Hide & Seek - Daniel Le Domas.

🥀 Chapter Six 🥀

* Edited *

“You lost them?” Charity asks with a disappointed sigh as she lowers her gun and walks over to her miserable husband.

“Indeed.” Daniel replies.

“You’re pathetic.”

“Indeed.” Daniel nods and lifts his glass for Charity to take. She does so and gulps down the burning liquid.

Meanwhile, beneath the desk, Monica clenches her fists, finding herself hating the way Charity spoke to Daniel. Mainly because it was disrespectful and insulting most of the time. And Daniel definitely didn’t deserve it.

“Could you at least pretend to care?” Charity sighs with head shaking and glass slamming onto the desk top, earning a lazy shrug from her disinterested husband.

Daniel pushes himself out of the chair and opens the bottle of bourbon as he walks over to the small drinks tray just beside the desk. Then, with a troubled sigh, he proceeds to pour himself another glass.

He shoots a discreet side glance towards Monica, silently pleading with her to remain silent and out of sight. He needed her to be okay because deep down, he knew he had feelings involved in all of this now. Monica was not simply just a friend. She never truly had been.

She was his partner in crime. His source of comfort, support, and reassurance when needed. She was his hope.

So, for now, he would protect and hide her from his family until he figured out what to do next. Until he made the choice hovering above him like a dark cloud. He’d ultimately have to decide who meant more to him; his family or Monica.

“Oh, I'm sure you'll find them and kill them with or without my help.” he finally says as he takes a small sip of the burning liquid.

“You know, something did occur to me, though. Alex may have been wrong to keep Grace in the dark... but do you remember how you reacted when I told you about this? You didn't fucking blink. I mean, you couldn't wait to sign your soul away.” Daniel recalls while approaching his wife as he speaks, staring at her stoically. Though, his voice did hold a hint or resentment for the woman he had married.

Even Monica had to admit that the whole exchange between the pair was unusual and highly dysfunctional. It truly was odd to hear a man talk to his wife with such a tone. But it was justified in its entirety because Charity hated Daniel as much as he resented her.

They were a match made in hell and right now, Monica could see that plain as day.

“You know where I came from and what my life was like before. I’d rather be dead than lose all of this.”

Monica frowns at the strong emotion within Charity’s voice, only now could she understand why Charity was here and willing to do whatever was necessary to keep all of this. It was sad really to see someone so fucked up that they were willing to sell their soul and morals for a bunch of materialistic things that offered no real love or value in her life.

“Well... from your lips.” Daniel mutters with a hardened expression as he brings the glass of bourbon to his lips once more.

Monica truly had to admit it, Grace had been right. This marriage had been doomed from the start. Daniel craved love and intimacy, whilst Charity craved security, safety and comfortable living. Their priorities were so different, as were there hearts.