Knight

Chapter 1 Getting to know you

The doorbell rang, surprising them. The maid from before is back, delivering their lunch, and Ava was there to hand a briefcase and a large folder to Darrell. He talked quietly to his secretary who nodded and left. "Eat your lunch. Don't worry about it now." He worked a bit as he ate his lunch. Callista watched him as he took a look at her helping Sierra to cut her food and fed Felix, then closed his laptop and brought his food back to the table to eat with them, setting her a plate and fed her while he ate his own food. She wondered after they finished eating and he showed her a guest room to rest and peeked at him working in a table near the window. He was talking in the phone while tracing something in the report and nodded. 

Unconsciously, she had walked to the front of his table and kneeled to watch him work, her chin rested in her arms atop the table. "Aren't you tired" He shocked her with his question, and she suddenly realised that she was right in front of him. "Ah… I… I…" "If you wanted to watch me work, you can sit there in the sofa or pull a chair here. Don't kneel like that. You'll get carpet burns." He said with an amused smile. 

"I… I'm just wondering… " She stuttered "About? " He hummed as he signed on the folder and closed it. "You seemed to be very busy" She squeaked. "Well, yes. I had a company to lead, after all." She looked down tearfully. "You reminded me of my father." Darrell stared at her for a moment, then closed his laptop and pulled her to the sofa. He arranged her in his arms and stroked her hair. "Tell me about your father." He said, leaning back to the pillow.

"My father is a businessman like you. He had a canning company. They say that since my mother's death when I was born, he poured his time into the company. I rarely saw him. He married my nanny when I was eight and had Sierra when I was fourteen, and Felix when I was eighteen. My first step mom was nice, and she loved all of us equally. Then she died giving birth to Felix and my father was back to his cold workaholic self. When I turn twenty, he got cancer, so I quit my study and go home to help him. He died last week." She sniffed. 

"The sad thing is, I don't really know anything about him and my mother. He never said anything, and he's always working." "Are you worried that I'd turn to be like him? " She shook her head sleepily in the crook of his neck. His scent and warmth had lulled her to sleep. "My father wouldn't ask if I was tired or cared if I got carpet burns. Nor will he help someone like me. He was not the type to meddle in other's business. " Her voice died down as she slept.

Darrell continued stroking her back absentmindedly as he thought about how lonely she must be when she was a child. His own parents were almost the same. Both of them worked long hours, often leaving him and his sister only with their nannies. When Darrell turned fifteen, he'd sworn that he'd never be like his father who took his mother to France and left him and Isla in Indonesia. Both of them rarely called, and never visited. In his heart, he felt like he no longer had parents. 

Once, he contemplated on drugs. Thinking that it may brought back his parents' attention. He had the money, after all. But he didn't think it would work, because he once mentioned about how nice it is to have a sport car, and his dad transferred the money to his account immediately. He never did bought that car, because he was twelve at the time, and his dad never ask about it. So the money just sat there along with allowances, birthday money, all ocassion money. His parents loved to say 'I've transferred some money. Buy something you like.'

Darrell bought himself a third share of Prescott Hotel, his friend's family hotel, and worked with his friends ever since. Now he is rich on his own account, and still receive allowances from his parents. He snorted as he recalled telling his parents about RDJ and gotten transfer the next day and a text from his mom. 'You don't need to work, you'll lead your own company when your father and I retired. ' that's it. He smiled to himself as he recalled his game apps and his software development company under RDJ. It's his own company alright, and he didn't even need to wait for his parents to retire. Callista whined in her sleep because his moment stopped. He laughed and pressed a kiss to the top of her head and joined her in sleep. 

The ringing phone woke Callista up. She almost screamed when she felt an arm in her waist, but then she opened her eyes and saw Darrell peacefully sleeping. He had changed position from reclining on his back to stretch on his side, his arm under her head. she saw that he'd unbuttoned the first two buttons of his shirt and had crowded her to the back of the sofa in his sleep. Still sleepy, she snuggled back with a smile, only for the phone to rang again.

"Darrell" She shook him "Darrell, your phone is ringing." He blinked twice, then sat up, looking for his phone. "Yes? Oh, okay. Sure. Yes" He mumbled sleepily. "Your brother and sister's suitcases is on their way up here." He said and leaned back, closing his eyes. "Oh thanks." She answered, then blushed red. "I… okay, I'll marry you." His eyes opened immediately. "For real? Why all of a sudden? " Callista blinked twice and mumbled, hiding her red face behind her hands. "I'm sorry, I can't hear that" Darrell pulled her hands away from her face. "Just… yeah" She looked away in embarrassment. "You...liked sleeping with me?" He asked uncertainly.

"I thought you said you can't hear me? "Callista whined, hiding her face again. " I can't, it's a logical deduction. Since this afternoon, you only said that after you woke up in my arms." He laughed and pulled her hands away again to give her a kiss on the tip of her nose. " Here, let's pick a ring. I'll ask my secretary to bring it here." He showed her a catalogue in his tablet. "I have to call my friends. Go ahead and look. I need to get people moving so we can be married by tonight."

"Are you nuts?! " Darrell winced as his sister screamed across the phone when he called to give her the news . "No way in hell I'm letting you treat your wife- to- be like that. Get a new tux or something. I'm on my way. Raina and I will take care of the bride. Ryan will be taking care if the priest. Is the Wedding Hall available? Of course it's available. It's weekdays. Raina! We're skipping class! My brother is getting married. Call your husband to get a priest and the rest. " Faintly he heard Raina squealed and started on her phone. He shook his head fondly "I'll get Ava to reserve the Wedding Hall." He said, then he called his friends. 

"I don't mean to alarm you" Darrell said as he reentered his living room. "My sister Isla and my friend Ryan's wife, Raina is on their way here to help you get ready. They're… young, so you'll have to forgive their enthusiasm." Callista looked overwhelmed. "They're okay with us getting married? " Darrell shrugged. "Very excited, in fact. I heard Raina ordered her staffs to assemble cake sampler." He smiled. "They just opened their wedding organizer business, and you're their first bride. It's very sudden, but I'm sure it's going to be good."