Chapter 153

William stopped a moment before I reached his side and turned him to face me.

“I want to go with you to the lake,” I said. “Truly I do.” My voice and body were trembling with emotion. “I promise I will go with you unless there is a disaster happening with the company.”

I had to make things right with my friends. I knew I had changed, and was still changing, and it must be hard for everyone around me.

My closest friends, Amy, William, and Victor, saw I wasn’t the same person I used to be. It had to be hard for them when I didn’t react or think exactly like I used to.

They needed to know that just because I was becoming successful and had ambitions, it didn’t mean I didn’t care about them. I still needed them in my life. I had to show them how much they still meant to me.

Without my three best friends, my life would be lonely beyond bearing. I realized I must make time for them and make them feel as important as they are to me.

“I’m sorry if I seem different to you,” I said in a shaky voice. Tears welled in my eyes. “I keep hurting or neglecting my friends lately. I promise to do better.”

William put his arms around me. “We will always be friends no matter how much you change.” He squeezed me tightly. “I promise.”

I returned his embrace before tilting my head back to look into his eyes. “Thank you. My life would be so empty without my friends. I need you.”

William hugged me tightly once again. “You’ve got me, Daisy. Don’t worry.”

“I’m so glad,” I said.

“But you are tired, and we have school in the morning,” he said and lightly kissed my cheek. “Get some rest. I’ll see you in class tomorrow.”

I was smiling as I watched him climb into the Mustang. He started the engine, and I waved as his car rolled down the driveway toward the gate.

I yawned and turned to go inside. But I froze when I saw movement on the other side of the driveway, only a dozen feet from the front entrance to the mansion.

There was a male figure standing next to a sleek sports car.

It was Victor and the Lamborghini. How long had he been standing there?

I waved. “Hi, Victor. What are you doing here?”

“I didn’t like how we left things earlier, so I came back to talk to you,” he said.

I couldn’t detect any emotion in his voice. The moonlight and the lights from the house were bright enough to show me he stood defensively with his arms crossed over his broad chest.

He was another striking man, with a body that eclipsed all the stars whose movies I used to watch.

It was still strange to know he was my close friend. The old Daisy wouldn’t have been able to speak to him. Now I enjoy having him in my life.

But for how much longer would I have him? He would soon be the leader of the Alpha Alliance, and our fake engagement would be over. And I could run the company with a bit of advice at times.

Soon, we wouldn’t need each other anymore. Would he still want to be my friend when he had the leadership position he craved?

“I’m glad you came back,” I told Victor.

“Are you?” he drawled. “You weren’t alone. You had somebody to talk to and run with. I hope William didn’t leave because of me.”

“No,” I replied. “We didn’t know you were here.”

“I knew you would want to go for a run like you do when you’re angry or upset,” Victor said. “But then I saw William’s car parked over there, and I knew you weren’t alone.”

Victor leaned against his car. “So, I thought I’d leave you to enjoy each other’s company. But before I could get into my car and leave, William ran around the corner of the house.”

“Did you two have a spat?” Victor asked. “William seemed angry even though it certainly looked like you made up before he left.”

I was stunned. If it weren’t for his casual tone, I would think he was jealous. But Victor didn’t love anyone, including me. So that was impossible.

“Yeah, we sort of had a disagreement,” I admitted. “William was disappointed when I told him I wasn’t sure I could go to a picnic at the lake on Sunday.”

Victor finally looked ruffled, and his voice turned cold. “You’re going back to the lake with William?”

“We won’t be alone. His parents will be there,” I said. “And it will only be for the afternoon. We’re coming back that evening.”

“That sounds like a fun day trip,” Victor said while keeping his eyes turned away from me.

Was he concerned about photographers again?

I should reassure him I won’t do anything to expose our engagement isn’t what it seems.

“I’ll be careful of photographers,” I assured him. “And nobody knows except you and Alex where I’ll be. There’s little chance of us being followed.”

He uncrossed his arms and walked to the driver’s door of his car. “That's great. Have a good time.”

“Thanks, I will,” I said. His tone was making me uneasy. “The lake is so beautiful. I can’t wait to sit on the dock again.”

“Yeah, you do that.” He started to get into the car. “Oh, Daisy, I’m too busy to pick you up tomorrow from school. Maybe William wouldn’t mind chauffeuring you to your office.”

“Um, sure,” I said. “No problem. Or I’ll ask Joe to pick me up before lunch.”

Victor’s eyebrows raised. “Joe? Is he another one of your friends?”

“Joe is Alex’s chauffeur,” I explained. “He takes me to school every morning. But since Alex rarely leaves the house anymore, I’m sure it won’t be a problem for him to take me to the office before lunchtime.”

My instincts told me Victor was upset, but I didn’t know why. Was it because of what happened earlier? We hadn’t discussed what happened at the party earlier this evening.

I wasn’t sure what to do. Should I bring it up to clear the air? Our conversation had become strained, and I wanted to know we were okay before going to bed.

“Victor, you said you wanted to talk about what happened at the party,” I began. “Why don’t we talk about it before you leave.”

“It’s not important,” he said with a shrug. “And you look exhausted after your run and, judging by your wet hair, a swim.”

“Our argument after the party was important enough to bring you back here,” I argued. “Let’s talk about it. I can tell you’re upset about something. What is on your mind?”

“Don’t worry about it,” he insisted. “Have a good night, and I’ll see you when I see you.”

What did that mean? Panic flashed through me.

When he opened the car door to leave, I got mad. He was upset with me, and I was tired of feeling like I was constantly in the wrong.

Maybe I was in the wrong. But walking away from me wasn't going to fix it, and I wanted to fix it. I didn’t want to lose Victor any more than I could stand to lose William.

They both meant the world to me.

“No, we are going to talk right now,” I said and moved in front of the Lamborghini, blocking his exit from the property.