Not A Small-Town Girl

Danielle rushed forward, checking her brothers’ conditions, her hand gently hovering near their noses. A faint breath. If it had been two more minutes, they wouldn’t have made it.

She pulled out silver needles and expertly inserted them into their acupoints. Moments later, Austin and Matthew slowly opened their eyes.noveldrama

Ivan stared, his eyes wide with disbelief. This was impossible. This poison was deadly, and Danielle—how did she know so much about toxins?

"This can’t be happening. They should be dead by now!"

Elliot kicked Ivan’s knee, sending him crashing to the ground in an exaggerated bow.

"Danielle is that skilled. Your little scheme didn’t work. You deserve to die. And from here on, I’ll make sure you wish you never lived."

Austin, eyes still groggy, immediately tattled, "Danielle, this old man poisoned me and Matthew—tried to kill us. What a dirty trick!"

"Matthew, Austin, I’ve temporarily sealed the poison. I’ll give you the antidote when we’re back." Danielle spoke calmly as if the danger had passed.

"Elliot, take Ivan. We’re going home."

*****

The Darling family’s basement was dimly lit. Ivan and Judy were each tied to a chair, bound and helpless.

Word of their capture had already been sealed, and now, Danielle’s mission was to pry open Ivan’s mouth and dig out more of the mastermind’s secrets.

If they could reel the puppet master in, all the better. It would be the key to ending the Darling family’s crisis.

Danielle sat cross-legged in front of them, silent, not asking a single question. She simply watched them with a look of quiet intensity.

Judy and Ivan had both rehearsed their responses, ready to deal with whatever Danielle threw at them. But now, with her silent gaze fixed on them, their nerves began to fray. What was she playing at? Was she reading their faces?

"Danielle, you can forget about it. I’m not saying a word, and I know nothing. If you try to hypnotize me again, I’ll bite my tongue off. You’ll never be as good as Audrey. Do you know how Mr. Darling, Mrs. Darling, and everyone in this family treated her before you came back?

"Even now, you’re still nothing more than an outsider. I hear Mrs. Darling praising Audrey all the time. She says she’s better than you in every way. They’ve said it over and over... ‘Once all this settles down, we’ll make it up to Audrey for all she’s been through.’" Judy’s every word was meant to provoke Danielle, trying to get under her skin.

In contrast, Ivan kept his eyes shut, refusing to speak.

Danielle sneered. This was blatant manipulation. They thought she was a fool.

Judy waited impatiently for a response, but Danielle remained still, offering no reaction. Her silence only fueled Judy’s frustration, as if punching a pillow.

"Danielle, what’s the deal? Just leaving us here like this? Don’t think you’ll get anything from me." Judy growled, more agitated by the second.

Danielle’s lips curled into a smile. Judy’s mental fortitude was weak.

With a casual flick of her fingers, Danielle stood up, brushing off her clothes before turning and leaving the basement without a word.

"What does she want?" Judy hissed. "She goes to all this trouble to capture us, but now she’s just leaving us here? Is she hoping we’ll spill the beans?"

Once Danielle left, Judy had no idea what was going through her mind.

"Shut up," Ivan barked, his face full of contempt. "If I weren’t tied up, I’d kill you. You’re a useless fool. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be in this mess."

Ivan’s face twisted with disgust as he bellowed at Judy. "It’s because of you, this useless woman, that I got exposed. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be tied up like this!"

Meanwhile, Danielle closed the basement door behind her, her delicate features curling into a smile as she slid on her earpiece.

Right now, she just needed to get them to relax, maybe even get them to talk a bit more. The more they spoke, the more useful information she could extract from their words.