After several months together, Daniel and I had grown much closer.
I stopped calling him Mr. Carter, and he no longer called me Miss Johnson.
One day, I was working on financial reports in my yard when I heard Daniel’s voice from a distance.
Soon he was standing in front of me. “Working on reports?”
“Yeah, almost done. Give me a minute.”
“Take your time.”
Though he was waiting for me, Daniel couldn’t sit still.
He swept my yard and washed the dirty dishes piled in my sink.
At first,
t embarrassed and told him not to do these things, but my protests never worked, so I just let him be.
“Your dishes are still exactly how they were yesterday. Did you skip breakfast again?”
My typing fingers paused, and I felt guilty.
“Don’t even try making excuses, Emma.”
I gave him a helpless smile and admitted the truth.
I often forgot to eat because I was so busy with the fish farm.
Daniel took my skipping meals very seriously.
Seeing me nod, he gave me a look of exasperated concern.
“Your health is your greatest asset. The usual order?”
“Yes, please.”
The “usual” was Daniel’s ham sandwich.
It was seriously delicious.
Both Jake and Daniel were successful men, but Jake always maintained his lofty position.
Forget cooking for me–after Madison appeared, even asking him for a glass of water when I was sick became evidence of my “gold–digging.”
Maybe Daniel wasn’t as wealthy as Jake.
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But self–made men are always smarter and more resilient than trust fund babies.
By the time I finished my reports, the sandwich appeared in front of me.
Halfway through my meal, Daniel smiled and asked:
“Full already?”
He’d noticed how my eating pace always slowed when I was getting full.
I always tried to finish what others prepared for me, even when I was full, out of respect for their effort.
“If you’re full, stop eating. You’ll feel uncomfortable if you eat too much.”
With my mouth still full of bread, I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Daniel, are you some kind of mind reader? How do you know me so well?”
“Haha, you have such a simple mind. Your thoughts are written all over your face. It’d be hard NOT to know.”
A simple mind?
That was the first time anyone had described me that way.
Jake always assumed I was some calculating gold digger.
If I really had such a “simple mind” as Daniel suggested, why had Jake never once considered my feelings all those years?
Seeing my expression change, Daniel quickly spoke up.
“What’s wrong? Did I say something offensive?”
I smiled, shook my head, and composed myself.
Then Daniel pulled out a gift box from behind his back.
“Take a look. Hope you like it.”
Under my “simple mind“-I took it and opened it right away.
It was the Heart of the Ocean necklace, meant for someone truly treasured.
“Last month, I was invited to a jewelry exhibition, and the organizers just gave this to me. I thought it would suit you, haha. Never found the right moment to give it to you. If you don’t like it, you can just put it somewhere, anyway…”
“I love it.”
“What did you say?”
Daniel was surprised by my response. He’d given me many gifts before, which I’d always accepted politely. This was
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the first time I’d openly expressed genuine appreciation, without just being courteous.
Daniel’s stunned expression reminded me of when we first met.
“I said, I really love your gift.”
His stammering, transparent attempt to downplay the gift was honestly adorable.
And he called me simple and easy to read? Daniel was just the same.
The Heart of the Ocean was no casual gift.
It required significant money and commitment.
Buying the Heart of the Ocean meant that for the rest of his life, all jewelry he bought for women could only be given to the one who owned this necklace.
It was a promise, a profound declaration of love.
Daniel probably thought I wouldn’t understand the significance.
But anyone with half a brain could see what it meant.
Such a beautiful piece of jewelry could never be a mere event giveaway.
Had Jake ever given me any gifts?
I don’t think so–not in my memory, anyway.
If there was anything, it would be my birthday cake each year, which we split the cost on, and he’d end up eating most of it anyway.
To accommodate his taste, I even always bought mango cake.
Looking back, I was such a fool.
Believing a man like that actually loved me.
Those small gestures that once moved me?
All low–effort actions anyone could do, yet I was completely swept away, thinking he was irreplaceable.
Daniel looked at me with tender eyes, making me feel shy under his gaze.
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
Daniel snapped out of it, quickly turning his head away.
He wouldn’t dare admit he’d been mesmerized by my face.
“Ahem, sorry Emma. I was wondering if you’d like to see the new fish pond tomorrow?”
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“When the great CEO Daniel invites me, how could I refuse?”
“Great. Maybe wear something nice tomorrow? There’s an evening reception at the new pond, and the scenery is beautiful. I could take some photos of you.”
Worried I might get the wrong idea, Daniel quickly clarified:
“Not that your everyday clothes aren’t nice! You always look great. I just noticed you like posting photos on social media, so I thought… Anyway, wear whatever you want.”
Daniel was so cute–he always stammered when nervous.
“Got it. I’ll wear something I like tomorrow. Don’t read too much into it–I’m certainly not.”
Chapter 9
