The Life we never Planned

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Daniel POV

I should have forgotten her.

That was the sensible thing to do.

I had met Angela for less than five minutes, yet somehow, she had managed to occupy my thoughts for the rest of the day.

Not because she had tried to impress me.

She hadn't.

If anything, she had barely cared that I was standing there.

That bothered me more than it should have.

I sat in the back of my car, looking through the city while my assistant went over tomorrow's schedule.

“Sir?”

I looked up.

“Yes?”

“You're not listening.”

“I am.”

He gave me a doubtful look but wisely said nothing.

My mind was somewhere else.

Angela.

I didn't even know her last name.

That needed to change.

“Find out who the woman was who left the headquarters this morning.”

My assistant paused.

“Which woman?”

I looked at him.

“The one who came to see the CEO.”

He understood immediately.

“Yes, sir.”

I turned toward the window again.

It wasn't unusual for me to know things about people.

Information was power.

And I had spent too many years making sure I knew exactly what was happening around me.

But this felt different.

This wasn't business.

I was curious.

And curiosity had never been something I ignored.

A few hours later, my assistant returned with a file.

“Angela Williams. Twenty-four years old.”

I took the folder.

Twenty-four.

Young.

But the next few pages made it clear that she wasn't inexperienced.

She had founded her company while she was still in university.

She had started small.

No famous family name behind her.

No billionaire father.

No powerful connections opening every door.

She had built it herself.

I read through her business history.

Expansion plans.

Previous partnerships.

International applications.

Awards.

Interviews.

Investments.

She had struggled.

And instead of stopping, she had kept going.

I leaned back.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

I continued reading.

Her company was growing quickly, but she was still trying to establish herself internationally.

That explained why she had been at the headquarters.

She wanted a partnership.

Not charity.

Not a handout.

A business opportunity.

I respected that.

Then I came across a photograph.

I stopped.

It was the same woman from this morning.

Her hair was pulled back in the picture, revealing her face more clearly.

Dark-brown eyes.

Smooth skin.

Full lips.

A delicate nose.

Her features were soft, but there was something sharp in her expression.

She looked confident.

Like someone who knew exactly where she was going.

I stared at the photograph longer than necessary.

Then I closed the file.

This was ridiculous.

I had spent years surrounded by beautiful women.

None of them had ever made me curious enough to investigate them.

Yet this woman had managed to do it without even trying.

“Anything else?” I asked.

My assistant hesitated.

“She keeps a relatively private personal life.”

“Family?”

“Not much information available publicly.”

“Relationships?”

He looked at me.

“None that we could confirm.”

I nodded.

Single.

I shouldn't have cared.

But I did.

“That's all.”

He took the folder.

I stopped him.

“Leave it.”

He placed it back on the table and walked away.

I opened it again.

Angela Williams.

I repeated her name silently.

For some reason, it sounded better the second time.

My phone rang.

I answered.

“Sir, your mother wants you at dinner tomorrow.”

“I know.”

“She said it's important.”

“Everything is important to my mother.”

There was silence on the other end.

I almost smiled.

“Tell her I'll come.”

I ended the call and looked at Angela's photograph again.

I didn't know what I wanted from her.

Not yet.

But I knew one thing.

I wanted to see her again.

The question was how.

I could have called her.

I could have arranged a meeting.

I could have sent someone to bring her to me.

But that wasn't what I wanted.

I wanted to know what she would do when she saw me without knowing I had looked for her.

So I made a decision.

I would find her.

But I wouldn't let her know I had been looking.

Not yet.

For the first time in a long time, I was willing to let something happen naturally.

Or at least make it look natural.

I picked up the photograph once more.

Angela Williams.

Beautiful.

Ambitious.

Independent.

And completely unaware that she had just caught the attention of a man who rarely became interested in anyone.

I smiled faintly.

She had walked away from me this morning without a second thought.

I wondered how long it would take before she realized I wasn't going to remain a stranger.