Investigate, the boy

The next day early morning Sarah came to Ava's house and took her out shopping and they spend the whole day together while Daniel spent all day working in his office. When it was evening, Daniel went to meet his old friend Earl. He chose a local bar they used to go to a long time ago. he wanted to meet and drink in a familiar place.

Earl reached the meeting place 2 minutes before Daniel showed up and as soon as he saw him he was so excited, he shouted out enthusiastically, "Danny, my man! How have you been?"

Daniel smiled and hugged him before he sat down, "I've been good, but you seem to do really well, huh? Deputy director? Not bad." Daniel said happily.

"Well, I am trying but honestly, after you left, work feels so boring. Trust me, Danny, I didn't have a decent person I could talk to. If I didn't have to support my family, I would have left the field and gotten involved in some small business." Earl said bitterly.

"Don't worry, since you chose to stay, focus and do your best. You have a perfect future ahead." Daniel patted Earl on the shoulder and said encouraging him.

"I know, Thanks, Danny. So what's new with you?"

Daniel poured a glass of wine for Earl and said lightly. "Nothing much really. Did you keep an eye on Oliver as I asked you? Did he do anything after I left?"

Earl was about to pick the grass but he froze midair, frowned, and said, "No, it's all his legal business. Everything looks good and booming more and more every day."

"What about the boy he adopted?" Daniel asked suddenly.

Earl was confused about Daniel's line of questioning but he answered truthfully, "What about the boy? As everyone knows he adopted the boy 2 years ago."

"And do you know anything about the boy's mother?"

"Mother? No, not really. It was said that the boy was an orphan. Danny, what's going on? Why are you suddenly asking about Oliver Knight's son? Did something happen?" Earl knew Daniel well to know he wouldn't ask these questions if something was not going on his mind so he asked directly.

Daniel sighed and said in a very serious tone, "Earl, I need you to help me investigate the boy. I want to know every piece of information you find about him. Can you do that?"

"OK, I'll do that but may I ask why?" Earl was still confused, about what made Daniel so interested in a little boy.

"I am afraid that the boy Oliver is claiming to adopt was actually his and Ava's son," Daniel said gloomily.

Earl took a sharp breath and said widening his eyes, "Ava? Your wife? But how is this possible? Didn't that child die shortly after he was born? Although Oliver tried to block the news, but many people at the hospital knew his child died in an accident."

"Well, I am not sure. I just have a hunch. Please help me find you." Daniel took a sip of his red wine and narrowed his eyes looking into the distance. If the boy was really Ava's then he was sure Oliver would use him to bring Ava back. But then again why hasn't he yet, if that was indeed true and the boy was his and Ava's? That's what was making Daniel confused and unsure of his suspicion.

"Well, don't worry. I'll see what I can do." Earl nodded solemnly.

After that, they went back to normal conversation and keep drinking until midnight. In fact, they would have spent the whole night talking and laughing if it wasn't for Earl's wife, who called him and ordered him to come back home.

Earl was a bit upset, he said slurring and shaking his hands helplessly, "Danny, sorry but I will have to go home now. My wife didn't like it when I stay out very late. How about we continue this some other day? I really wish my wife was like yours. We have been here for almost 5 hours but your wife didn't bother you even once, but mine had already called three times. Man, I really envy you. "

Earl was completely drunk so he didn't know he touched a sour place in Daniel's heart, he just wanted to praise Daniel and Ava's relationship. However, his words pinched Daniel's heart tightly and he felt lost. He thought to himself, he would be so happy if Ava called him and nagged him to come back home early, but she would never do that because she was not his real wife. She didn't love her, to her, he was just a friend. No matter how late he stays out or even if he didn't go home at all, Ava will never ask him a single question and it had nothing to do with trust. It's not that Ava didn't care about him, she did. But she would always stay within her boundary when interfering with his life. It's frustrating and saddening at the same time.

Daniel put on a smile on his face and said lightly, "Give her more sense of security then she will trust you and won't nag you anymore."

"Yes, you are right. I need to give her more sense of security. Alright, friend, I am going now, I'll see you later." Earl got up and staggered toward the door before his driver came and helped him to his car.

After Earl left, Daniel suddenly felt very lonely, he drowned a few more glasses of wine and then called his assistant to pick him up. Jason came quickly and help Daniel to his car then start driving him to his home. He was very surprised to see Daniel in this state, he was slurring, cursing, and staggering all the way to the car. In these 2 years, he has never seen his CEO this drunk. Daniel was a very cautious person, he wouldn't usually drink with anyone let alone drink this much, so he wondered what happened to Daniel for drinking so much today. He kept glancing at the back seat to see if Daniel was ok and couldn't help but ask, "CEO Sherman, is everything alright? Why did you drink so much suddenly?"

Daniel opened his eyes and looked at Jason then without answering his question he suddenly asked, "Jason, have you ever been in love with anyone?"

Jason nodded. He fell in love when he was still in college, both of them had different dreams so they broke off after college and went their own way. He never met his Ex again but sometimes her sweet face still flashes into his mind. "I already told you about her, CEO Sherman."

"Ah, you think that was love? If you really loved her you would have cared about her more, you wouldn't have left her. You would plan your life with her in it. You wouldn't want to be without her. You would miss her when she wasn't around and would be the happiest when she was with you" Daniel kept babbling and Ava's smiley face kept flashing into his mind taunting him more and more.