Chapter 948 Danny Is Hiding from Ariel
Feeling speechless, Alexander rolled his eyes and yelled, “What the heck is wrong with you? Are you trying to reenact the Psycho Storm Chaser? Do you want to scare someone to death wearing this attire and knocking on the door in the middle of the night?”
Danny felt wronged and dumbfounded. “Did I just scare the devil?” Alexander was so pissed that he had no words to retort. If Danny weren’t his biological brother, he would have beat him up!
Meanwhile, Elise knew it was a false alarm when she heard Alexander’s tone. When she approached them and saw that it was Danny at the door, she quickly made her way and beckoned him inside. “It’s all just a misunderstanding. Alexander isn’t angry at you. Come in. It’s raining so heavily outside. You might catch a cold.”
Danny quickly entered the house and set his briefcase down before taking off his raincoat. “What’s inside the briefcase?” Alexander asked while giving it a light kick.
“Clothes,” Danny answered. “Clothes?” Alexander was even more pissed. “Are a few clothes worth using a combination lock briefcase?”
The owner of Smith Co. was actually frightened by a briefcase filled with clothes. It would be so humiliating if word got out.
“Dragging a suitcase seems less cool compared to this,” Danny explained with a serious expression.
No man on earth didn’t like being cool, especially childish men like Danny, because they wanted to be unique.
With a combination lock briefcase in hand and a black raincoat, he had the demeanor that would attract everyone’s attention while walking on the street.
Alexander had his hands crossed before his chest while puffing out his cheeks. He was so pissed that he didn’t know what to say.
On the other hand, Danny had something on his mind, so he did not observe Alexander’s expression. He turned to Elise and got straight to the point. “Elise, there must be empty rooms in this manor, right? I need to move in for a few days.”
“Sure.” Elise nodded. “Ariel will be staying over as well, I suppose? I’ll clean out a larger guest room for you guys.”
“No.” Danny muttered, “It’s only me, so a bed will suffice.”
Sensing something wasn’t right, Elise tried to probe. “Did you guys quarrel?”
Danny avoided her gaze and looked away before picking up his briefcase. “I think I’d better clean the guestroom myself.”
Hearing that, Elise had an answer in mind and looked at Alexander while raising an eyebrow. “Seems like they quarreled, and Danny is the one thrown out of the house. Quite pitiful.”
“That’s what he deserves.” Alexander gloated and added, “He’s already a grown-up, yet he can’t even coax his girlfriend. I, on the other hand, will never be like him.”
“Oh, really? Would you like to demonstrate how?” With her eyes squinted into slits, Elise teased him.
Then, Alexander approached her before using his long arms to snake around her waist and pull her into his embrace. He leaned in and rubbed his face against her temple. “But I know you can never bear to send me out into the heavy rain.”
“Hey, that tickles!” Elise forcefully pushed him away.
However, Alexander tried to do it again, but she raised her index finger and pointed at him, threatening him softly, “Watch how you behave before outsiders and the children, or else I’ll kick you out of the house!”
“Yes, madam!”
Alexander pretended to salute, and the couple looked into each other’s eyes and smiled.
…
The following day.
Elise had finished preparing breakfast and asked Alexia to head outside to call Danny in for breakfast.
A while later, Alexia sprinted back inside and said, “Mommy, Uncle Danny said he’s skipping breakfast.”
After saying that, she sat back in her seat and picked up her utensils to munch on her breakfast.
Since she was at the age where she was growing up quickly, she would feel famished after a night’s sleep.
“Well, you guys can eat first.”
Elise placed the children’s food before them and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window to look outside.
She saw Danny sitting under the sycamore tree while smoking a cigarette, seeming to have something on his mind.
“Honey.” Alexander hugged her from behind and whined lazily, “I’m hungry.”
“How can you think about being hungry at this moment? As an older brother, you should care more about your younger brother. Don’t let Jamie’s situation happen to him,” Elise said earnestly.
“He won’t become like Jamie.” After letting go, Alexander calmly walked over to the dining table and sat down before arranging his cutlery.
“How can you be so sure?” Elise handed him a cup of milk.
“They have different characters,” he reasoned calmly. “Let’s eat.”
“People who reveal half of the truth are annoying,” Elise complained but still obediently sat down to have breakfast together.
She knew Alexander’s character well. He was a man with a sharp tongue and a soft heart, and though he seemed unfazed on the surface, he would not stand on the side and do nothing when it came to matters related to his family.
As Alexander didn’t have many business matters in Wegas, the whole family took this trip as a vacation and took their time enjoying the almost one-hour-long breakfast.
Just as Elise placed the plates and utensils into the dishwasher, she saw Danny come running inside.
“Elise, if someone comes to look for me, just say that I’m out!”
“Who’s looking for you?”
Before Elise could finish her words, Danny had already disappeared up the stairs.
A while later, Ariel arrived at the manor and came in with a lunch box.
“Elise, have you eaten?”
“Um…” Elise dragged her voice and fiddled with her hands. “Yes, I have. Why are you here so early in the morning?”
“It seems like I came a little late.” Ariel raised the lunch box in her hand. “My mom made some red lentil soup, and I thought since Danny has been working overtime lately, I would bring some for him as nourishment. I heard Alexander has been busy as well, right? I brought double servings. Please reheat the soup for them later.”
“Sure. You’re so meticulous. I hadn’t thought about that.” Elise took over the lunch box and sat it on the counter.
At that moment, Alexander came inside from the backyard with Alexia’s toys in his hand.
Since he was at home, he wore casual attire, and along with the toys in his hand, he looked like he was here on vacation.
When their eyes met, Ariel felt strange. “Aren’t you two siblings busy with something?”
“Oh, right.” Elise took over the conversation. “Alexander ordered Danny to do something. He always asks his younger brother to do the laborious work for him.”
While she spoke, she hinted at Alexander with her eyes.
Quickly receiving her hints, Alexander spoke calmly. “A little training will do him good in the future.”
They were a married couple, so they worked well as a team.
However, despite their careful collusion, their actions didn’t escape Ariel’s eyes.
She immediately realized they were hiding something from her, but being a clever person, she didn’t act out on the spot.
“Since Danny isn’t here, I’ll be heading home first and come visit you guys another time.”
While Ariel said that, she turned around and headed for the door, but when she walked past Alexander, she said meaningfully, “Alexander, Danny is your younger brother, so you have to take good care of him.”
After that, she left the manor.
Elise and Alexander exchanged glances and nodded knowingly.
It seemed like Ariel had seen through their lie.
Then, the couple immediately brought the red lentil soup Ariel sent over upstairs.
When Danny saw them coming upstairs so soon, he felt confused. “Did she leave?”
“Yes,” Alexander replied.
“She specially brought this over for you.” Elise gave him the lunchbox.
Receiving the lunchbox, Danny held it like it was something precious, but his expression seemed heartbreaking and helpless.
