Darnell certainly did not let Cesar and his crew join him.
He came to Whiteville not to recruit and become a boss. How could he gather a group to mix in the underworld?
Darnell’s ideal life was to enjoy life, flirt with girls, and defeat enemies.
He valued freedom far more than ruling over others. Thus, when faced with their expectations, Darnell didn’t hesitate to refuse and even kicked Cesar, then went back to sleep.
Watching Darnell leave, Cesar got up from the ground and reassured the anxious crew that they needed to be patient and slowly win over Darnell.
Darnell almost turned back to beat up Cesar.
Back home, Darnell shut the door to read and watch TV, ignoring Cesar and his crew. He knew he had to use coldness to diminish their ambitions.
After finishing a book, it was already evening. Darnell munched on a few carrots before preparing for bed since he had work the next day.
He was excited about the prospect of earning two million in commissions.
Just then, he received a call from Areli, informing him she wouldn’t be coming to the office tomorrow. The contract between Spectrum Pharmaceuticals and the Harmony Hospital was signed, and everything was running smoothly.
However, the Harmony Hospital still needed some documents for filing, so Areli asked Darnell to take Lillian to the hospital in the morning.
Hearing that he didn’t have to go to work and would have company from a beautiful woman, Darnell readily agreed without even asking what Areli was up to.
Hanging up the phone, Darnell happily did three somersaults before opening his wardrobe to pick out clothes for tomorrow.
Just as he opened the wardrobe, there was a loud knock on his door. Frowning, Darnell rushed to open it and found Cesar and his crew standing there.
Each of them held something, a bench, a broom, a spatula, and a brick.
“Boss, we heard you stomp on the floor three times. Did something happen?”
Cesar’s eyes widened. “Is Steve here?”
Harry waved his brick. “Steve! Leave our boss alone, and come at me!”
Darnell was exasperated and slammed the door shut. These four were insane!
After chasing them away, Darnell returned to his wardrobe. Inside were ten red shirts, ten pairs of shorts, ten pairs of sneakers, and only one black outfit.
Without even looking at it, he tossed the black outfit aside and picked out a new red shirt, shorts, and sneakers.
After preparing for tomorrow, Darnell fell asleep. Before seven the next morning, he got up to wash up and ate two carrots before calling for a ride to the company.
His Porsche was being repaired by Karlee, so today, he decided to splurge on a high-end car service to take Lillian to the Harmony Hospital.
Today was his lucky day. As soon as he sent out a request for a car, he received a call from a BMW owner who arranged to meet him at the entrance.
Though the voice on the phone sounded rough and slightly odd, like an old man’s voice, Darnell didn’t think much of it. The perfect rating eased his worries.
When Darnell finished his carrot at the entrance, a white BMW appeared. It was indeed the high-end car he had booked.
Seeing that the car looked new, Darnell quickly opened the door and got in, “To The Vertex. Make it quick.”
“Got it!”
Before Darnell could fasten his seatbelt, the driver floored it, causing pedestrians to jump out of the way.
Darnell grabbed onto his seat in shock but then heard the driver say, “There’s milk, bread, and eggs.”
“Take whatever you like. I won’t charge you.”
Darnell was overjoyed. “You’re quite considerate, providing breakfast for free! You really understand what a customer needs.”
Never one to miss out on freebies, he quickly grabbed a slice of bread while praising,
“It’s so nice of you, and your voice is sweet.”
But then he shivered. The driver’s voice wasn’t right. It was sweet and charming instead of rough. He looked at the driver, who was wearing sunglasses under a cap.
“Who are you?”
Darnell now clearly saw that the driver wasn’t an old man but a young woman with an exquisite face hidden behind sunglasses. It was Karlee.
Hearing Darnell’s question, Karlee snorted, “Who am I? You forgot me within forty-eight hours after flirting with me?”
“Men are indeed all scum.”
Karlee took off her sunglasses, revealing her sweet yet mischievous face in the sunlight.
Darnell’s body trembled. He dropped his bread onto the seat in panic.
“It’s you!”
He clutched his clothes tightly. “What do you want? What are you planning? Don’t you dare take advantage of me!”
Karlee stomped her foot in anger and glared at him. “Bastard! What’s with your attitude?”
“A bunch of people chase after me just for a smile from me. Yet, you act like you’re afraid I’ll do something improper. Is it me who’s crazy or you who’s arrogant?”
“I’m different from them.”
Darnell picked up his bread again, using tissues to wipe it clean before putting it back, and said seriously, “I’m not an easy person.”
Karlee hit the gas pedal hard, making them zoom ahead and startling pedestrians.
“You’re not an easy person? This is the funniest joke I’ve ever heard.”
Darnell maintained his serious expression. “We’re not suitable. Miss Henning. You should respect me and yourself.”
Karlee’s eyes flashed with anger. “You don’t get to say that.”
She sped down roads aggressively, cutting off several cars to vent her frustration.
Over the past two days, she had inquired about Darnell’s background and situation, knowing that he had a good reputation at Spectrum Pharmaceuticals and was quite popular with women. In other words, Darnell was quite a ladies’ man.
However, such a flirtatious person showed no interest in her and even avoided her, which made Karlee very annoyed and ignited her desire to conquer.
Although she was not a celestial being, she was still beautiful and her family background added a lot of points to her.
Usually, she was the one to reject other men’s pursuits. How could she be rejected by an obscure person?
Of course, there was a more important factor in Karlee’s heart, which was the excitement and strangeness, the interweaving of frivolity and heroism that Darnell brought her.
Darnell was in agony. “What exactly do you want?”
“I’ve told you I want to date you.” Karlee glanced at Darnell through the rearview mirror, pouting her tempting lips and shouting, “So you can only wait to be dated by me.”
“Unless I dump you, otherwise, you can only be my man. Darnell, you have no choice in this life.”
“We really don’t suit each other.”
Darnell was very depressed. “I have no house, no car, no background, and my salary is only ten thousand a month. After deducting food and drink, there’s hardly anything left. A BMW is enough for me to struggle for a lifetime.”
“You have power, money, and beauty. You have everything I don’t. We’re not meant for each other.”
Darnell tried his best to talk her out of it. This time, it was not for flirtation, but to find a way out.
“I can give you whatever you want.” Karlee seemed to have anticipated Darnell’s excuse, a trace of pride on her pretty face as she replied, “The Henning family is powerful and wealthy.”
“So I won’t care whether you have money or background. As long as you are good to me and listen to me, we will be the perfect couple.”
Darnell was furious. “A forced relationship is not sweet. We won’t be happy.”
Karlee snorted, “How do you know it won’t work?”
Darnell was almost frantic. “What do you like about me? Tell me, and I’ll change.”
“No more nonsense!” Karlee slowly pressed the accelerator, overtaking five or six cars at a high speed, causing pedestrians and passers-by to dodge. “It’s ten minutes to the Vertex.”
“Darnell, you may only have ten minutes left in your life. Before getting out of the car, either agree to be my man, or I’ll drive straight into the Whiteville River.”
Darnell was shocked. “Are you looking for death?”
“If I can’t even date you, what’s the point of living?”
Karlee was as unruly as ever. “In short, I’m determined to date you.”
Darnell could only resort to a trump card. “I already have a sweetheart, and I have many women I like.”
His face was indescribable and tragic. “Even if you get my body, you won’t get my heart. I will never submit to you.”
“It’s okay. I’ll get rid of them, and you’ll be mine.”
Karlee giggled, “Aren’t the villains on TV dramas always forcing themselves on others?”
With that, the car sped up, leaving a shadow on the road.
“Ten minutes, countdown.”