Operation Saving Daniel (Entangled Covet) Read Online Free Page B

glaring at me, and he just sat there.” She shook her head. “How long has he been like this?”
    “Years,” Marcy said.
    “Really since Barbara disappeared,” Debs added.
    They were silent for a minute. Their oldest sister Barbara had gone missing six years ago. No clues had ever been found, but the police believed Babs had had some sort of breakdown, taken herself off, and would no doubt magically reappear one day.
    None of the family believed that but without a body, it was impossible to mourn her and move on. She’d left a big hole in the family.
    “But Daniel’s odd behavior really started before that,” Julia said. “He’d finished his doctorate in the States and had been offered a research place at Oxford—all he ever wanted was to do pure research.”
    “He was the ultimate geek,” Marcy continued. “A mad scientist in the making and this was his dream job. We imagined we’d never see him again. He’d be in the lab 24/7.”
    “Then something happened. We have no clue what, and for a while he went sort of wild. Really un-Daniel-like, almost out of control. He didn’t go in to work. In fact, he walked out on the job. He was drinking a lot and had loads of girls.”
    What sort of girls? And how many? But she kept her mouth shut and waited for Julia to go on. This was fascinating and she’d never heard it before, probably because she’d banned Julia from talking about Daniel as part of her I-will-get-over-him strategy.
    “Mum and Dad tried to talk to him, but he wouldn’t open up. He’d always been so perfect and we thought maybe he was simply catching up—sowing some wild oats.” Julia paused and bit her lip. She stopped her pacing and perched on the arm of the sofa next to Lissa. “Then Babs disappeared and the wildness cut off abruptly and overnight he changed. Became this…robot…as you said. He got a big swanky job for a big swanky company, something he’d always sworn he would never do, and he’s been there ever since. Now, he runs the place. From what we can tell, he’s hardly ever in the lab. He just delegates. He turned himself into the perfect businessman and must be worth billions.”
    “And not long after, Sophia turned up on the scene,” Marcy said morosely. “It’s like she’s glued to him, though he doesn’t often bring her to family functions. But he hardly ever spends time with the family anyway. It’s like he’s trying to distance himself.”
    “Or maybe she’s trying to distance him,” Lissa suggested. “She did seem a little possessive. Maybe she doesn’t like that he has a family and she wants him to herself.”
    “Did you tell them you were going to the party, Lissa?” Debs asked.
    “I said I might.”
    “That’s it then. You turning up has Sophia worried.” Julia rubbed her palms together again as though she were plotting some devious Machiavellian plan. Which she probably was. “I bet she sensed something between the two of you and—”
    “How would she sense something that isn’t there?” Lissa interrupted. “I haven’t even seen Daniel in ten years. There is nothing between us.”
    Julia reached across and patted Lissa’s leg. “Of course there isn’t. You know what,” she said jumping to her feet. “We need wine. And we need to plan.”
    She disappeared into the kitchen and came back with a bottle of Rioja. After pouring them all a glass, she handed one to Lissa.
    “So what did you think of Sophia?”
    “Scary, very scary,” Lissa replied. “And almost as perfect as Daniel.”
    “Do you think they’re in love?”
    “I have no clue. She felt something for him though.”
    “I bet they’re going to announce their engagement at the party,” Debs said.
    Marcy slammed her glass on the table. “We can’t let it happen. The old Daniel must be under there somewhere. We have to dig him out and pry him away from The Evil One. It’s our duty.”
    “You’re right,” Julia said. “There’s only one solution: Lissa is going to