NOVEL NEXT Chapter 281: What am I to You?
She looked at him, eyes shaking. "Why are you with her? Why would you bring her here for me to see both of you like that?"
"You're never in the main hall, Penny."
"I know, I know," she began to tear up. "But you shouldn't have risked it all. You must have completely forgotten about me. Maybe... Maybe I just don't have a place in your life anymore."
Darren stepped closer. "That's not true."
"Then say it," she whispered. "Please say it, Mister Darren. Say what I am to you."
He froze. The silence said more than he wanted it to. He could hear his heart thumping madly.
Usually, in situations like this during business and deal making, Darren would think of something clever, or summon the system for help. But now, faced with something as raw as human connection, he had no play, and the system could offer nothing but:
Ding!
┏This person is deeply hurt by you.┛
Darren tightened his lips, then finally, after Penelope had waited for seconds, he attempted to give her an answer
"I care about you, Penny," he said. The answer was no where near satisfying. "You're not just some girl I brought close. You're the only one who ever made me feel like a normal person. You're the one that I always want to come back to."
Penelope licked her lips. "What of the one you want to be with? Am I not worthy enough to be her?"
Darren's expression froze. "Penny, don't say that."
"But I am saying that, Mr. Darren. Tell me why you are so afraid to name what this is?" she asked. "To tell me what I am to you." Her voice wasn't bitter. It was soft. Like a cut that had stopped bleeding but never healed.
"Because my world is dark," he said finally. "Darker than you know. I don't get to live simple stories, Penny. I can't just... pick flowers and build a life in peace. Every time I build something, someone tries to burn it down. And the closer you are to me, the more risk you carry. I didn't want to drag you into that. Your father wouldn't want that either."
Penelope almost burst into tears. "Don't say that. You don't get to use that. Please, it's not fair."
Darren's gaze fell. "I'm sorry."
She stepped forward until she was inches from him. Her eyes searched his. "You think I don't know you live on a battlefield? I've heard the calls, Mister Darren. I've seen the bruises in your gaze when you thought no one would notice. I know you lie to people, fight with people, deceive, cheat, even work with morally gray people just so you can maintain the lifestyle you've built. I know the way your shoulders tense when the phone rings. I know all these things, Mister Darren."
A tear fell to her tender rosy lips. "I'm not afraid to be with you. I want to be with you more than anything."
Darren grimaced bitterly, hating himself. "I don't deserve you," he muttered. "It's not right that I get to have you."
"You don't get to make that choice, Mister," she said, catching his gaze with more confidence now. Then, with quiet devastation, she added:
"I need to know if I'm just a safe place to run to, or someone you're running toward."
The question hung in the air, burning.
"I don't want to be the girl who makes your nights easier, but not your days," she said. "I don't want to be your softness if you're only going to harden again when I leave the room."
He stepped forward, lowering his voice. "You're not just that. You've never been just that. You're the girl I think about all the time, Penny. When things get difficult and when things get quiet. You're the name I see behind every good moment."
"Then why is your life so full of others?" she asked, tears brimming. "Why do I only exist when it's convenient?"
He was speechless.
She took a step back, wrapping her arms around herself.
"You don't have to answer," she said gently. "But my father once told me that not answering is an answer."
Darren reached out, but she shook her head.
"I still love you, Mister Darren," she whispered. "But I can't keep giving pieces of myself if you don't even know what you want."
He nodded slowly. "You're right."
She looked at him one last time.
"I hope one day you do know," she said. "And I hope I'm still around to hear it. But I can't wait in the corner of your life anymore."
She turned.
"Penelope," Darren called her.
"I'm sorry, Mister Darren," she said finally and walked down the hallway, toward the back exit.
Darren didn't follow.
For what felt like an eternity, he remained rooted to the spot, like a statue carved from utter devastation. His mind raced, desperately searching for a solution, any path that could possibly rectify the situation. But when the silence of his thoughts offered no answers, a profound sense of shame washed over him, and he slowly walked out of the corridor.
By the time Darren returned to the Crown Nook, the table was empty.
The roast duck sat untouched, the wine glass half full. A folded napkin lay beside the plate, neatly set, respectfully placed.
Sandy was gone.
The seat across from him felt impossibly far away. The soft glow of Castle Cottage now seemed too warm, too gentle for what was churning in his chest.
But around him, the guests were still there, murmuring, gossiping. Darren felt his life turning into a goddamn telenovela.
He sat down slowly, staring at the empty glass where Sandy had once been.
All the money, the power, the influence. None of it could make moments like this easier.
He leaned back, eyes heavy with thought, and whispered:
"…I really messed this one up."
No one answered.
Ding.
┏New Quest!┛
┏Secure your relationships with the women in your life.┛
Darren almost sprung up. 'What?!'
That was the most awkward quest the system had ever given him!