After Danielle finished handling her own affairs, she made her way to the hospital.
As the old saying goes, “A hundred days for bones and tendons to heal.” Nathan was still being kept for observation, far from recovered.
The accident had forced him to put much of his work on hold.
Danielle packed up a generous homemade meal and headed over.
When she arrived, Nathan was, as usual, sitting upright in bed, laptop open, still tending to emails and spreadsheets.
The moment he caught sight of Danielle carrying the food, he immediately set aside his work. Meeting her eyes, he smiled warmly. “I was starting to think you weren’t going to drop by again.”
After everything that had happened between them last time—their tangled history, the awkwardness—he couldn’t be sure.
Danielle’s expression didn’t change. She set the food on the table, unfazed.
“What are you saying? You got hurt because of me. Of course I’m not about to just leave you here alone.”
As far as she was concerned, what happened last time was in the past. There was no need to drag it out.
There was no trace of discomfort or embarrassment on her face.
As long as he didn’t bring it up, things between them could go on just like before.
“Are you feeling any better lately?” Danielle asked, unpacking the meal. “The doctor told me you’ll need at least another week before you’re fit to go home.”
Nathan sighed. “I’ve just gotten back to work here, and things are piling up. I can’t afford to stay in the hospital for too long. As soon as I’m able to move around, help me with the discharge paperwork, would you?”
She pressed her lips together. It was his decision, after all. She wasn’t about to argue.
She and Nathan hadn’t seen much of each other in years. She couldn’t possibly judge his abilities now.
“Alex is your brother,” she said carefully. “Comparing the two of you isn’t really fair. You grew up differently, faced different challenges. Just because he’s made a name for himself overseas doesn’t mean he’s better than you.”
Danielle wasn’t interested in flattery or telling Nathan what he wanted to hear. They were both smart enough to sense a lie.
Alex’s skills in the corporate world were unmatched. He was a prodigy, building the Davidson Group into an empire. Year after year, he stayed ahead of the curve—not just because he was clever, but because he had vision.
Nathan listened, nodding slowly, his eyes dark and thoughtful.
“So what you’re saying is, in your eyes, I don’t measure up to Alex. You just don’t want to say it outright for my sake.”
Danielle shook her head. “That’s not it. You’re not even in the same category. It’s not a fair comparison.”
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