Chapter 15

The moment Daniel stepped into the house, he felt it.

That shift in the air.

Like a storm about to brew.

His instincts were rarely wrong when it came to Regina. She was probably waiting tor me, probably armed with another reason to make his night hell.

And there she was.

He was right.

Regina lounged on the settee, one leg folded beneath her, the other stretched out, the slit of her pink floral satin slip riding high up her thigh. The dress was nearly transparent, thin straps barely clinging to her shoulders, the silk molding to her curves in a way that made his jaw tighten.

She twirled the stem of her wineglass between her fingers, watching the deep red liquid swirl before finally glancing at him.

"Your mother was here."

Daniel exhaled sharply, rolling his tie between his fingers.

"And?" he asked, already bracing for impact.

Regina took a slow sip, savoring the moment before setting the glass down with a clink. "She gave me advice."

Daniel sighed. "Do I even want to know?"

Regina hummed. "Oh, just the usual. That I should do everything in my power to keep this marriage." She leaned forward slightly. "Cross all the lines if I have to."

He ran a hand through his hair. "That sounds like her."

"She also got me a wedding gift."

She grabbed a silver-wrapped box from the table beside her and tossed it at him. He caught it midair, frowning.

"Lingerie," she said flatly. "The worst kind."

Daniel chuckled, tossing the box onto the coffee table. "For God's sake."

Regina smirked. "I told her I have plenty, but she insisted I accept the gift. Especially not ones that might help.'"

Daniel shook his head, but then her gaze sharpened.

"Tell me something, Daniel. Am I supposed to endure your mother coming here anytime she likes just to play the dutiful mother in law?"

The question hit hard.

His grip on the tie tightened.

"Is there a reason I am not informed so I would be prepared next time?" Regina pressed.

Daniel's patience thinned. "I didn't know she was coming. Don't put this on me."

Regina hummed, tapping a manicured finger against her wineglass. "Right. Just like how I had to find out from your assistant that you've already hired someone to manage me. Without telling me."

His jaw ticked. Claire. That woman never wasted time.

"I assumed you'd want someone competent."

"Oh, how thoughtful." Regina placed a hand over her chest. "And here I was thinking it was just another way to control me."

Daniel leaned back. "You're overreacting."

Regina let out a breathy laugh. "Of course, I am. That's what women do, isn't it? Overreact. Meanwhile, men like you make decisions and expect the rest of us to just go along with it."

She wasn't just looking for a fight.

She needed one.

"You want control? Then take it. I don't care if you fire Claire." He spread his arms, voice edged with challenge. "Go ahead. Tell me what you want, Regina. Tell me what's got you so upset."

She sat up straighter with her chin lifting. "I want a place at the Smith Foundation."

"Excuse me?"

"The fashion department," she clarified, "I want to head it."

He exhaled sharply, rolling his sleeves up, "Absolutely not."

Regina's brows shot up. "That was fast."

Daniel tilted his head. "You should work for your father."

Regina scoffed. "My father never let me work for him. And even if he did, I wouldn't want to be caged under him."

Daniel's lips twitched. "And you think I'd let you do whatever you want at my company?"

Regina crossed her arms. "Maybe working there will make me less bored."

Daniel let out a short laugh. "People don't work because they're bored, Regina."

Her expression hardened. "So what, exactly, do people work for?"

Daniel leaned in slightly. "Power. Money. Influence. None of which you lack."

Regina's jaw clenched. "I don't need a reason to want more and you're such an ass."

Daniel only shrugged. "I've been told many times."

Regina exhaled sharply, shaking her head. "Your mother called me practically naked in this dress."

Daniel's fingers flexed against his knee as he watched her. The pink slip dress, the flushed cheeks, the way she swayed slightly when she leaned forward, all of it pointed to one thing.

She was drunk.

"How much have you had to drink today?" he asked.

Her voice was quieter this time, "I'm not drunk so you better listen. I'm your wife, Daniel. Your equal. You can't keep making decisions and shutting me out like I'm just….just some ornament you have to tolerate."

Daniel exhaled. "Regina—"

"No," she cut in sharply, setting her glass down with a clink. "If I'm going to be stuck in this marriage, I refuse to be a ghost in your life. You need to incorporate me, whether it's business, or whatever the hell else comes with being your wife."

Daniel's jaw tensed. "You don't know what you're asking for."

She let out a dry laugh. "Oh, and you do? You think I can't handle it? That I'm just some spoiled little girl playing dress up?"

"Regina," he warned.

But she wasn't done.

"I know fashion, Daniel. I understand it. I can work in the fashion sector of Smith Enterprises and make it better." She lifted her chin, "You think you're the only one in this marriage with a brain?"

Daniel's lips pressed into a thin line. "You have a brain, but you also have no experience."

She scoffed. "And whose fault is that? My father never let me work under him. The industry wouldn't take me seriously because of my last name. Everyone assumes I have nothing to offer except my last name and my face. But you—" She jabbed a finger at him. "You have the power to change that. Instead, you're doing exactly what they did. Dismissing me."

Daniel rubbed his temple, his head beginning to ache. "Regina, running a company isn't just about passion. It's about strategy, understanding the stakes, managing people. It's—"

"Oh, shut up, Daniel," she muttered, reaching for her wine again. "You're just scared I'll be good at it."

His patience snapped. "Scared?"

She tilted her head. "Why else would you shut me out?"

"Because I don't have time to babysit you," he shot back.

Regina's nostrils flared. "You are such an asshole."

Daniel only smirked. "I've been told."

She exhaled sharply, gripping the glass tighter.

And then, suddenly, she laughed.

Daniel narrowed his eyes. "What?"

Regina swirled the wine in her glass, her gaze flickering up to him. "Your mother asked me if I was pregnant."

Daniel's body went rigid.

Regina smirked at his reaction, her head tilting slightly. "She seemed very eager. Even hinted that it might, you know, help things." She raised a brow. "Imagine that. Me. Pregnant. Carrying your child."

Daniel's jaw clenched. "Regina."

She pouted dramatically. "But hell no, I can't imagine it. It revolts me."

"Regina, you're drunk," he muttered, turning away.

But she stepped closer, blocking his path. "That's not an answer. I want a place. I want a stake. I don't care if you call me a gold digger or whatever it's called."

"Go to bed," he ordered.

She ignored him, reaching out and placing a single finger against his chest, dragging it down the fabric of his shirt. "You never answered me," she murmured, voice lower now.

Daniel swallowed, forcing himself to remain still. "Regina—"

"Are you not going to listen… to me?" she whispered.

His hand flexed. His breathing grew shallower.

Regina watched him carefully, her cheeks flushed, her lips parted just slightly.

And then, as if sensing something shifting in him, she whispered again, "Daniel."

Something inside him snapped.

He moved before he could stop himself.

One second, Regina was standing there, taunting him. The next, his hand was cupping the back of her neck, and his mouth was crashing against hers.

The kiss was anything but gentle.

It was deep and frustrated.

His other hand found her waist, yanking her against him. Regina gasped against his lips, and he took advantage, deepening the kiss, claiming her.

She tasted like wine, like something sweeter, like something he shouldn't want but needed anyway.

Her hands fisted in his shirt, pulling him closer, tilting her head to meet his lips with the same fervor. Her body molded against his, soft and warm, silk slipping against his skin.

Daniel groaned against her mouth, fingers pressing into the curve of her hip. The heat between them was unbearable.

Regina whimpered, and that sound sent a jolt of something dangerous through his veins.

His lips left hers, trailing down her jaw, then lower, grazing the sensitive skin of her throat. Regina inhaled sharply as she gripped his neck, her head tilting back as if offering more.

And he was ready to take.

To devour.

To finally, finally….

"Ahem."

They both froze.

Daniel's eyes snapped open, one hand tightening on Regina's waist and the other around her collar bone just slightly inches away from her cleavage.

He turned his head slowly, already knowing who he would see.

Margaret.

The housekeeper stood at the doorway, completely unfazed.

"Sir," she said flatly. "Your dinner is ready."

Regina's fingers were still curled in his shirt, her chest rising and falling rapidly. But Daniel didn't look at her.

Instead, he exhaled sharply and stepped back.

Without a word, he adjusted his sleeves. Then his collar. Then smoothed down his suit jacket with precision.

Finally, he turned to her, his expression on his face changed.

"Go to bed, Regina," he said, "I mean it."

Regina blinked, her lips still slightly parted from the kiss.

Daniel didn't wait for a response.

He turned on his heel and walked away.

As if nothing had happened.