Daddy's Boy

Daniella POV

 The tension in the room was palpable as Lucas, Alpha, and I stepped into the pristine private suite at San Francisco Memorial Hospital. Inside, Mr. Lawson lay in the center of the spacious room, flanked by Mrs. Lawson and—unfortunately—Brandon, with Alana clinging to his arm like a desperate leech.

 Lucas, ever the dramatic entrance-maker, wasted no time. With a cheerful voice, he announced, "Mr. Lawson, here she is! I brought Daniella straight from a Christmas brunch with the mayor at her beach house. And of course," he gestured to Alpha standing behind me with his composed and magnetic demeanor, "her boyfriend came along for the festivities."

I bit my tongue to suppress a laugh. Lucas really had a knack for spinning stories, and I appreciated how effortlessly he explained our dressed-up appearance without leaving room for Brandon to sneer. 

"Anything else I can assist with?" Lucas asked brightly.

 "No, Lucas, thank you. You've done more than enough, and I'm sorry for disturbing your Christmas," Mr. Lawson replied.

" You're the boss. No worries at all," Lucas responded with a charming grin before stepping back, allowing Mr. Lawson to motion me forward.

 Brandon's gaze swept over me with an expression I couldn't quite read before landing on Alpha, who stood tall and unbothered. The hostility in Brandon's glare was palpable.

 Ignoring him, I approached Mr. Lawson's bedside, clasping his weathered hand gently. "How are you feeling, sir?" I asked softly.

 "Don't worry about me, Daniella. This old heart of mine is still kicking, thanks to modern medicine. I apologize for interrupting your time. Brunch with the mayor? You're really going places, my dear." His eyes twinkled. Then he glanced at Alpha. "And this is your boyfriend?"

 I nodded, and Alpha stepped forward gracefully. Extending his hand, he said, " Hello, Mr. Lawson. I'm Alpha. Daniella has told me so much about you. I hope you recover swiftly."

 Mr. Lawson smiled, shaking Alpha's hand. "Thank you, young man."

 Then he turned his attention back to me, his tone growing serious. "Daniella, the reason I called you here is urgent. There's a potential client—an AI technology pioneer from China, Mr. Alex Wong, who's relocating to America with his family. He's looking for a law firm to handle everything: patents, legal matters, the works. This account is worth billions. Securing it would mean a significant boost for our firm."

 I nodded attentively as he continued, " The challenge is that Mr. Wong is eccentric. Like most inventors, he's unconventional. He's invited representatives from the top ten law firms to a New Year's event at a resort in Las Vegas to determine who's the best fit to represent him. Normally, I'd go, but my health…" He trailed off, gesturing to his condition.

 Brandon seized the moment to interrupt. "Why did you call Daniella? I could represent the firm, Dad. I'm more than capable."

 Mr. Lawson shot him a sharp look. "It's Mr. Lawson when we're discussing work, Brandon. And to answer your question, I called Daniella because Mr. Wong is a family man. He's bringing his wife, his mother, his mother-in-law, and his two daughters, ages eight and three, to this event. I need us to show that our firm values family too."

 He sighed and added, "I can't trust you to make that impression with Alana at your side. Do you remember what she said to a Supreme Court judge at the gala last year? 'Oh, you're a judge? Do you get paid extra when you're on Judge Judy?'"

 The room went quiet. Brandon shifted uncomfortably, and Alana's face turned red. "That was a joke!" she snapped, but the awkwardness lingered.

 I couldn't help the faint smirk curling at the corner of my lips. Mr. Lawson ignored her protest, his voice firm. "This isn't about jokes, Alana. This is about professionalism. And frankly, Daniella represents everything this firm stands for—intelligence, composure, and class."

 Alana glared at me, her face twisting with a mix of embarrassment and hatred, but I didn't flinch. Instead, I gave her a small, polite smile that only deepened the tension.

I was about to thank him for the good words when he dropped the bombshell:

 "I need you to go with Brandon and pretend you're still engaged. As far as Mr. Wong knows, we're a law firm with family at its core. This ruse could help secure the contract."

 "Hell no!" I burst out, my voice slicing through the room like a whip. "I will not fake being engaged to this backstabbing coward. I have my pride, and I refuse to stoop so low as to share a room—or a lie—with him."

 Brandon's face twisted in anger, his fists clenching at his sides. "Pride?" he hissed, his voice trembling with frustration. " The same pride that made you impossible to be with? Let me tell you something, Daniella. Do you know why I cheated? Because you're too bossy, too sarcastic, too damn independent. You don't let anyone in—you don't need anyone. Being with you felt like living in someone else's shadow. You act like a superwoman, and you made me feel like I didn't matter!"

 I scoffed, letting out a humorless laugh that echoed coldly. " Oh, so now I'm the villain because you couldn't handle being with a woman who doesn't need babysitting? Here's a thought, daddy's boy: if standing next to me made you feel small, that's on you—not me. Maybe if you spent less time relying on your father's name and more time being an actual man, you wouldn't have been so easy to replace."

His face flushed with rage, his jaw working furiously as he struggled for a retort. But I didn't give him the chance. "And let me make one thing crystal clear," I added, my voice steely. " Your little ego couldn't handle a woman with a backbone, so you ran off to someone too dim to even notice your flaws. That's not my failure, Brandon. That's yours."

 "Stop it! Both of you!" Mr. Lawson's voice was weak but firm, his breaths labored as he clutched his chest. "If you go like this. still bickering even while pretending to be engaged, as I suggested....we're certain to lose this contract. I can't take that risk!" His tired yet piercing gaze locked onto me. " Daniella, you've been the most adamantly opposed to this idea. So, what do you suggest? How do we move forward to secure the contract?"