No. He's all right...”
“Robin.”
“I'm sorry, Ms. Felch, but my wound’s hurting. I'll talk to you later.”
With that, Robin hung up before Francesca could say anything else. He knew he couldn't fool her, nor did he know how to lie to her. As much as he hated it, pushing her away was his only option. Unfortunately, Francesca had more or less figured out what was going on.
If I'm not wrong, William must have been taken away by his grandfather's men. After all, I ran off with the secrets of Danontand's royal family. There's no way Federico would let him off.
Just then, Danrique opened the door and strode into the room. When he noticed Francesca holding her phone and looking incredibly worried, he couldn't help but furrow his brows. “Why do you care so much about him?”
"He's my friend, and besides, I'm partly responsible for this matter,” Francesca explained. “You've come at the right time. I have something to discuss with you.”
“So do I,” Danrique replied flatly. “But you should have your dinner first. We can talk after.”
Eager to settle the matter as soon as possible, Francesca insisted, “I think it's better if we talked first. Otherwise, I won't have any mood to eat.”
“I'm worried you won't have an appetite left after you've said your piece...”
Chapter 2134 Swear
Left without a choice, Danrique walked to the sofa and sat down beside Francesca. “But if I don't let you speak now, I doubt you'd have the mood to do anything else. Fine. Speak your mind, then.” “Okay, but first, what did you want to tell me?” Francesca asked as she eyed the man uneasily. Danrique raised his chin haughtily. “You first.”
"Are you going to marry Hazel?" Francesca suddenly snapped as she clenched her fists. “If you dare do that, I'll kill you!” Upon hearing that, Danrique burst out laughing.
The next second, Francesca launched herself at him and cupped his face. “You have to take responsibility for what you've done to me! You're not allowed to have a change of heart, and you're also not allowed to dump me!”
"Got it,” Danrique said with a nod. “I won't have a change of heart, and I won't dump you either!” “Then—"
“I won't marry any other women, nor will I touch them,” he added as he pinched Francesca’s chin and gazed fondly at her. “You've always been the only one for me, and that will never change. Now, will you rest easy?”
At last, a satisfied grin crept across Francesca's face. “Yes.”
Danrique kissed her forehead and added, “Go on, then.”
"Okay, so here's what happened...”
Francesca began by sharing the entire story from her point of view and how it all started when William first called her.
It was half an hour later when she finally finished giving the rundown. To her credit, not only did she remain objective the whole time, but she also made sure not to share her own emotions or opinions about the matter.
Then, she capped it all off by mimicking what William had told her to relay to Danrique. “Tell him that I need his help. If he's willing to help me this time, Ill do anything to repay him!”
After having heard everything, Danrique narrowed his eyes and smirked. “Did he really say that?"
"I repeated his message word for word! He was very solemn when he said it, so I remembered it clearly.”
Danrique merely grunted in acknowledgment and nodded, not saying anything more.
Needless to say, Francesca was dumbfounded. “That's it? Is there nothing else you want to add?” "Why aren't you angry after the way William has taken advantage of you and deceived you?” Danrique finally asked.
“I was pretty mad at him in the beginning,” Francesca said while pouting in annoyance. “But after thinking about his situation, I began to understand him a little better. I've always known William's life was tough, but I only truly experienced it for myself this time round. Can you imagine how vicious his enemies must be to poison more than eighty people in his castle? Not only do they want him dead, but they also refuse to go easy on those working for him. And despite being a prince, William has never dared to accuse those plotting to kill him because he knows his own father would never uphold justice for him. That's why he had to rely on me to uncover the truth and give him a chance to appeal. Of course, he shouldn't have dragged you into this mess, but he’s at his wits’ end!”
Now that her speech was over, it was clear that Francesca felt a great deal of pity for William.
"Are you sure there are absolutely no romantic feelings between you and him?” Danrique queried. “Not even a tiny bit?"
“I swear there aren't any! You're the only man I have feelings for.”
“Haha! You've finally said it!" Danrique exclaimed with a chuckle.
That was the first time she had been so open about her feelings toward him, and even though it might not seem much to her, it sure meant a great deal to him.
Thanks to her words of assurance, Danrique finally felt at ease and could focus on what he needed to do.
q
Chapter 2135 A Call From Monica
"What?" Francesca still did not understand what he meant. “Do you have nothing else to ask me?” “No.” Danrique shook his head. “All right, let's eat then.”
“Wait!” Francesca hurriedly stopped him. “Didn't you say that you have something to tell me just now?"
"What I wanted to say was...” Danrique held her chin and gazed into her eyes. “Let's get married!” Francesca froze and blurted out, “What? When?"
"As soon as possible,” Danrique muttered as he brushed his thumb across her lips. “I want to marry you. What about you? Do you want to marry me?”
"Of course,” came her instant reply.
A pleased smile grew on Danrique’s lips. Then, he held the back of her head and kissed her passionately.
Francesca, who was sitting on his lap, cupped his face and enthusiastically responded to his kiss. Right in the middle of their fiery kissing, someone knocked on the door again. “Sir, Mr. Donald is here.”
Danrique had no choice but to let Francesca go. As he wiped the stain on her lips, he gently told her, “Dig in first. I'll be back in a moment.”
"Okay." Francesca nodded obediently before watching him leave.
Only after the door closed behind him did she recall that she had yet to plead with him about William's matter. He had yet to tell her whether or not he would save William.
My, I keep losing myself in his charm. He always ends up taking control of the situation and making me forget about important matters. Well, he’s busy right now, so I can't disturb him. I should eat first.
Francesca was genuinely hungry, for she had not eaten for the entire day. Upon seeing the delectable dishes on the table, she could not help but gobble up as quickly as she could.
In the middle of her meal, her phone rang again. It was from Monica. Hastily, she picked up the call and put it on speakers. “Hey, Monica.”
“Ms. Felch, are you in the middle of something?”
“No, I'm just eating.”
“I see. Is it convenient for you to have a talk?”
“Sure. I'm alone in the room while he's in the study,” Francesca said, knowing what Monica wanted to ask. "What's the matter? Is it about William?”
“I tried to contact His Highness again, but I still can’t reach him. Robin isn't picking up my calls either. I've asked my colleagues to look into the matter, and I think the king's men might have taken him away.”
“I'm the one who got him into this,” Francesca whispered in regret. She had lost her appetite thinking about what happened to William.
“Ms. Felch, the only one who can save His Highness is Mr. Lindberg. Can you please ask for his help?” Monica pleaded anxiously. “It'll be easy for Mr. Lindberg to rescue His Highness, and it won't come at a price for him..."
“I'll find an opportunity to tell him about this,” Francesca promptly consoled. “Calm down. I'll make the arrangements, so just be at ease and make sure you heal up.”
“Okay...” Monica muttered. “I'll wait for your good news. Please feel free to come to me if you need me for anything.”
"Of course.” After ending the call, Francesca continued to wait in the room. However, there was still no sign of Danrique even after an hour. Right then, a familiar voice came from outside. “Sean, say something to Danrique. How can he be so stubborn?”
"Haha. Mr. Lindberg must have come to a decision of his own,” Sean said with a chuckle. “Don't worry..."
“This isn't the same! This is an invitation from the president—"
Donald halted mid-sentence because Francesca had stepped out of the room.
His eyes widened almost comically at Francesca with disbelief written all over his face. “W-What—" “Hello,” Francesca greeted politely before turning to Sean. “Is he done?”
“Ms. Felch, Mr. Lindberg is still working through the documents,” Sean replied. “Let me lead you to him.”
“It's fine. You can escort the guest out instead. I'll look for him myself.”
With that, Francesca strode toward the study barefooted.
q
Chapter 2136 In Their DNA
"W-When did she return?” asked Donald urgently as he pulled Sean to the side.
“This morning,” answered Sean with a smile. “Mr. Lindberg went to the airport personally to pick her up.”
"Huh?" said Donald. He was practically dumbfounded. “Didn't they break up? Also, Danrique had already implicitly admitted to the rumors related to the Atkinson family, hadn't he? There's also the matter regarding Federico..."
“Those are Mr. Lindberg's personal matters, so I really don’t know much about them,” said Sean to interrupt the guy. He smiled. “Mr. Donald, please allow me to escort you back.”
“But what is going on here?” demanded Donald who was on edge. “Danrique isn't going to marry that woman, is he? Is she the reason he kept turning down the president's offer down?”
“Maybe,” replied Sean nonchalantly.
"Come on!" said Donald. He was utterly stunned. “Why would he be that stubborn? What could he possibly see in her? That woman isn't even that hot, and...”
“Hush,” said someone quickly to cut Donald's words short. After that, she reminded him. “Mr. Lindberg cares deeply about Ms. Felch, so he will be upset if he overhears what you said.”
“Well, I...”
Donald was so angry that he was going insane. Unfortunately, all he could do was walk away in exasperation.
"Goodbye, Mr. Donald.”
Sean stared at the guy's back and resisted the urge to laugh aloud. He is so blinded by his desire to keep his power intact that he worries too much.
He's not Mr. Lindberg's father, so there is nothing he can do. In fact, I bet he'd be just as helpless, even if he were the father.
Mr. Lindberg has always been proud and will never allow anyone to dissuade him after he makes a decision. Not even the angels above can stop him from marrying Ms. Felch if that is what he wants. Hence, someone as powerless as Mr. Donald definitely can’t do anything about it.
Knock! Knock!
Francesca knocked on the door politely, but she didn't wait for a reply before she entered Danrique’s study room.
"Are you done eating?”
Danrique didn't even need to look to know who it was.
"How did you know it was me?”
Francesca made her way to the side of the table and sat on the black sofa that was placed in front of Danrique. She put her legs on the chair at the side and turned it as though she were a child
“No one else would dare to enter without my permission,” replied Danrique. He shifted his gaze and saw what Francesca was doing. He couldn't help smiling at that. “I guess I'll have to build an amusement park within the compound someday.”
"Yes, please. This place is huge, and you can totally fit an amusement park in here.”
Francesca giggled like an innocent and carefree kid.
She didn't quite know why, but she would always feel like a kid whenever she was with him.
“Then you will have to bear me lots of children. That way, there will be others to play with you,” said Danrique.
He leaned against the backseat and stared lovingly at her.
"Well..." said Francesca. She thought about the physical state of her body, and that got the glow in her eyes to shift. She recovered quickly though and smiled soon after. “We'll let fate decides.”
“We don't need fate for that,” replied Danrique. He rolled his eyes and pointed out, “My family has tons of triplets. It's in our DNA. All I need is to get you pregnant once, and we'll have more kids than we can handle.”
“Triplets?” murmured Francesca. She stopped playing with the chair and hovered over Danrique’s desk. Curious, she asked, “If that's the case, then why don’t you have any siblings?”
“I have siblings, but they passed away,” replied Danrique calmly. “My mom actually gave birth to triplets, but I'm the only survivor. Someone killed my siblings shortly after they were born.”
“Gh...”
Francesca felt her heart aching. She never knew that Danrique had suffered through so much.
“My aunt, my dad, and my late uncle were triplets as well, but they didn't live for long, either.”
The mere mention of that past got a self-mocking grin on Danrique’s lips. “There's actually an old wives’ tale that said members of the Lindberg family are fated to die young, but the truth has nothing to do with heaven or hell. The internal conflict within the family is the real reason we keep dying.
“Everything is fine now, though. I've killed the rest of them, so I have the final say.”
Danrique kept his tone even when he told Francesca that story. It was almost as though he was sharing a small fact about his family.
q
Chapter 2137 The Past
Francesca was stunned and kept her eyes on him. They had known each other for quite some time, but she had never seen that side of him before.
He never talked about his family, either. They slept together, and that must've changed things. Perhaps that was why he was finally willing to let her in his heart and why he no longer felt the need to hide anything from her.
"What's wrong? Are you scared?” asked Danrique as he shifted his gaze to Francesca.
“No,” replied Francesca as she shook her head. “I think that, deep down, you are a kind man who will not kill for no reason. You definitely won't hurt anyone who didn’t have it coming.”
That was what she truly believed in. Francesca recalled what had happened when they had just met. Everyone was lost in the forest in Lightspring at the time. Danrique had Sean and Sloan run first while he stayed back to buy them more time.
Someone as powerful as Danrique would always have subordinates who would die to protect him. Yet, Danrique protected his men and demanded that they leave.
That wasn't the only time something like that happened, either. There were several other encounters where Danrique had put others’ safety over his own.
He might seem cruel and unloving on the surface, but the truth was that he cared for the people around him deeply. That was why he could inspire loyalty among his men.
Francesca didn't think that a man as honorable as Danrique would kill an innocent person. "Everyone calls me a bloodthirsty demon, and here you are, claiming that I am kind,” said Danrique. "You really are too innocent. You know that, right?”
“Nope, I don't know that at all,” insisted Francesca while pouting in annoyance. “I trust my instincts, and I know a good man when I see one.”
When Danrique saw how cute she looked, his lips curved into a sexy grin. He waved at her. “Come here.”
While barefoot, Francesca crawled onto the desk like a cat.
Danrique dragged her into his embrace right away and had her sit on his lap. He kept his arm around her waist and used his free hand to pinch her chin to force her to look into his eyes.
"What if I were to tell you that I wanted to kill those people? What would you think of me then?” "What would I think?” said Francesca. “You are mine, so naturally, I will trust you. You must have your reasons for wanting to kill them.”
“That's true,” replied Danrique as he nodded. “They laced the wine with poison and tried to kill me. All 1 did was return the favor.”
"You..."
“I switched the wine glasses,” said Danrique calmly. “They ended up drinking the very poison they got me. When they realized what was going on, they sent assassins after me, so I killed all of them.” It didn't look as though he were talking about a dark past when he spoke in such a casual manner. It was almost as if he were telling someone else's story.
Francesca's heart broke when she heard that.
Danrique kept everything simple and never cried over the injustice done to him, but anyone could imagine how difficult the situation was for a sixteen-year-old boy. His family failed to poison him, so they sent their subordinate to assassinate him..
Every crime he committed was only done to protect himself.
If he hadn't retaliated, he and all those who protected him would've died.
Heartbroken, Francesca hugged him to offer some comfort.
She knew that he was in pain and was sad. At the end of the day, he was only human and was being chased after by his family... There was no way that wouldnt hurt.
The only problem was that he was too good at hiding his emotions and pretending to be strong. At the same time, he was also good at letting go.
That was why he never bothered explaining anything to others and would simply let them assume that he was a bloodthirsty monster.
It seemed Danrique Lindberg never needed anybody else's approval... except the woman he loved. "Did I scare you?” asked Danrique while caressing her face.
“No,” answered Francesca. All she felt was heartache for him, and he could see that in her eyes.
“I shouldn't have told you any of this,” murmured Danrique before he planted a kiss on her head. “Those memories just come flooding into my head suddenly because...”
“Because of William?” asked Francesca softly.
“Yeah,” replied Danrique while nodding. “In a way, his situation is similar to the one I was in when I was younger. However, there is a slight difference though.
“I had my Aunt Isabella protecting me, and I was physically fit. That makes my past self luckier than him.
“The other difference is that I have only ever turned to my Aunt Isabella for help. I never turned to anyone else or owe any favors. I certainly never took advantage of or con others...”
Chapter 2138 Argued
Hearing that, Francesca couldn't put up an argument. Danrique was right. His strength was that he refused to bow down to others, regardless of how powerless he was. He would always tap into his inner strength and find a way to solve his problems.
William, however, depended heavily on others to help him. But that was understandable, though. After all, Danrique had his aunt on his side despite having to fight at a young age. She helped him and prepared him for his future. He was also physically fit and could throw a punch, should the situation demand it. William, however, had absolutely nothing.
Naturally, those were just external factors. The most important part was also the most obvious one. Even if William were physically fit, he still wouldn't be as strong as Danrique.
The two men were fundamentally different. Danrique was inhumanly strong and incredibly persistent. Those qualities were something only a handful of people had.
That was why he became the man he was, and why William remained helpless. At the end of the day, the two men were on different levels. Francesca knew that very well.
The problem was that she couldn't bear to watch William get into trouble. He had faith in her and had put over eighty people's lives, including his, in her hands. She couldn't let them die just like that. She simply couldn't...
“Are you here to ask me to help William?” asked Danrique. Finally, he got to the point. “Yeah,” replied Francesca. She cut to the chase as well. “It's just as you guessed. I only returned to Xendale to deal with this matter.”
Danrique frowned deeply upon hearing those words. “I thought you came back for me.”
“I miss you too, but...”
Danrique pushed Francesca away before she could finish speaking.
After that, he turned around and continued reading his documents. He refused to even look at her. “Danrique,” murmured Francesca as she poked his muscular shoulder with her finger. “Are you mad?”
Danrique ignored her and kept working away.
The lighting in the room made him look even more distant.
Francesca suddenly felt wronged. She didn’t even know what went wrong. They had just begun talking about the matter, and he was suddenly mad.
She didn’t know what her mistakes were.
"Stop working for now. Let's talk about this,” requested Francesca as she swayed his arm. “This thing with William...”
“Ugh, William this and William that. All you care about is that guy,” roared Danrique angrily. He couldn't hold his anger in anymore. “You wouldn't even come to Xendale to talk to me if it weren't for him, huh?”
“That's not true. I..."
“You just said that you are back for him!" Danrique pointed out what she said earlier.
“I... Ah!" All the twists and turns had confused her so much that she didn't even know how to explain the situation. In the end, she simply said, “Ugh, let's not dwell on that part anymore, okay? The point is that you are the only one who can help William now.”
Danrique didn't reply. He simply glared at her.
"Okay, let me just clarify something. Will you be affected if you help him?” asked Francesca sternly. “Will it cause you any trouble at all?”
“No,” answered Danrique directly.
“Then, help him,” requested Francesca urgently. “Over eighty lives are depending on you, and saving one can earn you a lifetime of luck. The good karma you'll get from this will..."
“I don't need good karma or luck,” replied Danrique. He flung her hand away. “I have committed countless sins in my life, so nothing good will come to me, even if I were to save their lives.”
“But William has already promised that he will take you as his boss and do whatever you want in the future if you help him,” said Francesca. She was panicking a little.
"Oh, puh-lease. There are countless people out there who would love to have me as their boss, so I don't need William to do that for me,” smirked Danrique.
"You..." said Francesca. His counter had left her utterly speechless, and for a moment there, she didn't know what to say to convince him to help. In the end, she decided to be unreasonable. “Gah, I don't care. You must save them, or I'll..."
"You'll what?" taunted Danrique as he raised his brows at her.
“I'll refuse to marry you.”
Francesca couldn't think of anything, so she said those words to mess with him.
Chapter 2139 Persistence
"Oh, is that so?” said Danrique. He became even angrier after hearing what she said. “So you won't marry me unless I save him, huh? Does that mean you have only agreed to marry me for his sake? You came back to me for his sake, so did you also sleep with me to help him?"
"You!" She was stunned for a second there, but she soon became so angry that she turned into a shade of red. “Danrique Lindberg, you a*shole. Go to hell!”
After yelling all that, she grabbed a pen from the desk and threw it at him before leaving in a puff. Danrique glared at her back. He was just as angry and was fuming.
“What's wrong, Mr. Lindberg? Did you two get into a fight?” asked Sean cautiously as he opened the door and entered the room.
“Isn't that freaking obvious?” said Danrique angrily.
“Right,” replied Sean. He quickly explained himself. “I saw Ms. Felch leaving earlier in a puff. She was so angry that she didn’t even notice me greeting her.”
“That stupid woman,” grumbled Danrique. The mere mention of her got him fuming again.
“Isn't everything fine just earlier? How did the two of you get into another fight?” asked Sean who simply didn't understand what was going on.
“I honestly don't know what goes on in that mind of her. There are times when she is so sweet and cute, and the way she behaved suggested that her love for me is real. Yet, the moment everything is good, she starts talking nonstop about William. All she thinks about is how to rescue him,” complained Danrique while fuming. “She destroyed whatever romance there was in the air.”
“Ms. Felch is a doctor and takes others’ wellbeing seriously,” said Sean carefully to calm Danrique down. “I think her feelings for Prince William are platonic. I bet she just wants to save him because she is kind and wants to keep her promise.”
Danrique didn't reply. He simply narrowed his eyes and put on a face that suggested that he was thinking about something.
“You know, I think Prince William is taking advantage of those qualities of hers. He knows how kind she is, and that is why he asked her to come to Xendale to seek your help,” said Sean. “Still, that decision is yours to make, Mr. Lindberg. What do you think? Should we help him?”
“That is not the freaking point,” replied Danrique in a hostile tone. “The issue at hand is the mysterious person who went to the king and told him to keep Francesca there in Danontand. Who is the person? Why doesn’t he want her to spend time with me?”
"Huh? I didn’t even know something like that happened,” replied Sean in a surprised tone. “Could the Atkinson family be the culprit?”
“That is not possible,” replied Danrique firmly. “I met the king before. That old man is old-fashion and takes social status very seriously. As far as he is concerned, only those he deemed as equal have the right to negotiate with him. The Atkinson family definitely doesn't have what it takes to do that.” "Are you suggesting...?”
“I have a suspect in mind, but I can't be certain just yet,” replied Danrique calmly. “There is no need to figure that out for now, though. The culprit will show up eventually.”
“Understood,” replied Sean. He received the implicit message right away. “Still, Prince William shared such an important secret with Ms. Felch and confessed that he was conning her. He even sent her back to Xendale. What do you think he is planning?”
"Obviously, he is trying to get me on his side,” replied Danrique before he scoffed. “He had Francesca send me a message and ask for my help. If I were to aid him in the time of need, he will bow down to me and be my subordinate.”
Danrique paused for a moment before waving his arms in exasperation. “And he did a freaking good job at it.”
"Huh? Oh!” said Sean. He finally got what was going on. “Prince William deliberately lowered his stance and sent Ms. Felch back to Xendale in person to show you his loyalty and desire to be a part of your empire. He even shared a secret that important as a sign of loyalty.”
“You caught up quickly. Guess you're not a total idiot,” commended Danrique as he glanced approvingly. A moment later, he sneered. “That prince is willing to give up the woman he loves to save himself. He truly is a man of ambition.”
“That's true. He definitely has the persistence and the determination to make it big,” agreed Sean as he nodded.
Chapter 2140 Humanity
"He's smart and persistent, and I admire that. However, a capable man would fight his battle on his own. What kind of man would try to con others like this?”
At the end of the day, Danrique was still furious about that and looked down on William for pulling that stunt.
“He is also manipulative and sly,” said Sean before he shook his head and grinned. “Do you notice that Ms. Felch isn't mad at him even though he lied to her? My guess is that he knew that his secret was about to be exposed, so he confessed before that could happen. He also pretended to be doing everything for Ms. Felch's sake and sent her away to keep her safe.”
"Everything he does comes with an ulterior motive. Only that idiot would buy his lies. How stupid can she be?” commented Danrique while shaking his head in exasperation.
"Well, what do you think?” asked Sean cautiously. “Ms. Felch firmly believes him and has shouldered the responsibility of helping him. Will you save him?”
"What do you think?” asked Danrique.
“Well, given the current situation, it's impossible to abandon them,” replied Sean while sharing his analysis. “Ms. Felch has witnessed Prince William and over eighty of his servants being poisoned. As far as she is concerned, she is one of them. Therefore, it is her duty to save them
“If you refuse to help them at a time like this, she will likely develop a distaste for you, and that will, in turn, cause a rift in your relationship with her. Moreover, Prince William already set up a trap for you.”
“Are you referring to the mysterious man who is trying to get between Francesca and me?" asked Danrique. His eyes glowed a little differently when he murmured, “I have a pretty good idea who that is.”
“However, you need to go to Danontand to gather some evidence, right?” said Sean. He had already discovered the truth. “Prince William shared that secret with Ms. Felch because he wanted to leave things hanging. That man has a mean and scheming little mind.”
“That's true,” replied Danrique while nodding. “That doesn't matter, though. There are countless other ways to investigate the matter. That person tried to get between us once and will try again since the first attempt failed.”
“That's true. That means that Prince William is gambling with his life here,” said Sean. It seemed he had seen through all of William's tricks. “He is banking on Ms. Felch’s sense of justice and your love for her.”
Everyone knew that Francesca would not abandon the eighty-over lives in the castle. That meant that if Danrique actually ignore them and his decision resulted in the death of William and everyone else in that castle... His relationship with Francesca would definitely come to an end.
Danrique was well aware of that, and that was why he hesitated.
“It's not that bad to rescue him, anyway,” said Sean while trying to convince Danrique. “The king is probably waiting for you to decide as well. If you do, it's possible that Prince William will actually turn the table.”
"Of course,” replied Danrique. He sneered and pointed out, “None of his useless heirs have what it takes to be associated with someone as powerful as I am. If William actually manages to get me on his side, he will definitely become the best choice as the next in line to the throne.”
“That's true. If you get involved, then the poison will be meaningless and the rescue will be inevitable. That is why Prince William is counting on you to turn the situation around.”
It seemed Sean was rather excited and eager to learn what Danrique would do.
Similar to William and Federico, Sean was also holding his breath and waiting.
“It's actually okay to save him, right?” asked Sean. He could tell that Danrique was swaying. “I mean... if William becomes the king in the future, we will have a strong ally on our side.”
“That is unlikely,” replied Danrique before he sneered. “He is weak and in trouble now, so it's only natural that he behaves. That weakness will fade away once he is king, and there's a good chance he won't even thank us for our help when he is in power.
"He has been bullied his entire life. Men like that will go through drastic changes once they reach the top. It is highly possible that the first thing they do after they gain power is to eliminate all those who had seen his darker side. He would also kill everyone who had witnessed his weaker side.” “That...” said Sean. Before he could stop himself, he said, “No way! That won't happen, right? I mean, you didn’t turn out that way...”
As soon as he finished speaking, he lowered his head apologetically and said, “Sorry. I shouldn't have said that.”