His Best Friend Loved Her First

Chapter Five

There was a quiet silence between the three of us, one that was not empty but filled with unspoken tension, and earlier I had already told Daniel that immediately it was 8 o’clock, he should come to me or at least notify me, yet for now I allowed myself to remain present, observing the party as it continued around me, people dancing gracefully while soft music played in the background, laughter rising and falling in waves.

After a while, Daniel approached me carefully. “Ma, it is already Eight.”

I nodded slightly, signaling that I understood, and told him to call the driver.

Before he could move, Ethan had already left his seat.

“Ma,” Daniel said after checking his phone, “the driver said he is stuck in traffic right now.”

“That is fine,” I replied calmly, “no rush.”

We stepped outside and waited by the roadside, the cool night air brushing lightly against my skin, and as we stood there, a car passed slowly in front of us, and I noticed Daniel’s expression change.

“Is that not Mr Brooks’ car?” Daniel asked.

“Yes,” he answered himself quietly, “and he has been watching you all night.”

“I noticed too,” I said, my tone thoughtful, “you know he is one of Desmond’s best friends, and he never liked me, so if he is staring at me, it is probably with all the resentment he can muster.”

“No way,” Daniel said quickly.

I turned to him slightly. “What do you mean?”

“What I mean is…” he hesitated before continuing, “he was looking at you like… like you are amazing, and he is… well, he is ridiculously rich, over eight hundred million, and handsome too, I think you both would make a match”

“I do not think so,” I cut in, my voice firm, “he is full of himself, always walking around like he is better than everyone, and although he is good looking, he is always going to be insufferable, and I feel bad for whoever ends up with him.”

Daniel coughed awkwardly, as if something caught in his throat.

At that moment, his phone rang, and he quickly stepped aside to check it, reading the message before turning back to me. “Ma, let me go check, maybe the driver is back.”

I nodded, watching him walk away.

Daniel pov

I moved quickly toward the front, where Ethan’s car was parked, and without hesitation, I opened his door and stepped inside.

“Mr Brooks,” I said nervously, “if Miss Serena ever finds out that I am on your side, I am done.”

Ethan remained calm, his gaze steady. “As long as I am by her side, I do not care who I have to pretend to be.”

I handed him his money. “This is the payment she sent for last night.”

Ethan pushed it back without even looking at it. “I do not need it.”

“She said you did a good job,” Daniel added carefully.

Ethan let out a quiet breath. “It does not matter.”

“Seriously, Mr Brooks,” I continued, lowering my voice, “she is divorced now, why not go after her openly? You are the CEO of Brooks Enterprise, you do not have to pretend to be a call boy.”

Ethan’s expression darkened slightly, but his voice remained controlled.

“It doesn't matter who I have to pretend to be, as long as I am by her side, that is all that matters… I cannot go to her like that, not yet.”

I nodded slowly, understanding more than he said, before stepping out of his car and heading back.

On getting to her, I found she was not alone. Desmond was there with her, drunk and causing a scene, his voice loud and unstable as he kept going on, “You will come back to me… I bet it.” His words dragged through the air like something heavy, but she ignored him completely, her face calm as if he did not exist.

She turned to me instead, her voice steady. “Is the driver back?”

“Yes,” I replied.

Almost immediately, the driver parked in front of us, and without wasting a second, we moved toward the car and got in.

The door shut behind us, cutting off Desmond’s voice as the car pulled away, leaving him standing there, still shouting into nothing. Inside the car, silence settled, thick and quiet, as if none of us wanted to break it.

As we drove past the gate, we passed through Mr. Ethan’s car.

He was inside and was watching her

His gaze followed her through the glass, sharp and unreadable, like he was seeing something no one else could see.

I felt it immediately, that tension in the air, the kind that does not need words to be understood.

“Daniel…” she called softly.

I turned slightly.

“Why is Mr. Ethan here at all”

Before she could finish her sentence, my phone buzzed in my hand.

I glanced at the screen.

My heart dropped a message from Mr Ethan

“I will tell her I was the man from last night”