Two Hearts

Before the Gala

Laura's POV

It was Saturday afternoon.

I was standing in my—no, technically Daniel's—massive walk-in closet, staring at what felt like a million pieces of clothing. And then I realized something. There wasn't a single evening gown suitable for an event like this.

"Daniel!" I called.

Apparently, I sounded far more distressed than I intended because seconds later he came rushing into the closet.

"What happened?" he asked immediately. There was genuine concern in his voice. The same concern I still couldn't quite understand.

"Well..." I hesitated. "That depends on how you look at it."

He frowned.

"What does that mean?"

I pointed helplessly at the endless rows of clothing surrounding us.

"It looks like during our shopping trip we bought absolutely everything except an evening gown."

His expression remained blank. I continued.

"I have plenty of cocktail dresses. I have suits. But nothing appropriate for a charity gala like this."

"I literally have nothing to wear." I threw my hands up dramatically.

For a second he simply stared at me. Then he started laughing. Actually laughing.

I narrowed my eyes. I saw absolutely nothing funny about this situation.

"Of all people," he said between laughs, "I never expected to hear that sentence from you."

That was rude. I grabbed the nearest towel and threw it at him. To my annoyance, he caught it effortlessly.

Then suddenly he was standing only a few inches away. Much too close.

"Careful," he said softly. Something in his voice sounded different. Lower. Rougher.

My heart instantly forgot how to function. For one ridiculous second, I completely forgot what we had been talking about.

Then, just as quickly, he stepped back as if nothing had happened.

"Don't worry about it.” His voice had returned to normal. "I'll take care of everything."

Of course he would.

"You just take the kids to your mother's place, alright?” He looked at me expectantly.

I blinked. Still trying to recover from whatever that moment had been.

"Uh... yes.” I lowered my voice instinctively. The house seemed to have far more ears than it should lately. "Chris couldn't watch them. He has to work."

Daniel nodded. Then started physically pushing me toward the closet door.

"Go."

I laughed.

"Daniel—"

"No arguments.” That familiar smirk appeared. "I already called a taxi. It'll be here in twenty minutes."

Of course he had.

"You can take the kids, spend some time with your mother, then come back."

"But—"

"No 'but' and no 'Daniel'."

I rolled my eyes. He was impossible. Completely impossible. Then again, so was his father. And if I was being honest, so was his grandmother. Apparently stubbornness ran in the family.

Problems didn't exist in their world. They solved them before anyone else even realized there was one.

When I arrived at my mother's apartment, a strange feeling washed over me. I hadn't been there in a long time.

Of course we spoke regularly. I had briefly told her about Daniel and the arrangement. She hadn't exactly approved. But she hadn't judged me either.

"Laura! Children!” My mother opened the door and immediately wrapped us in a warm embrace. "It's so good to see you."

Then she turned to me.

"And don't worry about a thing. I'll take care of them."

That part I never doubted. Not even for a second.

Once the children disappeared into the room, Mom and I were left alone in the kitchen. She immediately gave me one of those looks. The dangerous kind. The kind mothers use when they already know the answer.

“So?" She crossed her arms. "Is he treating you well?"

I smiled.

"Mom, everything's fine. Really."

“Really?"

I sighed.

"No one is hurting us. Everything is going according to plan."

“But..." The moment I said it, I regretted it.

Her eyes sharpened immediately. Mothers could smell weakness from miles away.

"I don't know.” I leaned against the counter. "Everything is complicated. Daniel. The children. Then his grandmother on top of everything."

Mom studied me for a long moment. Then she smiled. The knowing smile. The one I hated.

"You like him."

I nearly choked.

"Mom!"

She laughed.

"You do."

"No, I don’t!" I protested immediately. "He's arrogant. Bossy. Stubborn. And—"

"Oh, Laura.” She shook her head. A smile still tugging at her lips. "You're in serious trouble."

I frowned.

"What does that mean?"

"When you start listing a man's flaws with that much passion, we're already way past simple attraction."

I opened my mouth. Then closed it again. Because annoyingly enough...

I didn't have an answer.

For a moment, neither of us said anything. Because the worst part was that she wasn't entirely wrong.

Over the past week, Daniel and I had become closer than I ever intended. Not physically. Not like that.

But there was something between us now. Something difficult to explain. We moved through situations almost instinctively. When one of us got cornered, the other stepped in. When one of us needed help, the other appeared. We fought Grandmother Liza together. We protected each other together.

Somehow, without even realizing it, we'd become a team.

Always together.

The silence stretched. Then Mom smiled. The exact smile that made me want to flee the country.

"The fact that you're thinking this hard already tells me everything."

I groaned.

"Mom..."

She laughed.

"You simply don't want to admit it."

I narrowed my eyes. Why was she smiling? Nothing about this situation felt funny.

"Leave it alone.” I pushed away from the counter. "I don't have much time. I still need to get ready."

That immediately caught her attention.

"For what?"

"A charity gala.” I sighed dramatically. "Or at least I think it's a charity gala."

Mom raised an eyebrow.

"You don't know?"

"Apparently it's some exclusive event for wealthy people.” I shrugged. "Fundraising, auctions, fancy dinners, rich people doing rich people things.” The thought still made me uncomfortable.

I didn't belong in that world. Never had. Never would.

Mom walked over and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. The same way she always did whenever life became overwhelming. Everything suddenly felt a little easier.

"If he takes care of you and the children," she said softly, "nothing else matters to me."

My throat tightened unexpectedly. She'd spent her entire life putting everyone else first. Including me.

Especially me.

Before leaving, I opened my purse and pulled out the cash I'd withdrawn earlier that week. A significant amount. I held it out to her.

"Here."

Mom immediately stepped back.

"No."

I sighed. Of course.

"Mom."

“No." She crossed her arms.

"I can't take that."

I didn't even bother arguing. Instead, I placed the money on the kitchen table. Then grabbed my coat.

"Laura—"

I pointed at the cash. "Everything I'm doing isn't just for me."

She fell silent. I continued quietly.

"It's for you too. So you can finally have an easier life."

Her eyes instantly filled with tears. Which was exactly why I didn't stay long enough for her to argue. I escaped before she could stop me.

Outside, the taxi was already waiting.

When I arrived back at the house, everything felt strangely quiet.

Without the children around, the place immediately seemed larger. Colder. Almost empty.

I climbed the stairs and headed toward our bedroom.

Our bedroom.

The thought still felt strange. Even now.

The moment I stepped inside, something caught my attention. A huge box sat in the middle of the bed.

At the same time, Daniel emerged from the bathroom. My eyes immediately landed on the package.

"What's that?” I pointed suspiciously.

Daniel followed my gaze.

“Oh." His expression remained completely calm - As if giant mystery boxes appeared on beds every day.

"That's your evening gown."

My jaw dropped.

"Excuse me?"

He shrugged.

"Problem solved."

Like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Of course it was. This was Daniel. I suddenly became afraid to open it.

Very afraid.

Because if the shopping trip had taught me anything, it was that Daniel's idea of solving problems was usually expensive. Terrifyingly expensive.

And judging by the size of that box...

I wasn't sure I wanted to know how much this particular solution had cost.

"Go take a shower, relax, get ready," Daniel said, heading toward the closet. "Then you can get dressed. Most importantly, don't rush. We have plenty of time."

How was I supposed not to worry? The dress probably cost more than half the contents of my old wardrobe combined.

And an even better question—

How had Daniel managed to organize all of this in barely an hour? I'd only been gone long enough to take the children to my mother's apartment.

I spent much longer in the shower than necessary. Mostly because I was nervous. Not about the dress. Not even about Daniel.

About the gala.

I had absolutely no idea how people behaved at events like that. Was I supposed to stand beside Daniel all evening and smile politely? Could I talk to people? Ask questions? Meet new people? Make connections? Friends?

No.

Definitely not friends. These people weren't from my world.

And I certainly wasn't from theirs.

When I finally stepped out, I started getting ready. I curled and pinned my hair into an elegant updo. Months ago, I'd practiced different hairstyles on Ellia just for fun. I'd never bothered trying them on myself.

Apparently today was the day.

A few loose curled strands framed my face.

For makeup, I chose something soft and elegant. Nothing too dramatic. A little extra attention to my eyes. A little contouring. Enough to look polished without looking like someone else.

When I finally looked into the mirror, I barely recognized myself.

Who are you, Laura?

Because the woman staring back at me looked nothing like the exhausted single mother I used to see every morning.

When I stepped out of the bathroom, Daniel was already dressed. And for a second, I forgot how to breathe.

The black tuxedo fit him perfectly. His dark hair was neatly styled. The white shirt. The black bow tie. The confidence. The effortless elegance.

He looked completely different from the man who walked around the house in business suits every day.

More refined. More dangerous. Far too handsome for his own good.

"You can stop staring.” His amused voice pulled me back to reality.

Heat immediately rushed to my face.

"I wasn't staring."

"You absolutely were.”

I rolled my eyes. Arrogant man.

"I hung your dress in the closet.” He adjusted one of his cufflinks. "The shoes and matching clutch are there too."

Of course they were. Because buying only the dress would have been far too reasonable. Never mind the fact that I already owned more shoes and handbags than I could realistically use thanks to our previous shopping trip.

Daniel apparently viewed shopping as an Olympic sport.

Shaking my head, I entered the closet. And there it was.

The dress.

Black. Elegant. The fabric shimmered subtly when it caught the light. Not flashy. Not excessive.

Just beautiful.

A slit ran along one side. Sophisticated. Tasteful.

Perfect.

My breath caught. And somehow that made me even more nervous.

After finding suitable underwear, I carefully slipped the dress on. The fabric hugged my figure perfectly before flowing all the way to the floor.

Then I looked at the shoes - High heels.

Of course.

I hadn't worn heels like these in years. I silently prayed I remembered how to walk. The last thing I needed was to fall flat on my face in front of half the city's elite.

Once I put them on, the dress skimmed the floor perfectly.

The slit reached only slightly above my knee. Elegant. Not revealing. Exactly the kind of dress I would have chosen myself.

If I'd had unlimited money.

There was only one problem. A very large problem.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't reach the zipper. I twisted. Turned. Tried again.

Nothing.

I stared at my reflection. Then sighed dramatically. There was only one solution. And unfortunately, his name was Daniel.

“Daniel?" My voice sounded much less confident than I intended.

“Yeah?" His voice came from the bedroom.

We always respected each other's privacy. Neither of us entered while the other was changing. At least, not intentionally.

"I need help.” The words felt surprisingly difficult to say.

The bedroom fell silent. Then a few seconds later, Daniel appeared in the doorway. And stopped.

Completely.

He didn't move. Didn't blink. Didn't say a word. He simply stared.

Again.

Just like he'd done in the fitting room. Just like he'd done after the spa. Only this time it felt different.

More intense. Much more dangerous.

“Daniel?" I called his name again.

His eyes finally lifted to mine.

"What? Yeah.” He cleared his throat. "What happened?"

I fought the urge to laugh.

"You can stop looking at me like that.” The words slipped out before I could stop them.

His expression instantly changed.

"What does that mean?"

"It means you're staring."

A faint flush appeared on his face. Which somehow made the situation even worse.

"I wasn't staring."

Now it was my turn to smile.

"Sure."

He looked genuinely offended. And somehow that made me feel a little better.

"I can't reach the zipper.” I turned slightly. "Can you help me?"

For a moment he searched my face. As if looking for some hidden reaction. Some sign. Something. When he found nothing, he nodded.

"Of course."

And then he walked toward me. Slowly. Far too slowly. Until only a few inches separated us.

I turned around, giving him access to the zipper. And immediately felt him freeze.

Completely.

I could see it in the mirror in front of me. For several seconds he simply stood there. Not moving. Not speaking. Almost as if he'd forgotten why he'd walked into the room in the first place.

Then his gaze dropped lower. To my back. And suddenly he spoke.

"You have a tattoo?” His voice sounded genuinely surprised.

Oh God. Not that. Not now.

It had been one of those reckless decisions from my younger years. Chris had convinced me it would be fun. At the time, it seemed like a brilliant idea.

Now? Not so much.

"Yes."

His eyes remained fixed on it.

"I never noticed."

"Most people don’t." That wasn't entirely true.

Most people simply never saw enough of me to notice. Daniel, however, didn't need to know that.

"What do the symbols mean?” His fingers found the zipper.

Slowly. Far too slowly.

As he pulled it upward, his hand brushed lightly against my skin. Against the tattoo running down the center of my back.

A shiver ran through me. Unexpected. Unwanted. Dangerous.

I tried to ignore it.

Failed. Spectacularly.

"Each symbol has its own meaning.” I focused on the mirror instead of the sensation of his hand moving along my back.

“Strength." The zipper moved higher.

“Endurance." Higher.

“Loyalty." His fingers brushed my skin again. And I completely lost track of my own thoughts.

“And..." I hesitated. For reasons I couldn't explain.

“Love." The word hung between us.

The room suddenly felt very quiet. Too quiet.

The zipper reached the top. The dress was closed. His job was finished. Yet neither of us moved.

For one strange moment, I still felt his hand resting lightly against my back. Longer than necessary. Long enough to make my pulse race. Long enough to make me wonder if he felt it too.

Then suddenly he stepped away. As if waking from a trance.

“Done." His voice sounded rough. Different.

And before I could say anything, he turned around and walked out of the closet.

I released a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.

What was that? Because whatever it had been...

It definitely hadn't felt normal.

After adjusting the dress one final time, I grabbed my clutch and followed him back into the bedroom.

Daniel was standing in the middle of the room holding a small black jewelry box. My stomach immediately tightened.

"What's that?” I asked suspiciously.

His expression softened.

"A surprise."

That was never a reassuring answer. Before I could protest, he continued.

"And before you say no…" Which meant he already knew exactly what I was going to do. "I want you to know this belonged to my mother."

I froze. Immediately.

Every joke. Every argument. Every objection vanished.

Daniel carefully opened the box. Inside was a breathtaking diamond necklace. Matching earrings rested beside it. Elegant. Timeless. Beautiful.

The kind of jewelry that carried memories.

Not just value.

“Daniel..." My voice barely worked.

I didn't know what to say. Because this wasn't another expensive gift. This was something completely different. Something personal. Something important.

"Laura, please.” There was no command in his voice. No arrogance. No teasing. Just a genuine request.

And somehow that made it impossible to refuse. Slowly, I nodded.

For a moment, something almost like relief crossed his face. He carefully lifted the necklace from the box. Then stepped behind me.

Again.

My heart immediately decided to become a problem.

Again.

I felt his fingers brush my skin as he fastened the clasp around my neck. The diamonds settled against my collarbone. Cool against my warm skin.

Neither of us spoke.

The silence felt strangely intimate.

“There." His voice came quietly from behind me.

When I turned around, he handed me the earrings. I put them on myself. Then looked into the mirror.

For a moment, I didn't recognize the woman staring back at me - The dress. The jewelry. The hair. The makeup.

Everything felt unreal.

As if I were looking at someone else entirely.

When I glanced at Daniel's reflection, I found him watching me.

Again.

Only this time, he wasn't even pretending not to. For a second, neither of us said anything. Then he cleared his throat.

“Perfect." Just one word.

Yet somehow it made my cheeks burn. The room certainly wasn't warm enough to explain that reaction.

"Shall we go?” His voice was gentler now. The same way it had been all evening.

"The car is waiting.” He extended his hand toward me.

And after only the briefest hesitation, I placed mine in it. His fingers closed around mine immediately. Warm. Steady. Safe.

Together, we walked toward the unknown.

Or rather...

I walked toward the unknown. Because Daniel belonged in that world. He knew exactly what awaited us.

For me, however, everything beyond those doors was unfamiliar territory.

And somehow, that scared me far less than the man holding my hand.