Something was wrong with Daniel.
Regina had been trying to ignore it, but it was impossible. The man was always a hard nut to crack—unshakable, annoyingly confident, always keeping his composure like a king on his throne. But today? There was something different. Something… off.
She could see it in the way he sat—too casually, The way his eyes flickered away from hers when she looked at him. The subtle tightness in his jaw whenever she caught him staring, like he was holding something back.
It was there, like a whisper in the air, just hanging, begging to be noticed.
And Regina wasn't one to miss the smallest shift in the atmosphere, especially when it came to Daniel.
The hostess—a chipper young woman with a high ponytail and a smile that could power a small city—was listing the specials, but Regina wasn't paying any attention. She was too busy watching Daniel.
He wasn't acting like himself. And it annoyed her to no end.
"You're acting weird," she whispered.
Daniel didn't even glance up from his phone. "No, I'm not."
Regina tilted her head, narrowing her eyes as she studied him. "Yes, you are. What's going on?"
"What's going on is you're overthinking things."
"I'm overthinking things?" Regina's brow arched. "That's rich coming from you."
Before Daniel could respond with that usual cool indifference, he turned to the hostess, flashing his trademark smile. "We'll have extra bread and soup. Lots of it," he said smoothly, with a wink in her direction.
Regina stared at him, horrified. "What? Hell no. We won't."
Daniel raised an eyebrow, the hint of a smirk still dancing on his lips. "Ignore her. She's ovulating. She gets really weird during that time and horny."
Regina froze.
A beat of silence passed. The hostess's eyes went wide, and Regina's heart skipped a beat. Did he just say that?
The young woman gasped. "Oh my God!" she clapped her hands together, clearly beside herself with excitement. "I know you two! I knew you looked familiar! You're them! You're the couple from the famous wedding video!"
Regina's hand shot to her forehead, frustration bubbling up inside her. "You absolute—"
Daniel shot her a sidelong look, unbothered. He turned back to the hostess, giving her his most charming smile. "I knew you'd recognize us. You watched the video too?"
"I watched the whole thing on Instagram! My friends and I were crying—it was so beautiful! You two are perfect together!"
Regina swallowed her annoyance, forcing out a thin smile. "Oh, trust me. He makes me cry too, just… not for the same reasons."
Daniel just took a slow sip of his water, the corners of his mouth twitching upward.
The hostess, now fully starstruck, leaned in, eyes sparkling. "You're even more beautiful in person. And you're so in love! It's rare to see a couple like you two. I love that you're so real."
Regina let out a soft, defeated laugh. "Trust me, darling, I'm just trying to survive the man's ridiculousness."
Daniel lifted his glass again, his expression one of mock innocence. "She says that, but deep down, she knows she's lucky to have me. Infact, I'm her first love."
Regina kicked him under the table. Hard.
He didn't flinch, just set the glass down and shot her a look that was all mischief.
The hostess squealed in delight. "You guys are so cute together! I can't believe I'm meeting you!"
Regina gritted her teeth as she faced him. "You're lucky I'm not armed with anything sharper than a bread roll."
Daniel's smirk only widened, unfazed by her obvious annoyance. "Don't worry, sweetheart, I'm a pro at handling sharp stuffs…in bed."
"Ugh," Regina muttered. "I'm going to strangle you."
"I'll get your food right away! You two just look so perfect." The hostess squealed with excitement.
As soon as she was out of earshot, Regina turned on Daniel, her voice. "You're so lucky I don't have a knife in my hand right now."
Daniel chuckled, not even bothering to look up. "Am I?"
"Don't test me," Regina warned. "I can kill you with a look."
His blue eyes gleamed with mischief. "You keep saying that, and yet, here I am. Alive. And thriving."
Regina exhaled sharply, leaning back in her seat. "God, you're exhausting."
Before she could say anything more, their food arrived, and Daniel immediately reached for her plate, cutting into her steak with a precision that was almost offensive.
"What are you doing?" Regina hissed, slapping his hand away.
"Cutting your steak," he replied nonchalantly, continuing without waiting for her response. "Last time, you nearly broke your wrist trying to get through a piece of chicken at the hotel."
"That's because you were distracting me!" she snapped, reaching for her fork.
Daniel ignored her completely, sliding the cut pieces of steak toward her with that smug look on his face. "Exactly. Since I'm apparently a menace to your motor functions, I'll just do it for you."
Regina gritted her teeth, fighting the urge to throw the steak in his face. "I hate you," she muttered.
He just grinned, utterly unfazed. "You keep saying that."
"And I keep meaning it."
***
One moment, they were sitting there, just the two of them. The next, Daniel's security team appeared from nowhere, moving swiftly, surrounding them after they highlighted the plane. Carter, Daniel's security chief leaned in close to Daniel.
"We need to move. Now," he said, his voice tense.
Daniel's face didn't change, but Regina noticed the slight tension in his shoulders. He was no longer relaxed. No longer playful. Something was happening. Something he wasn't telling her.
"What happened?" he asked.
Carter didn't waste time. "Something's wrong. We need to get you both out of here before the crowd builds."
Regina felt her pulse quicken. What was going on? "What's happening?" she demanded.
Carter turned to her, handing her a black mask. "Ma'am, please wear this," he said firmly.
Regina frowned but took it, pulling it over her face without a word. People had already started noticing the commotion. Phones were lifting. Murmurs were growing louder.
Daniel placed a steady hand on her back, guiding her through the crowd. "Stay close," he said quietly.
Regina didn't argue. Something wasn't right.
When they reached the exit, the chaos hit them all at once.
The reporters were everywhere. The flashes from cameras disoriented her.
"Daniel, are the rumors true?" someone yelled.
"Regina, is it real love or just for the cameras?" another voice asked.
"Is there a baby on the way?" someone shouted, too close for comfort.
Regina's jaw clenched as she forced herself to stay calm, staying right behind Daniel. His security team surrounded them in a tight circle, blocking the reporters from getting any closer.
One reporter pushed forward with a microphone, shoving it in Daniel's face. "Daniel, what's your response to the rumors that the Green Foundation is collapsing?"
Regina's heart stopped.
Her hand instinctively reached for Daniel's arm. She could feel her breath quicken, the blood draining from her face.
Daniel didn't flinch. He just kept walking, opening the limo door and ushering her inside.
The door slammed shut behind them, and suddenly, the world outside was muffled.
Regina's hand ripped the mask off her face, tossing it aside, her eyes scanning Daniel's expression, searching for answers. "What the hell is going on?" she demanded, her voice sharp with panic.
Daniel exhaled deeply, rubbing his jaw, his eyes distant. Carter, sitting in the front seat, turned around slightly, glancing at them both before speaking. "One of the Green Foundation's factories has been blown up."
Regina's breath caught in her chest. "What?" she choked out, her voice cracking with disbelief.
"No casualties," Carter continued, "but the damage is significant. It's already all over the
news."
Regina felt like the ground had slipped out from under her, her pulse racing with anxiety. "I need to go there," she said. "I have to be there."
Daniel's gaze snapped to her, his eyes hardening into a cold mask. "Absolutely not."
Her heart hammered in her chest. "Daniel, this is my father's company. My family is involved. I need to be there. I need to see it for myself!"
"You need to stay out of it," Daniel shot back. "It's dangerous."
Her chest tightened with frustration. "I don't care," Regina spat, her voice rising. "I can't just sit here and do nothing while everything I know is falling apart!"
"Well, I care," Daniel countered, his tone now firm, unyielding. "You're not going anywhere. Not while it's this dangerous."
Regina's anger flared, burning hotter than she'd expected. She threw herself forward in the seat, her voice shaking with her emotions.
"You have no right to tell me what I can or can't do with my family's business! Drop me off. Right now."
"No," Daniel said, his voice final, giving no room for discussion.
"Daniel-" She wasn't going to back down.
"No!" he repeated, more forceful this time, his gaze turning to steel. "Not a fucking chance."
Regina felt her patience snap like a fragile twig. She didn't care anymore. Her body trembled with fury,
"I said, stop the damn car!" Regina screamed, her voice rising.
Daniel's jaw clenched, but his eyes stayed fixed on the road, "No," he said, his voice calm.
The heat of her anger surged through her like a wildfire. She couldn't take it anymore. "I'll get out of this car if I have to!"
And just as she leaned further, pushing her body against the door to get out, something hit her.
Hard. A sharp, sickening crack against her head.
A stone.
The impact sent her reeling back into her seat, the world around her spinning uncontrollably. Her vision blurred, and the burning pain at the side of her head made her dizzy. Her hands instinctively went to her face as a trickle of warm blood oozed down her forehead, dripping steadily, pooling at her cheek.
"Regina!" Daniel's voice cut through the haze, but it sounded distant, like he was a million miles away.
She felt her body grow heavy, her eyelids growing impossibly heavy. Blood pooled in her mouth, warm and metallic. Her head swam, her vision darkening at the edges, and she could hear nothing but the rush of her heartbeat and Daniel's panicked voice.
Her body went slack, everything going numb, every sound muffled under the growing fog of unconsciousness. The last sensation was the wetness of her own blood trickling down her face, and then, nothing.