Genius Girl

Chapter 4 - 4: Pay off her debt (Revised)

Shocked by the tears running down from Daniella's eyes, Kirby immediately took the handkerchief he had in his pocket and handed it to her.

Daniella turned to Kirby with confusion all over her face. She looked at the handkerchief and asked him what is it for.

Before Kirby could response, Evan spoke.

"Why are crying?" he asked. He gently took her hand and accompanied her toward the couch.

Daniella and Evan sat down next to each other while Kirby sat on the sofa opposite to them.

Evan leaned closer to check Daniella's eyes and to his shock, her irises were slowly turning into brown.

It amazed him. He doesn't know what was happening but he knows that if she will to stay, he will get all the answer to the question he has in his mind.

When Daniella didn't reply, he decided to hide all his question at the back of his throat, respecting her feelings. He watched as the tears streamed down from her eyes like falls. His heart gripped by just looking at her, a strange feeling started to grow in his heart, but he thought that it might be just a pity.

In the other side, Daniella doesn't feel comfortable by Evan's gaze. She wiped her tears and snorted.

"I am not crying," she denied.

Evan's eyes narrowed in confusion, he sighed and wiped the tears she missed to wipe.

"Really?" he spoke. He took the handkerchief from her hand and tossed it in the air, and by the corner of his eyes, he saw that Kirby was able to catch it.

With Evan's fingers on her cheeks, Daniella's body frost. His knuckles, wiping off her tears were warm and it gives her an indifferent feeling.

She blinked and folded her palms together, she could see questions in Evan's eyes and right now, she's not in a mood to answer any of it.

"Yes, I am not crying. These tears are liquid from my eyes caused by irritation," she explained while wiping her tears. She tried to stop herself from crying but her eyes were stubborn, tears remained in her eyes.

Evan rattled his head by her response. He wanted to know why she was crying but, he can't get a normal answer from her.

Evan leaned his back on the couch, one hand massaging his temples as the migraine started hitting his head.

Daniella tried to compose her body, she was not expecting to meet anyone that knows about the incident.

She wondered how did he get her information, how he found her given that she's been careful in hiding her identity and location.

"Forget about the tears, haven't you seen a woman crying?" she asked.

She's been meaning to change the subject since he mentioned the incident Seven years ago. If she had known that the man has this information, she would have knocked him off and escape.

She stared deeply at Evan, trying to read him, but her concentration breaks every time he sneered, it might be a short and a light smile but it's enough to break her.

Daniella might have had met a lot of men, good and bad, cool and nerdy but looking at Evan gives her a deep feeling that she had met him before but she's certain that she didn't, just a vague feeling buried in her mind.

She sighed and decided to shook whatever strange feeling she has for him. It just an infatuation, she convinced herself. They just met today, and knowing herself, it is impossible to fall for him.

The feelings she has might be just curiosity, curiosity as to why she couldn't read him.

Now, that Daniella has convinced herself that Evan was just one of those good looking men she met before, she somehow felt relieved. Since the last thing she wanted, was to complicate her life. She knows better that, being around with someone like Evan will only cause her pain and trouble.

When she heard his voice again, her senses were pulled back.

"Fine but, tell me what happened seven years ago?" Evan asked. He was craving to know her, her past, secrets and even the smallest thing like why does she smell like vanilla despite the sweats and dirt on her body.

Evan stared at her, the woman was looking down at her lap while her fingers were playing with each other. He doesn't know whether she's nervous or what but he noticed how much she tried to avoid his eyes.

When the woman remains silent, Evan's hand lifted in the air and took a strand of her long hair, he swirled it around his finger and waited for her answer.

Meanwhile, Kirby just observed the two as they converse. The air in the room was extremely different.

Kirby decided to fill their cup with some tea, he left the room and proceeded to the kitchen.

As the door closed, Daniella locked her hands together on her lap and turned to Evan.

"Mr. Su, what do you know about the incident?" she spoke in a serious tone.

Evan shrugged a shoulder and replied, "No idea. Care to tell me?" he leaned forward to her as he speaks, hoping for her eyes to change its color.

When Daniella didn't respond, he continued, "My sister-in-law asked me to find and inform you that she's the woman you met seven years ago,"

He stared at her eyes but to his dismay, they were still brown. Evan sighed and moved away.

He had dealt with a different type of people; politician, businessman and even gang bosses. But, the small woman next to him was giving him a different vibe, a dangerous one and he could not help but be curious about her.

Daniella thought of the woman who saved her, it was seven years ago but she will never forget the kindness Kierry showed to her.

"So Kierry is you sister-in-law?" she wanted to confirm.

When Evan nodded as a response to her question, Selena's figure flashed in her mind. She could see how much the girl misses her mother, how lost Selena was. But Daniella ignored the pain she saw in Selena's eyes because she knows that everyone will die. It doesn't matter if you are rich or poor, beautiful or ugly, everyone will end up in a closed casket.

Daniella sighed by the thought. Kierry was the kindest people she had ever met. So when Kierry suddenly disappeared, she was devastated. Daniella pressed her lips to stop herself from thinking of Kierry. She didn't notice that the man sitting next to her was staring at her face, specifically at her dimples.

Evan moved closer to Daniella, the woman was thinking so deep that she didn't notice that he was already sitting next to her. He was mesmerized by her face, she was like a living mannequin, her smooth white skin, and her round eyes looking at the space, her small nose and the dimples she has in her cheeks, they are bewitching him.

When his sight lowered to her lips, his hand lifted to reach her chin.

"What are you-?" he could hear the confusion in her voice. Her round eyes were staring at him, shinning with confusion.

They oddly stared at each other, their glances battled each other until he saw her eyes shone with tears. He felt an urge to comfort her, to do something so her eyes will stop shedding tears.

When he saw her eyes closing, Evan's eyes narrowed and moved his head closer to her. Both hands drifted to her hip, it settled there and pulled her closer, before their lips touch, for the first time, he called out her name.

"Daniella, Open your eyes," he said, his voice was low and husky.

The moment he saw her iris turning into blue, Evan couldn't hold himself and kissed her.

Daniella absently wrapped a hand around his neck and leaned in, she kisses his warm lips and follows his movement.

Fragments of memory flashed in her mind, wanting to know more, Daniella deepened her kisses.

They pulled apart and took a shaky, shallow breath but still, their distance was too close. Their eyes conversed with each other, full of confusion.

"What was-" she was interrupted when Evan put a finger on her lips. His eyes were looking at her eyes with curiosity.

"Hush" Evan held Daniella's head in his hand and pulled her into a fiery and passionate kiss. And Daniella's handwork their way around his body. Their kiss went deeper, Evan could feel the slackness in Daniella's kiss, it was as if she has never been kissed.

His lips brushed hers in a demanding way. Daniella wanted to pull away but she can't. At this moment, her senses have been seduced and she can no longer think straight.

She urged herself to push him away, she has gathered enough information about him, but her body has begun to tremble uncontrollably by his kisses.

Evan slightly pushed her body onto the couch when suddenly a sound of shattering glass have made their lips to separate.

Evan and Daniella looked at each other, Daniella's body was half to laying on the couch while Evan was on top of her.

They turned their sight at the door and saw Kirby standing with his eyes widened in surprise.

Daniella immediately pushed Evan away and sat up straight. Her heart wanted to burst from embarrassment.

Daniella lowered her sight to her lap, unsure of what to do next.

(Damn it, Daniella! What are you doing kissing a stranger!) she scolded herself.

"Ahm… I didn't know that ahm, please continue," Kirby spoke and picked up the shattered glass on the floor.

Daniella saw Evan stood up from the couch and casually walked towards his desk.

Meanwhile, Anders came with Selena. Both were shocked to see Kirby picking up the glasses.

"Whoa! Kirby, what did you saw that made you drop these glasses," Selena teased and tried to help Kirby but, the man has stopped her by grabbing her hand and dragged her out of the study room.

Anders on the other side was puzzled by the view. He cleaned the glass by himself and left his boss and Daniella alone in the study room.

-

Kirby and Selena ended up in the garden, they stood next to a palm tree and Kirby let her wrist go.

Selena bit her lips, her heart pounded by Kirby's touch. It actually hurt her since he was holding it so tightly but the pain exceeded her excitement.

She has been crushing him for quite some time. His father used to work as the head of Su's financial company. The man might be seven years older than her but, she knows that it's only infatuation, a simple crush. She had read that most girl who didn't have a chance to be with their father was attracted to a matured man.

She looked at him with a smile on her face, when Kirby's phone rang, the man took his phone out of his pocket and she saw the name registered on the screen, Anya. The woman was Kirby's schoolmate and the same age as him but she knows that he doesn't like her.

When Kirby answered the phone with excitement in his voice, Selena's eyes widened in shock. Jealousy rushed over her body while her fist formed into a fist.

(Anya, I am going to burn you alive) her jaw gnashed in anger as she thought of the woman's face.

Back to the study room.

After Anders closed the door, Evan and Daniella have become quiet.

Evan lazily slouched in his chair with one hand massaging his temples.

"I am sorry,"

"Well,"

They both spoke at the same time and it only worsens the awkwardness between them.

"You first," Evan got up from his chair and walked toward the window, his eyes lowered to the garden and saw the gardeners busy cutting the grass.

Daniella stared at Evan's back. She finds it insulting that he suddenly acted cold after kidding her.

(This man! How dare he!) she was savagely furious by his attitude. He changes his mood faster than she changes her boyfriend.

Thinking of that, her eyebrow rose by itself. She then understood that he must be testing her given the remark he has about her relationship.

Daniella shut her eyes, wanting to slap herself from degrading her moral. Seems like she's just proved to him that he was right about her.

She calmed herself and, thought that she needs to be careful dealing with this feisty man.

"As I've told you, my sister in law was Selena's mother. Before she passed away, she asked me to find you. When she was alive she could not control Selena and I don't know exactly why she thought you can change Selena but, I am hoping you can find a way."

She listened to him, he was still facing the window so she couldn't see his reaction but she noticed the sadness in his voice.

Then he continued, "She said once I find you. I should tell you that she was the woman you met seven years ago," but that time, Evan has turned his body around and now facing her.

Even by their distance, Daniella could see the gloom in his eyes. It was as if she had lost someone so precious, the sadness she saw in his eyes was not a typical sadness of losing a family but more of losing someone he deeply cared. Right there, she realized Evan's feeling towards Selena's mother.

Daniella sighed, conflicted to stay or go. She was determined to leave at first but knowing that Kierry's last word was about her, she could not help but feel guilty. She and Kierry didn't spend so much time but even those short time they spoke, and how much Kierry cared about her situation and keeping her secrets, Daniella realized that she can be trusted. Therefore, she didn't do the one thing she usually does when she met people, and that is to look into her eyes and check her life.

Evan was hoping to get some reaction from Daniella after he said those words but to his dismay, she has the same expression she had when they first met.

He was about to speak when his phone rang, he looked at the screen and found that it was his lawyer.

He looked at Daniella, asking if he can excuse himself.

"That's fine. I can wait," Daniella replied and watched him leave the room.

When the door shut, Daniella buried her face in her trembling hands.

She was shell-shocked with everything that has happened today, all she wanted was to kill her target and fly to Italy, eat all the pasta she can and drink all the alcohol she can consume but now that she knows Selena's identity, she doesn't have an option but, to stay and pay off her debt.

She took her phone out and dialed the number of his friend, then she wrote down (Rob, hold that pasta. I'll call you for details) and she hit the send button.