Chapter Twenty Nine

The ship docked yet again. The sun blazed overhead as Alice, Daniel, Kimberly, and a handful of other passengers from the ship wandered through the bustling streets of the coastal town. The port was alive with energy—street vendors hawked their wares, the air thick with the scent of sizzling food, and the chatter of locals and tourists mingled into a lively symphony. For a moment, Alice allowed herself to forget the tensions aboard the ship, the tangled emotions surrounding Kelvin and Daniel, and simply breathed in the freedom of the foreign town.

But then, she made a mistake.

She had paused at a small shop, captivated by a display of handmade jewelry. Kimberly was deep in negotiation with a vendor, and Daniel had wandered off to inspect something across the street. Not wanting to disturb them, Alice decided to explore on her own. She ventured down a narrow alley, drawn by the charm of the old architecture and the quiet respite from the market’s chaos. But as she turned a corner, her heart sank.

Three men blocked her path, their dark eyes gleaming with malice.

“Well, well,” one of them sneered, stepping forward. “A pretty thing like you shouldn’t be wandering alone.”

Alice’s breath hitched. She turned to leave, but another man had already closed off her exit. Her pulse raced as she tried to steady her voice "I'm sorry......please excuse me” she said, though her words trembled.

The tallest man chuckled. “Not so fast, darling”

Alice clenched her fists, her mind scrambling for an escape. But they were closing in, their intentions clear.

Then they heard a voice, sharp and deadly.

“Let her go.”

Alice’s head snapped toward the alley’s entrance, her stomach twisting with relief and fear.

It was Daniel. He stood tall, his expression cold and unyielding. His stance was tense, ready to strike.

The leader of the group scoffed. “And who the hell are you?”

Daniel’s jaw tightened as he repeated the words ”Let. Her. Go."

The men laughed, but their bravado faltered as one of them drew a knife, twirling it menacingly. Alice’s breath caught as the man lunged.

Daniel moved faster. He caught the attacker’s wrist mid-strike, twisting it sharply. The knife clattered to the ground as the man cried out in pain. Daniel didn’t hesitate—he delivered a brutal punch to the man’s face, sending him crashing into the wall.

The second man charged, but Daniel dodged, driving his knee into the attacker’s stomach before landing a solid punch to his jaw. The man crumpled to the ground, groaning.

Alice’s heart pounded. She had never seen Daniel like this—so precise, so dangerous.

But then the third man moved too fast. Alice’s scream caught in her throat as the knife plunged into Daniel’s side.

“Daniel!”

He staggered back, gasping. For a moment, he stood frozen, staring down at the blade buried below his ribs.

Then he raged. With a grunt of determination, he grabbed the attacker’s arm and twisted it violently, forcing him to drop the weapon. A single, powerful punch sent the man sprawling to the ground.

Alice rushed forward to Daniel.

“Oh my God,” she whispered, grabbing his arm. “Daniel, you’re bleeding.”

He swayed slightly but gritted his teeth. “It’s… it’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing! You were stabbed!” Her voice cracked, panic surging through her.

The first man groaned, pushing himself off the ground. Daniel, despite the blood soaking his shirt, moved Alice behind him to protect her.

Just then, the sound of whistles and shouts filled the air as the town’s security arrived. They apprehended the thugs and one of the officers called for medics.

Daniel fell to the ground, Alice leaned down beside him.

“Daniel, hold on,” she pleaded, pressing her hands against his wounded side to stem the bleeding. Her hands shook.

Daniel smirked weakly. “Are you crying for me, princess?”

Alice glared through her tears. “Daniel, now's not the time”

His eyes softened. “You’re cute when you worry.”

Alice swallowed back a sob. “You’re an idiot.”

“Maybe,” he breathed, leaning against her. “But I love being an idiot for you”

Alice was touched and she just held Daniel tighter, terrified of losing him. She stayed with him till the medics came and attended to him.

**********

Alice followed them back to the ship where they attended to him. Daniel sat on the edge of a medical bed in the ship's infirmary, shirtless, as a paramedic finished bandaging his wound. Alice stood nearby, her arms crossed, worry etched into her features despite Daniel’s reassuring smirk.

“You’ll be fine,” the paramedic assured him. “The knife didn’t hit anything major, but you need to avoid strenuous activity.”

Daniel nodded. “Thank you”

Daniel turned to Alice as the paramedic left, a soft smile on his face. “Don't worry, Alice. I'm fine”

Alice was about to reply when the door opened, and in walked Kimberly, Kelvin, and Grandma Janet with Simi.

Grandma Janet was the first to approach, her eyes filled with care. “I'm so happy that you're okay. Thank you for being there for Alice”

"It's nothing, Grandma" Daniel replied.

"It's not nothing, son. You risked your life to save Alice. I fear when I imagine what would have happened if you weren't there. And I was even more terrified when Alice told me that you were stabbed"

Kimberly stepped closer, "This was really brave of you, Daniel. I’m glad you’re okay.”

Kelvin, however, had been silent the entire time. His arms were crossed, his jaw tight. He was fighting with unexplainable feelings within him.

Grandma Janet turned to Kelvin, clearly unhappy as she spoke, "Kelvin, you have said nothing. This man saved your wife, whom you were supposed to be with to watch over"

Angry and trying to fight it, Kelvin muttered to Daniel, "Thanks"

Grandma Janet gave him a stern look which he avoided. "We'll talk about this later" she said. Then she turned to Daniel, "Take care son. I'll be checking up on you." she ran her hand lovingly over his face and then excused herself with her assistant.

"I need to get to my room" Daniel stood up.

Kimberly rushed to his side and assisted him. "Careful"

"Thanks" he smiled

Without a word, Alice turned to follow them when she felt Kelvin stop her.

Holding her hand, Kelvin turned Alice to himself, his expression shifting from neutrality to irritation. Kimberly and Daniel were already out of the room.

“You just can’t help yourself, can you?” His voice was low but firm.

Alice blinked. “What?”

Kelvin took a step closer, his eyes darkening. “You just had to wander off and get attacked and make me look bad and incompetent before my grandmother”

Alice’s stomach twisted, rage in her eyes. “That's because you are incompetent.” She yanked her hand out of his, disgustingly. "You are an incompetent man. Shame on you"

Kevin's eyes turned red with anger, "How dare you?" He made to grab her hand but Alice quickly dodged him, stepping back.

"If you try to hurt me again, I sware, Kelvin, I'll tell Grandma everything" Alice warned and Kelvin held himself.

"You....What the hell is your problem? You've already secured half of my inheritance, why are you still making a fuss about everything? Why are you trying to play victim here?"

"Thats because I am the victim, Kelvin Sander. This is what you get for deceiving your grandma, so deal with it" Alice flared.

Kelvin exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. His usual composure was cracking. “Indeed. I regret listening to grandma and marrying you. You’re a headache.”

Alice flashed a smirk, ”And I will make sure that everyday in these three years will be hell for you"

She turned on her heel and walked out, leaving Kelvin standing there, fuming…..and frustrated by emotions he couldn’t fully understand.

*********

It was past dinner. Alice, drawn by her emotions, headed to Daniel suite. Just outside his suite, she hesitated. Her heart pounded as she wasn’t sure if she was more afraid of his injury or the emotions brewing in her chest.

Taking a deep breath, she knocked. There was a pause before his voice came from inside, low and teasing.

“You don’t have to knock, Alice. Just come in.”

She hesitated, then pushed the door open.

Daniel sat on the plush couch, shirtless, his torso wrapped in fresh bandages. His hair was slightly damp, a sign that he had just washed himself, and even though he was injured, he looked relaxed, completely at ease.

Alice, on the other hand, felt like she was standing on the edge of something dangerous—something that could consume her if she wasn’t careful.

"How did you know I was the one?" she asked, closing the door behind her.

"My heart told me" he replied.

Alice swallowed hard. “I’m here to check on you and to see how you're doing”

Daniel’s lips curled into a smirk. “I'm fine, Alice. You need not worry about me”

She stepped closer and sat on the couch, adjacent him. “I'm sorry"

"Why?" he asked, concerned about her expression.

"I am the reason you're hurt. If I didn't wander off on ground, you wouldn't have had to save me and you wouldn't be hurt. I was very scared when you were stabbed Daniel" Alice said.

"Hey!" Daniel said, moving closer to her on the couch. "Don't blame yourself for anything. I'd save you over and over and over again if the need arises." He took her hand gently. "I'd give my life for you, Alice"

Alice froze. Slowly, she lifted her eyes to his.

“What?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“I love you, Alice,” he admitted. His voice was raw, unfiltered, vulnerable. “I love you so much. I can't just sit by and let any thing bad happen to you"

Alice swallowed hard. Unable to control her emotions, she threw her arms around him in a hug, tears flowed from her eyes.

Surprised, Daniel wrapped his arms around her. Both enjoying each other's comfort.

"I love you, Daniel. I really do" Alice spoke, still hugging him.

"I know you do Alice" Daniel said.

"I just wish, things were different. I wish I had met you first and we had fallen in love. There wouldn't be any complications" She said, not ready to let him go.

"Alice....." He called, gently pulling her away from the embrace and facing her.

"I don't know why our love had to be this way but I'm satisfied knowing that you love me too" He said, wiping off the tears on her face with his hand. "I'll never do anything to tarnish your reputation before Grandma and the society. I'll just love you from the shadows and whenever I think about your love for me, my heart would be content at it's prize"

"But it's not fair to you, Daniel. That you can't have the woman you love. That she can't love you openly before everyone" Alice said.

"It's not, but it's better than her being ridiculed by the society for being characterless" Daniel said. "If our love will stand the test of time, then after your divorce with Kelvin, we can be together"

"You'll wait for me that long? Three years?" Alice asked

"I'll wait a lifetime for you, Alice" Daniel smiled at her, caressing her cheek.

Alice smiled back, touching his hand on her cheek.

"And while I wait, Alice. I sware to you, I'll never give people a reason to defame your character. Our love will be pure before men and before heaven" Daniel said.

He trailed, his eyes landing on her lips, a thought came to him, “But Alice, I'm so tempted to kiss you right now. If I kiss you, will heaven see it as impure?”

"Daniel.....I....."

"It's okay" he didn't let her finish. "I'll wait for you" he said and planted a kiss on her forehead instead.

Alice closed her eyes savouring the

moment. They spent a little more time together before Alice bade him goodnight.