Mysterious CEO's Last Surrogate
Chapter Nineteen

Loney ignored Paul's last question, strode to Mabel's room and knocked on her door. Mabel was asleep but woke up at the sound of the knock. Being the housekeeper and being in charge of everyone, she couldn't sleep too deeply for fear of losing out on something important. She thought that perhaps an emergency had happened and one of the maids had come to inform her. She stood from the bed, covered herself with a morning coat and turned the knob open. She was surprised to see Loney at the door, padded with a stern grimace.

Mabel panicked slightly, fearing that something must have happened, as she forced a smile, "master, you are welcome," she said politely.

Loney ignored her pleasantries. For as long as he was concerned, Danica was being maltreated and treated like a maid, doing the chores she wasn't supposed to do and that burned him. "Downstairs, we need to talk." He commanded. Mabel's panic deepened, her heart rate increased. Loney never spoke to her in that manner and therefore, she was greatly disturbed.

She didn't have time to menace over Loney's reason and descended the stairs after him. It was quiet with all the maids asleep and a few guards around. Loney sat on the sofa and spoke as soon as Mabel arrived. He didn't give her the chance to even sit before firing her with bullets of questions.

"Who has been doing the cooking in this house?" Loney spoke in a deep expressionless tone, slightly harsh.

Mabel caught sight of Paul shaking his head. She couldn't decipher what he was warning her about and said, "master, I do the cooking most times."

Loney boiled with rage. He hated lies. Especially one that came from people he trusted. "Don't lie to me, Mabel, for the last time, who does the cooking in this house?"

Mabel was scared of Loney knowing the truth. She feared losing her job and couldn't bear to tell him the truth. Paul was helpless for Mabel not catching the hint and strode to his room. "Master, I do all the cooking but, is there a problem?"

Loney's patience had run out, so he pointed out, "now I have confirmed that you are lying to me. Why do you make Danica do the cooking?"

It was crystal clear to Mabel that Loney found her out. Her body began to heat up in anxiety, as her pores opened up with beads of sweat forming on her forehead. This is the worst. She deciphered that Paul must have told Loney because he didn't know that it was a secret. Now she only had to hope for what punishment Loney will impose on her. She only prayed that she wouldn't lose her job. "I'm sorry, master, but she won't eat anything I prepare for her. She has allergies but doesn't tell me the exact things she is allergic to. The only one I know is onions but there are others she won't tell because cooking is her passion and she sees it as exercise. Please forgive me master, but I didn't mean to lie to you," Mabel's words were coated in remorse and Loney was slightly moved.

However, another conflict inscribed on Loney's mind. 'Allergies?' He couldn't believe it and it didn't seem like Mabel was making it up. He also didn't know how to handle the situation at hand. Instinctively, he asked, "What else are you hiding from me?"

Mabel shivered, "nothing, master. Cooking is the only thing she insists on doing."

Loney's mind went in reverse. "So, the food I ate the last time, she cooked it?" Loney hadn't forgotten the taste of that food. It was the most delicious he tasted, just like one from his favourite restaurant. "Yes. She said she's a chef by profession," Mabel confirmed, making Loney even more confused.

"You may go back to bed, sorry for interrupting your sleep."

"You are so generous, Master. God bless your good heart," Mabel said, after letting out a breath of relief, then she asked, "but master, should I stop her from cooking?"

Loney was in deep thought and was a little startled by the question. If she had allergies, then he couldn't negotiate on it. "Unless you have a solution to her allergies," he uttered a bit sarcastically but Mabel wasn't offended. She knew that Loney had a temper but had just not experienced it as much as that night.

"I understand, master. Thank you very much," she said and ascended the stairs to her room. After Mabel went back to bed, Loney went to his room to wash down. He realized that it was nearing dawn by the time he finished, therefore, he didn't intend to do as planned. Instead, he dressed in his suit and was ready for the office but still, he couldn't leave without a glimpse of Danica and decided to check on her.

He gently pushed her door open and saw her form on the bed. He could tell that she was asleep. He ambled a few steps and sat on the bed beside her, admiring her figure. She looked so innocent like a baby yet, Loney felt she was keeping so much he couldn't understand. A part of him wanted to ask her certain questions directly but he feared she might reject him again as she did in the past. He could only show himself to her after he was certain that she had developed feelings for him. Feelings strong enough to match his.

He trailed his fingers around her smooth face and stroked her long silky brown hair. He bent to kiss her cheeks and Danica turned to the side. Loney realized she was about to wake and strode out instantly. When he got to the entrance, Paul was standing there.

"Living so soon?" Paul asked casually but conveyed a deeper motive. Loney didn't want to drag it. He felt that Danica would realize he was around and come out any moment.

"I don't want her to see me. Don't tell her that I came and tell Mabel too when she wakes up," he ordered impatiently.

"But why Loney?"

"I can't tell you now. I will be back tonight and I repeat don't tell her that I came or that I will be back tomorrow," Loney said, before turning the knob of the door to the garage. Paul uttered behind him, "for friendship's sake, I will do as you please."

"Thank you," Loney said and left.

Danica was sensitive. She felt a familiar presence when she woke up. The fragrance emanated from Loney's cologne was all over the room since he had just stepped out. She knew the intended parent had come but was confused that nothing had happened. Her clothes were still intact. 'Did he leave because I woke up?' Instantly, she hastened out of the room and descended the stairs, bumping into Paul. "Hey, what are you doing awake by this time, Danica?" Paul nervously asked. He realized that if Loney had stayed for just a few seconds more, Danica's wish would have been granted.

"He came here, didn't he?" Danica breathed heavily.

"Calm down, who are you talking about?"

"The supposed parent? The nameless man? What do you call him?" Danica was anxious. She had so many questions.

Paul was nervous but didn't let it show, "I don't know what you are talking about. I think you are sleepwalking."

Someway somehow, his words roused Danica's irritation, "stop lying to me Paul, I can smell his cologne. It's so strong. It lingers around."

"Oh that, it's me," Paul said, sniffing his pyjamas.

Danica frowned, "You came to my room?"

"No, I mean here. The scent lingering now emanates from me," Paul fibbed.

"Liar, I smelt it in my room and it's the same around here too but it's fading. Is he still here? Please I need to talk to him," Danica pleaded.

"I think you are losing your sense of smell. I'm going to bed if you won't," Paul uttered expressionlessly, turned around and went to his room.

Danica was even more troubled. She felt strongly that the supposed parent had come and wondered why he didn't plant a seed. She was ovulating and this would have been a perfect time. She felt that perhaps Paul hadn't seen him and went back to her room. Suddenly, her eyes caught sight of something shiny on the floor when she turned on the light. She picked it up. It was a cufflink. Now, Danica was certain that he came. She picked up the cufflink and went back downstairs but she couldn't replace James. He had already gone to bed. Danica didn't give up. She went to knock on his door.

Paul groggily opened the door and was flashed at the sight of Danica. His nervous instincts knocked, "not again, Danic-" before he completed his sentence, Danica held out the cufflink to his face. "Are you still going to lie to me?" She was stern and robust.

Paul was beginning to have a headache and turned sarcastic. "What if he came? What has that got to do with me?" he shrugged. Danica scowled, "you are just impossible." She stomped out and went back to her room. She kept staring at the cufflink over and over again, like a souvenir. She wished she could pull the owner out of the cufflink.

The next morning, she went to the kitchen to cook but wanted to speak with Mabel about last night. As soon as she caught sight of Mabel and was about to speak, Paul appeared from nowhere, beckoned Mabel towards himself. Danica was irritated when she saw Paul whispering something to Mabel. It waked a certainty in her that her instincts were right and Paul was indeed hiding something.

Night fell and Loney came as he promised to Paul. This time, he made sure to check the security cameras well. Since he told Paul he would come, the latter had deactivated all his sensors, even when Loney had advised him to keep them on. Loney glanced at the kitchen and suddenly wanted to taste Danica's food. He went to the kitchen to help himself since everyone was asleep. Just as he opened the fridge, he heard a voice behind him,

"Master, let me do it for you." It was Mabel.

Loney was slightly embarrassed but hid it well, "she cooked?" He wanted to be certain that the food was prepared by Danica.

"Yes," Mabel confirmed.

His eyes lit up, "how is she?" He asked eagerly.

"She found your cufflink and insisted that you were here," Mabel revealed. Loney stiffened,

"I see. I was wondering where I dropped it. What did you tell her?" Loney was curious.

Mabel let out a soft smile, "that it must have been mixed up with her laundry when the maids brought them."

A smirk appeared in the corner of Loney's lips. He waited as Mabel warmed the food and served him. Then he ate and thanked Mabel, before going to his room to have his bath. From there, he went to Danica's room. Luckily, the lights were off so he waited a little to adjust to the darkness. However, he acknowledged that Danica wasn't on the bed. He tried to locate her whereabouts and realized that she was close to the switch...