Blessing in Disguise

Chapter 47: Burnt Out

Amelia found herself perplexed by Daniel's behavior. His sweet words contradicted the undertone, facial expressions, and body language, creating a puzzle she struggled to solve. Usually, Daniel was an open book, but now he seemed inscrutable. Gripping the tumbler tightly while caressing her cheek gently, his emotions conflicted, leaving her unsure about his state of mind.

Taking charge, Amelia held Daniel's hands, guiding him to the nearest couch. Seating him, she positioned herself beside him. Cupping his face in her hands, she made him look into her eyes. With utmost seriousness and a gentle tone, she expressed her concern, "Daniel, what is going on? Your behavior is scaring me, and I can see that something is troubling you a lot. I would love it if you would talk to me, but I know that something is disturbing you too much, too much to even notice that I just put Liam in his room with a movie on, which will not distract him for long. So, whatever it is that is disturbing you is extremely important. But at the same time, you need to remember that right now we have a child in the house with us. So, whatever you have to talk about, you have to be composed, okay? Now, what is it that is disturbing you, Danny? Is it the Labyrinth CEO, if the deal doesn't work out, or is it something else?"

Daniel gazed at Amelia, reminiscing about the woman with blue-grey eyes he fell in love with on their first date, where cheeseburgers were the affordable choice. From building his company to making her his wife and the mother of his son, she had been his constant. Amelia's gentle words and underlying warning concerning Liam's presence heightened his concern. Chuckling inwardly at her assumption about Romanov causing his distress, he shook his head.

Laying back on the couch, he closed his eyes. After a few seconds, he pulled Amelia toward himself. Shifting his hand from her shoulder to her head, he arranged her comfortably on his chest against the couch. The tumbler remained intact in his other hand, placed on the side table with a loud sound.

Daniel, regaining composure, expressed, "I'm sorry if I scared you, my love. It's just that, you're right, the Labyrinth CEO, Romanov, has become quite a pain in my ass. The trip had its ups and downs, a few successes and failures. I'm exceptionally tired, having not slept for the past few nights. So, I was a little disoriented when I came home."

Amelia, her eyes opening, gently cupped his cheek while still lying on his chest. Comforting him, she said, "Don't apologize, darling. I understand the stress. Successes and failures are part of life, and it's okay. You don't need to be so hard on yourself. Dealing with Labyrinth is challenging. I believe you'll get what you deserve. I have full faith in you; MT is like your first child, nurtured from the ground up. Whatever you do will be in its favor. It's okay to relax, take a few days off, unwind, and return to work with a fresh mind. Don't stress too much." Amelia spoke in the gentlest tone imaginable.

Daniel hummed, securing Amelia's hand on his cheek, and brought it to his lips, giving a chaste kiss to her palm. A warmth spread across Amelia's cheeks at the gesture, surprising her. She had never been one to easily blush at physical affection, yet after many years with this man, her Danny still managed to evoke that response. Closing her eyes, a smile lingering on her face, she embraced the comfort of her husband's presence and enjoyed the familiar scent of his cologne.

As Daniel played with the rings on her hand - the wedding and engagement rings, he broke the silence, saying, "You know, Amy, I wanted to talk to you about something the other night." Amelia hummed, signifying her attentive listening. Continuing, he shared, "I got a call from Danish the day before Meher and Seher's birthday. Do you remember Danish? Danny, my childhood friend?" He asked.

Amelia hummed in affirmation, "Danika's brother, of course I remember him. You know, I was just telling Liam the other day about Danika, since he had so much interest in being a pilot and all. I'll give him a call in a few days and see where she is. And whenever she's in the city, I would love to make Liam meet her. Just meeting another pilot, I'm sure he would be enamored by her." Daniel responded, "Yeah, let's do that."