"I'm so sorry, I didn't see you." Daphne lied as she tried to clean off the stain on Kian shirt. It was after working hours and she had been secretly following Kian around. Looking for the perfect opportunity to talk to him. If she couldn't find any time during working hours to strike up a conversation with Kian because they were all busy then was going to do it outside work. Kian had been in the mansion for hours, it was late, and the day was already dark before Kian came out. This time he was alone. Spilling her drink on him was the only way Daphne could think of having a conversation with him outside work.
"It's okay. Just leav_" Kian focus his gaze on Daphne. His expression hardens at the sight of her. "It's you. Why am I seeing you again?" He questioned Daphne. He refused to believe that what happened to him was just a coincidence.
"Ohh." Daphne fakes a nervous tone. "I didn't know it was you. This must be weird. I'm sorry for ruining your shirt, there's a clothes store not far from here, so why don't you follow me so that I can buy a new shirt for you."
"I'm never setting my feet on that store," Kian said with deep hatred in his voice. For a second, sadness crossed his eyes as he gave a slight glance at the store Daphne was referring to.
"I will feel bad if I let you move around with a stained shirt. I know that the day is almost over but I can't let you go home like this. Since it's my fault, I will buy you a new shirt and maybe a drink so that we can both have a little chat." Daphne gazed at Kian with innocent eyes as though she didn't plan to meet in this way.
"I'm not interested," Kian said. "Don't worry about the stain on my shirt, I have been in a far worse situation than this. In short, I have looked worse and those around me are already used to it."
Daphne didn't understand what he meant by those around him. Most of the days she followed him, he was mostly alone and she had taken notice that the people who lived in the mansion Kian works in weren't his friends. Kian didn't look like he had any friends. Daphne didn't even know if he had any parents. Everything about him was a mystery. A dangerous mystery that made Daphne want to use everything in her power to get him for herself. He was strong and had a strange supernatural ability, that Daphne thought was perfect for going up against Noah. If she didn't dare to pull the trigger on the gun against Noah, then she was going to find. No. Create a strong man who was willing to lose his life for her.
"Go out on a date with me." Daphne blunted out.
"What? I'm sorry, what did you say."
"Go out on a date with me," Daphne repeated. Kian was a stubborn man to trick into a secret date. When it was about him, Daphne could feel something in her that made her bold enough to take a challenge even though her approach was too straightforward.
"I heard what you said but why?" Kian ask. His voice sounded lost. His angry features were replaced with a sad look. "Are you doing this to make fun of me because of what you heard?"
"What? No!" Daphne didn't understand what Kian meant by that. Since she started working for Mr Mateo at the cafe. No one spoke about Kian. "I don't even know what you are talking about."
"Then why are you asking me out?" Kian said. Reflecting how much he thought Daphne's behavior didn't make sense.
"What do you mean why? I'm single, you are single. There's nothing wrong with us going out. Who knows you might just fall for me after our first date." Daphne nervously used her hand to brush her hair, she used her long hair to cover the blush appearing on her cheek as she turned her eyes away from Kian.
"That's not an answer to my question. I asked you why. Not what you think. Anyway, forget it." Kian angry features came back to his face as though he caught himself and remembered that he was letting a part of himself open up for Daphne to see. "I don't want to know. I'm not interested in going out with you. Leave me alone." Kian left without giving Daphne any opportunity to say something else to him.
'how can that man be so arrogant.' Daphne thought. 'who does he think he's? If I didn't need him I wouldn't tolerate that attitude of his.'
Daphne and Esther both sat down on the couch, watching TV.
"How can he just reject someone without thinking carefully about it." Daphne thought back to Kian rejection. It was the fastest rejection she had ever experienced. She wasn't used to a guy rejecting her, she was usually the one who did the rejection. But then again, Daphne didn't chase after guys either. Kian Landon was the first.
"I know right," Esther said, annoyed. "You really can't trust men these days. After everything she did for him, he left her." Esther was frustrated by the drama she was watching with Daphne. Things were going badly for the female lead, all because of the man she chose to love. Esther felt like crying because of the storyline. She thought that Daphne's earlier statement was about the drama they were watching. She never knew that Daphne was referring to herself.
"Hey, Esther," Daphne called. She was trying to understand why Kian rejected her. "Am I ugly?"
Esther looks at Daphne with a lack of focus. Most of her attention was on the TV screen. "You are the most gorgeous girl I have ever met. Most times I feel as though you deserve to stay in a rich mansion, instead of this shabby house. Like her." Esther's last words refer to the female lead on the screen.
"Right?!" Daphne said in agreement with Esther's words. She knew she was beautiful, her late father always called her a princess. Daphne didn't need anyone to tell her of her beauty because she was aware, and yet, Kian rejection made her feel insecure. All the men Daphne had met usually fell for her only for two reasons. Her looks, and her wealth. Now she was no longer wealthy because she left everything her father gave her when she ran away from Noah. Daphne didn't know what Kian wanted. What sort of guy was he? If he didn't want her body, then did he want money?
The next day, Daphne decided to be extra nice to Kian at work. But all her attempts failed because Kian avoided her.
The four groups of guys that had gathered themselves together in the cafe were the same people Daphne saw in the mansion Kian was working in. Daphne found it weird that people like them were Interested in coming to Mr Mateo's little cafe.
Kian took out their orders. Daphne secretly kept an eye on him. He demanded that he was going to be the only one who served them. Mr Mateo didn't complain about his request, rather he encouraged everyone to listen to Kian. Kian stood at a side even though the guys already had their drink and their snacks. Kian kept waiting on them, for anything else they wanted. Daphne doubted that they would want more since they already had enough on their plate.
Daphne understood that Kian worked for them, but she didn't know why he was going to such lengths to please them. His behavior was almost as though he was a slave and not a worker.
'maybe Kian was the sort of man who cared for money more than women.' Daphne thought. The only reason she could think of was 'A salary increase.' it was the only way she could understand the special treatment, Kian was giving to the guys even though they looked ordinary as though there was nothing special about them. Although they were one of them who was quieter than the rest. He was very handsome and had an air around him that radiated power.
An idea came to Daphne. Although she might no longer be as rich as she used to be, she could help Kian out. If money was what he was after, then she was going to help him in removing the dirty dishes. The guys were done eating their snacks. They were talking among themselves while taking a little sip of their drink.
Kian held Daphne's wrist as she was about to remove a plate from the table. "What do you think you are doing?" He yelled at her with a low voice.
Daphne was startled by his reaction. He was supposed to be grateful. But he wasn't. She remembers the time he was cleaning the restaurant alone, back then when she helped him together with Esther, he wasn't thankful either. He was angry. It made her wonder why Kian was always angry.
"Can't you see that I'm trying to help?" Daphne gave a little smile to the guys whose attention was now on her. All thanks to Kian obnoxious reaction. Daphne still didn't know how she was going to get Kian to like her when all he did was get angry at everything she did for him.
"I didn't ask for your help. I don't want you here. Go away."
"Why do you keep acting like a jerk?" Daphne ask.
"Why won't you listen to me and leave me alone? You are so annoying."
"Kian that's not how to talk to a lady. Not like I expect someone like you to know how." Jace said. His friends Dominic, Chase, and Finn snicker among themselves.
"Hey, I thought you said that we are not doing that here. You know Mr Mateo doesn't like it." Finn said with a wild smile on his face that showed that he didn't care about what his friend was doing.
"I didn't plan on doing anything. But just look at his arrogance and the way he's treating a beautiful lady like her." Jace said, "How about we teach him a little lesson for you?" Jace asks Daphne. He had a flirty smile on his face that Daphne thought was disgusting.
Daphne smiled kindly at Jace. She and Kian had a little argument, but Jace was taking it as something else. "It's okay. I don't mind. The only reason he's acting like this with me is because I asked him out, although he rejected me."
The smile on Jace's face was wiped off immediately.
"Woah," Finn said. Breaking the silence Daphne created. "Why would someone like you want to go out with Kian?" He gave a little laugh at the idea of Daphne dating Kian. "Did he do something to you or do you just generally have a bad taste for men?"
'bad taste for men?' Daphne thought in annoyance. Kian had a bad attitude, but his grumpy face was more pleasant to look at than the one who suggested that Daphne had a bad taste for men. Daphne holds her innocent little smile in place. She wanted to tell Finn that the only bad taste around was his face. It was enough to make her lose her appetite for a day.
"He didn't accept her offer. At least he knows his place." Jace softly held Daphne's hand, "If you want a boyfriend, I can go out with you. I have a lot of dating experience, so what do you say?"
"Jace," Dominic called out with authority in his voice. "It's forbidden to mess with an outsider. It hadn't even been up to a year since she moved into Rays city. You know the rules."
"I'm sorry Dominic." Jace left Daphne's hand immediately. His voice was filled with respect for Dominic.
Daphne's eyes went to Dominic who was looking at her with interest. She had seen him once, when she was spying on Kian, back then she had almost mistaken him to be Noah. Daphne had never had a personal encounter with him before.
'how does he know how long I have been here?' Daphne thought as she kept her eyes on Dominic. Her newfound curiosity for Dominic made her suspicious of him. Maybe she made the mistake of feeling too relaxed in Ray City because she hadn't seen any of Noah's underdogs.
"I wonder what Tessa is going to think once she hears of this." Chase snickers to himself.
Kian angrily drags Daphne to the kitchen. "Please let me have a moment with her," Kian said to Nyla who nodded in understanding and left the kitchen.
"Is something wrong between you and those guys? Are you owing them money?" Daphne asks because Kian looks embarrassed.
Kian paced around the kitchen, trying to control his anger. His actions prove to Daphne that there was something about him she still didn't know even though she had spent so much time stalking him.
"I. Am. Never. Going out with you." Kian said. He was about to step out of the kitchen but stopped, "don't you dare go back to that table again. I don't need any help from you or anyone else."