Not A Small-Town Girl

----

“Matthew, why were you even in the cave?" she asked, her

tone shifting to something more serious.

Matthew paused and thought back, "I was knocked out innoveldrama

the underground garage. When I woke up, I was tied up in

the cave. I don’t remember what happened in between."

Danielle’s expression darkened. "If it wasn’t you, it could’ve

been any of the other brothers. The Darling family is being

targeted. You all need to be careful when you go out."

----

"I’ve been investigating the incident

when I was kidnapped. I found out

some thinggshat connect to an

overseas,Organization. It’s very &

complicated, and! haven’t >

uncovéred much yet. I never «©

intended to tell you all this, at

don’t know when I’ll have.another

poison flare-up. I just waited you to

be aware of the danger."

----

She paused, her voice turning quieter. "And please, don’t try

to investigate it yourselves. I’ll try to find out more before the

poison takes over again."

Joseph clenched his jaw and frowned. "Danielle, you have to

trust us. We’ll protect you. We’ll find the antidote. We won’t

let anything happen to you."

----

Danielle wasn’t distrusting them, but

she knew the#eality. The Darling

family had always been

straightforward in business, and oO

their bodyguards weren’t exact the

pest i@combat. She didn’t wanther

brothe rs to be in danger. Besides,

she didn’t have much timeveft. She

would bear the darkness“lone.

----

"Joseph, I trust you all, but

remember what happened last

time—Elliot@vas shot during a

mission, one that was directly tiedao

the peale behind the scenes. And

don’t forget about the car accidén t

Julian took the hit for me. And the

time our grandparents weté in that

accident. And the poisoriiig last

time."

----

Howard, Vivian, and the brothers froze. It hit them hard.

They hadn’t realized how much Joseph had secretly done to

protect them.

“We had those people’s eyes on us," Danielle continued.

“They tried to kill us on the way to Blackpool Village. Only

Xavier, Dad, Mom, and the three maids knew about it."

Her family sat in stunned silence. The weight of their

ignorance crushed them.

"I never wanted to talk about my poisoning,” Danielle

continued, her voice colder now. "I thought I could suppress.

it with medicine for a few more years, but I can’t hold it back

anymore."

----

“By now, you should all know that the poison I have is called

Luna Stalk. It’s incurable. When it flares up, I’ll attack

anyone nearby without realizing it. Later, my senses will

fade, and the pain in my body will be so excruciating, it’ll be

worse than death.”

Her words struck deep, like a dagger to the heart of each

family member.

"Danielle, don’t give up. We’ll find a way!" Vivian choked out,

tears brimming in her eyes.

Danielle forced a small smile. "Mom, I haven’t given up.

Don’t worry."

----

“Bring Sarah, Lindsey, and Judy in here," she instructed the

maid.

Moments later, the three maids entered and stood in a line,

awaiting her orders.

“How long have you worked for the Darling family?" Danielle

asked, her eyes scanning them with a sharp gaze.

“I’ve been here for four years."

“Five years."

“Four years.”

----

They answered, confused by the sudden question.

Only Judy felt a surge of unease. What did Danielle mean?

She had to stay calm. She wasn’t sure where this

conversation was going, but she had to be ready.

Danielle’s voice went ice cold. "So, the Darling family has

been treating you well, hasn’t it? So why have you betrayed

us?"

Her chilling tone sent a wave of fear through the maids.

"I... [haven’t betrayed the Darling family. The family has

treated me so well, I would never do such a thing," Sarah

cried, suddenly collapsing to her knees, her tears streaming

down her face.

----

"I swear, Miss Darling, I haven’t betrayed the family! You’ve

always been so good to me, I would never harm the Darling

family," Lindsey said, her face ashen.

Judy was the last to speak, barely holding back her tears.

“Miss Darling, I’ve been with the family for four years. Mrs.

Darling has always treated me so well. I would never betray

the family. Is there a misunderstanding? What happened?"

The tension in the room was unbearable. Danielle’s chilling

presence left no room for doubt—she would uncover the

truth, no matter the cost.