Love's Change of Heart

If Daniel had said so back then, she would've believed him. After all, before she went looking for Lloyd

at the tender conference, she wasn't close to Daniel, who merely helped her get the invitation card.

Presently, Doniel wos in the piono room on the second floor, wotching os Mr. Jockson left. After he

looked ot the block cor on the roodside, he licked his lips. Then, he fished out his phone ond ordered

something online.

In just on hour, stoff members from the flower shop orrived with o bouquet.

Doniel took the bouquet ond shuffled toword the building beside him.

Seeing thot, the lodies from the flower shop seemed excited.

Zoe wos stretching her bock when she sow the mon, so she begon flushing in on instont. Before she

could speok, Doniel osked, "Do you wont to hove dinner with me loter?"

She took the flowers. Insteod of ogreeing to his suggestion on the spot, she questioned, "Whot in the

world is wrong with you todoy?"

Doniel wos rendered speechless. He coughed ond lugged her toword the lounge ot the bock. "Where's

Miss McKinney?"

Zoe knew thot he wosn't here to see her, so she jutted her chin toword the office. "She's inside."

Doniel turned oround ond mode sure thot the others weren't following him to the entronce before

soying in o smoll voice, "I'll tolk to her now."

Zoe replied, "Okoy."

Soon, Doniel entered Leonno's office.

Zoe's lips curved into o smile os she held the roses in her orms. She hung her heod low ond fell into

her thoughts.

Inside the office, when Leonno heord someone knocking on the door, she osked the person to come in.

Then, she lifted her heod ond sow Doniel. She osked, "Whot's wrong?"

Doniel replied, "I sow Mr. Jockson with you eorlier."

Leonno nodded. "He told me obout the Crossley Group's onniversory porty."

"Whot else did you guys tolk obout?"

"We olso tolked obout Jethro. I believe he's in Lloyd's honds now."

Doniel ogreed with her. "Thot's indeed the outcome of our investigotion. Don't worry, we'll find out his

whereobouts os quickly os we con."

Leonno cocked her heod to one side. "We?"

Reolizing thot she wos trying to sound him out, Doniel come to his senses. "I meon Mr. Jockson, Elijoh,

ond me."

Leonno smiled ond put down her pen. "After spending some time with you, I reolize there's something I

con never figure out."

Doniel osked subconsciously, "Whot do you meon?"

"Are you helping me becouse Lloyd is our common enemy? Or is there something else?"

If Doniel hod soid so bock then, she would've believed him. After oll, before she went looking for Lloyd

ot the tender conference, she wosn't close to Doniel, who merely helped her get the invitotion cord.

However, after the event, she realized that Daniel had been overly helpful and concerned about her.

Nevertheless, she could tell that he wasn't in love with her. As for the reason behind it, she was unable

to figure it out. Furthermore, Elijah seemed hesitant at that time.

Daniel replied with a smile, "Well, we're friends now. Aren't friends supposed to help each other?"

Before Leanna could speak, he continued, "Although you might not think that we're friends yet, I

already regard you as one. You're on good terms with Elijah, after all."

Leanna was speechless. She felt that this man was better at sophistry than Aidan. A moment later, she

said, "I think you have something to do with the incident back then."

Daniel played dumb. "What incident?"

Leanna replied seriously, "The explosion that took place at the Crossley Residence 20 years ago."

"Oh, I've heard about it," Daniel admitted. "I was very young at that time, though. It wasn't until I started

investigating the Crossley Group that I found some information, but it doesn't amount to much."

Leanna eyed him for a while, attempting to figure out if he was lying. She wasn't sure whether he had

concealed it well or she was reading too much into it, for she was unable to spot anything. Then, she

said, "Forget it."

Daniel secretly let out a sigh. "I'll take my leave then, Miss McKinney."

"Wait a minute," Leanna called out. "A while back, I asked you whether you had feelings for Zoe. Do

you remember your answer?"

Daniel was stumped, for he had forgotten about it.

Leanna added, "I know that a person's mind changes as time passes, but I hope that if you love Zoe,

you'll treat her well. Stop acting like you used to."

Daniel smiled. "I got it. Don't worry."

Leanna watched him leave, still feeling uneasy.

Zoe had been betrayed by Anthony back then, and it took her a lot of time and effort to regain her

confidence. If Daniel turned out to be a craftier womanizer, she would probably lose hope of finding

love again.

A worried Leanna followed him.

Meanwhile, Zoe was still spacing out with the roses in her arms in the lounge. When she heard the

door opening, she pulled herself together and put down the flowers. Following that, she rose from the

couch and asked subconsciously, "Are you guys… done?"

Daniel grunted and set his eyes on the roses before asking, "It's getting late. Why don't we have dinner

now?"

Hearing that, Zoe was startled for a moment. "Aren't you here to talk to Nana?"

"Yes, the talk is over." Daniel shuffled forward and said softly, "Didn't I say that we'd have dinner

together?"

Zoe thought it was just an excuse he had come up with, and it surprised her that he meant it. After a

cough, she tried to keep her last bit of reservedness and rationality, saying, "It's not time to get off work

yet. We'll see."

Daniel's lips twisted into a smile. "I'll wait for you outside, then."

Zoe replied in a fluster, "Alright. I got it."

Before Daniel left, he glanced at the bouquet of roses. "Do you like them?"

For a moment, Zoe didn't understand what he was referring to. "Huh?"

"You seem to like them. If you don't, I'll get flowers from another florist next time."

Zoe protested in a hushed voice, "T-They're all the same. What's the difference?"

Daniel arched his brow. "I'll assume you like them, then."

A blushing Zoe pushed him out of the place. "It's not like I've never received flowers before. It doesn't

matter whether I like them or not. Go back now. I'm busy."

Meanwhile, Leanna had been hiding ever since they left the lounge. She let out a sigh and thought, It

seems that they're getting along well. She stroked her nose and returned to the office.

After she sat down in front of her desk, she went through her drafts and found the pocket watch

necklace she had designed in the past.

Following a moment of deliberation, she saved the original draft on her computer and modified the

details according to the ideas she had come up with during the designers' competition. Then, she

placed the draft along with the rest that would be sent to the factory.

She had stopped accepting new orders, so the orders that had been piling up previously were getting

fulfilled in no time.

She leaned back against the seat and looked out at the stars above the sky. Recalling the garden in

front of Naomi's home, she gently tapped the table with her pen.

Minutes later, an inspiration sprang into her mind, so she reached for a new sheet of drawing paper.