CHAPTER 1

NALANI

“If there’s something important you wish to discuss with Daniel, I’m sure you can discuss it with me too,” I say, standing in the doorway of our small duplex by the lake, and using my frame to shield Gwen from coming inside. I ignore the look of disdain tainting her face as I continue, trying to keep my voice calm. “After all, I am a fair owner of DANA groups, as much as my husband is, so you can tell me,” I finish, sounding confident in my words.

Even though I am the entire brains and backbone of Daniel’s fashion design company, I don’t like that I have to state it, but Gwen won’t leave, so I have to make her.

Her lips curl up in disgust, and she sizes me up as if coming to my matrimonial home on a Saturday evening to speak to my husband in an indecent red body con dress, with nothing about work written on it, isn’t disrespectful enough.

“Don’t be naive. I came here for Daniel and Daniel alone. When will you get your head out of the gutter and realize that you are just a prop? A very hardworking prop?” Gwen asks, shifting her weight onto one of her stiletto heeled feet, and I bite down hard on my tongue. “Fair owner?” She scoffs. “You’re not Daniel’s partner, and you never have been,” she adds, and I shake my head once as the brakes in my head jam. “If anyone is going to soon become a shareholder in Daniel’s company,” Gwen continues, and my glossy eyes come up to meet hers. “It’s me.”

I shake my head in denial. “No. You’re wrong, Gwen. I’m a shareholder in DANA groups. I’ve been from the start. Daniel made sure of it,” I say, more to myself than her.

That was the promise Daniel made to me when I gave up my life and modeling career to help with his business idea that wasn’t kicking off. He promised that he would make me a shareholder so that both of us would be set for life and I’ll have nothing to worry about, and I’m sure he did that.

Gwen disputing that fact now is just a lie, but the way she laughs at the confusion on my face makes me think otherwise, which would mean that Daniel lied to me.

“Then I’m sure it won’t be an issue when you ask him,” Gwen whispers, malice and delight soaking through her tone at my misery, and I sniff back the tears, mustering some might.

“I trust Daniel,” I say to her, and her expression hardens. “If he didn’t make me a shareholder, I’m sure he has his reasons, and I’m sure it’s for the best interest of our family.” I force a smile to stretch my lips. “Daniel would never do anything to hurt me…to hurt us,” I add, but deep down, even I don’t believe it because ever since he met Gwen a year ago, a fellow enthusiast in the fashion world, he has become more and more distant with me.

Every time I ask, he says they just connect on a professional basis, but I see through Gwen.

I may not have originally had any passion for fashion, but I worked so hard to prove my value to Daniel and his company. Right now, all I feel is an invisible hand, repeatedly punching me in the gut, that I don’t hear when Daniel approaches from inside the house.

“Gwen!” Excitement fills his voice, and it’s one he can’t seem to muster for me nowadays. “You’re here. Do come in, please. Nalani, let her through,” Daniel commands in a sharper tone than he used in addressing Gwen, and before I can speak, Gwen walks past me, bumping my shoulder in a not-so-subtle manner as she does.

I shut the door and turn to Daniel.

“Baby, isn’t this a bad time for Gwen to be here discussing business?” I ask, my voice small, and my heart pounding with the news Gwen just broke to me.

“No, it’s not. My mom needs help at the shopping center,” he says, quickly changing the subject, and it sounds like he’s in a hurry to get rid of my presence. “I need you to go and meet her and help with what she needs.”

Gwen has already gone into the living room area, and Daniel is quickly following her, so I do too.

“But Dan, babe, I have something to discuss with you. I just heard something that bothered…”

“Don’t call me that! We can talk about whatever this is later, Nalani. Please, go help my Mom,” he says dismissively, and I stop in my tracks, feeling a tightness in my throat.

I swallow the fact that he has no problem when Gwen calls him Dan or Danny, but when I do, it becomes an insult.

With a shaky voice, I ask. “Are you asking me to leave you alone with her in our home? I can stay if it is business you two need to talk about. I’m the one who carries everything out anyway.”

Daniel abruptly stops in his tracks and whirls to face me, grabbing me by my arm.

His voice reduces to a whisper, but I hear the deadly threat in it. “I’ve told you multiple times that we’re nothing but business friends. You doubting me all the time makes me question if you even trust me at all,” he spits, and my eyes widen.

“Daniel, I trust…”

“Or are you hiding something from me? Is this you projecting your disloyalty on me, Nalani? Is there something I should know?” He asks in rapid successions, and I become speechless.

“Wha- why would you think…Daniel, I would never!” I defend myself weakly, tears quickly filling my eyes, and I instantly regret why I spoke about it in the first place.

He releases my hand and jerks me away.

“Then stop acting childish and go help my mom out,” he says, and in a daze, I turn around to leave.

I take two steps before Daniel’s voice stops me.

“Nalani. Wait.” He comes to my front, and he crouches so that his tall bulky frame somehow levels with mine. His calloused palm caresses my chin as he lifts my head to meet his captivating brown eyes, and I melt. When he begins to speak, I’m a puddle. “I love you, okay? Gwen means nothing, but you…you mean the world to me. Understood?”

Hope spreads in my chest, and I smile softly as I nod, realizing that he’s right.

But when I open the front door, about to step out, I hear Gwen’s distant but high pitched sultry laughter bouncing through the roof.