Jade, still shaken by what she had just overheard, quietly returned to her room. The words from the conversation between Meredith and Lucas kept echoing in her mind:
*"Do you think it's already shown and he just won't tell us?"
"It's been years, and Daniel doesn't act like someone affected."*
*"Do you think the curse missed him?"*
*"I don't know..."*
There was no doubt anymore — something was being hidden. Something serious.
She lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, heart pounding. Why wasn't anyone talking about it openly? And more importantly… what did Daniel have to do with it? Did he even know? Or was he quietly carrying a burden too heavy to speak of?
.
.
.
The cousins of Daniel arrived, accompanied by their parents. Meredith welcomed them at the door with a warm smile.
"Welcome! It's so good to have you all here." Meredith Said
Lucas, standing beside Daniel, nudged his son teasingly.
"Hey Daniel, try to smile a little. You look like you're about to give a lecture."
Daniel gave a small polite nod but didn't return the teasing energy.
Daniel: "Hello everyone. I hope your journey was pleasant."
Thé uncle of Daniel laughed lightly, trying to ease the tension.
"Thank you, Daniel. We're glad to be here." Uncle derrick Said
Daniel, still composed, glanced towards the hallway and then called quietly to a nearby servant.
"Go and fetch Jade. Ask her to join us here, please." Daniel whispered to the servant
The servant bowed slightly and hurried off.
Jade walked down the stairs. Daniel introduced his fiancée to his uncle, aunt, and his cousins Sofia and Riguel.
"Uncle, Aunt, this is Jade, my fiancée." Daniel introduced
Riguel looked at Jade with fascination and said to Daniel:
' 'You have a magnificent woman, brother."
Then, he gently kissed Jade's hand.
"Thank you." Jade replied not really with them.
(But inwardly, she was still preoccupied by the conversation she had overheard a few hours earlier.)
Meredith then suggested:
"Why don't we let the young ones spend some time together?"
***
The parents left the young ones together.
"Daniel, do you remember how I used to beat you at horse riding?" Riguel said with a smirk.
"You never beat me," Daniel replied calmly.
"Want to have a rematch?"
"I'm not in the mood, Riguel. Besides, we're not kids anymore," Daniel said.
"Ohhh, please Brother Daniel, it will be fun," Sofia pleaded, holding Daniel's hand and giving him puppy eyes.
It usually didn't work on Daniel — but with her, he couldn't say no.
"Okay then," he sighed.
***
A few minutes later, they were already outside, getting ready to ride. Daniel noticed something different about Jade. She was quiet, not saying anything sarcastic or teasing him like she usually did.
"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.
Jade snapped out of her thoughts.
"Yes, yes," she said with a small smile.
Trying to change the subject, she asked,
"I've noticed your cousins have an accent."
"Yeah, they're half Spanish. My uncle — my father's brother — married Teresa, she's from Spain," he explained.
Riguel was a tall, handsome man with bronze skin and a confident, self-assured aura. Sofia, on the other hand, seemed more shy — but she was a beautiful young woman too.
.
.
"Why did Brother Daniel marry someone from a different class than us?" Sofia asked.
"I don't know, but his fiancée is beautiful," Riguel said, glancing toward Jade.
Jade noticed and sighed. "She's not that beautiful… just tolerable," she said, rolling her eyes.
Riguel turned back to his sister and smirked.
"Oh, you're jealous! Don't tell me you're still in love with him," he teased.
"He was your childhood love," he added sarcastically.
"Don't say stupid things. I'm not in love with him — I never was," Sofia snapped.
"Tell that to someone who'll believe you… Sis," Riguel said with a grin.
Sofia scoffed and looked away, folding her arms.
"You're so annoying, Riguel," she muttered.
"And you're so obvious," he chuckled, mounting his horse.
Meanwhile, Jade sat on a n'enchérît quietly, stealing glances at Daniel from time to time. She could feel an unsettling weight on her chest — the conversation she had overheard earlier still echoed in her mind.
Daniel rode closer to her, watching her in silence for a moment.
"You seem… distant," he said gently.
"I'm fine," Jade replied quickly, forcing a smile. "Just enjoying the fresh air."
Riguel galloped past them with a shout, "Let's see if you still have it, cousin!"
Daniel smirked. "Still a child."
Jade smiled faintly, but her thoughts drifted again.
*"What were his parents hiding? Why did they seem so afraid?"*
Back near the stables, Sofia remained still, watching the three of them from afar. Her eyes lingered on Daniel with a mix of longing and bitterness.
"She's not right for him," she whispered to herself.
They finished the horse riding challenge, and Daniel won with ease.
"I totally let you win," Riguel said with a mischievous grin.
"Don't be a sore loser," Daniel replied calmly.
"You're amazing, Brother Daniel!" Sofia cheered, clapping.
"Wait—Sofia! You were on Daniel's side?" Riguel pouted, pretending to be hurt.
"Don't be jealous, I love you too," she teased, giving him a playful nudge.
They started walking back to the mansion, leaving Daniel and Jade behind.
"I didn't know you could ride a horse," Jade said with a smirk.
"Horses… and a few other things," Daniel replied, leaning in slightly, his tone teasing. "One in particular."
He gave her a look that made her pulse quicken as he turned to walk ahead.
Jade's cheeks flushed. She crossed her arms, trying to stay composed. "You perverted man!"
Her voice echoed a little, and Daniel just smiled to himself, clearly pleased.