Hey, guys! Sorry for the long wait! Thank you all for supporting this story. I really appreciate it! xD

Anyways, this story will still come to and end a wee bit sooner...if I feel like updating fast. hehehe.

Well, enjoy~ - (10/9/2016)

Chapter 33:

"Miss Daphne, are you all ready?" Alfred called out from the door.

"Just a moment," the girl replied.

She wore a strapless dress and her favourite denim jacket. She put on a knee high boots. She looked at her reflection and nodded to herself a few times. Then, she exited the room. Alfred smiled at the girl. She replied with a smile as well. Bruce called for her.

"I'll be going now," she said to the butler.

She ran down to where the car was parked. Bruce and his son were there. Damian's choice of clothing was a blue t-shirt, a hoodie and a pair of tracksuits. His shoes were a pair of sneakers. They got into the car, in the back seat. Daphne kept her distance from him like she would always do.

"Daphne," Bruce called.

"Yes?" the girl replied.

"Are you okay with going to the carnival?" he asked.

"Sure, I'm fine. Master Dick said he'll meet us there. Besides, it is my sister's request," she explained.

"You can never say no to her, huh…?" the man joked.

Damian turned to look at the smiling girl. She was nodding to what Bruce was saying. He wondered why she wouldn't be okay with going to the carnival. They arrived and the two adults were waiting for them. Daphne hugged them both lovingly. Dick patted her head a few times like always. She pulled them to follow her. Bruce came up to Damian who was watching the whole time. He wasn't sure whether his son liked what he saw or not. Dick is always affectionate towards Daphne. Damian thought of him as a rival to win her heart even though Daphne only sees Dick as a big brother.

"If you're not careful, you're going to lose her..." he remarked.

"Who would dare steal Damian Wayne's servant from him?" Damian replied.

"Anybody I guess. People like having her around, Damian. She's very fun and pleasant to be with. Even with that height, she has a very good figure. Anybody would fall for her," his father said, walking into the carnival.

D amian frowned at his father's words. He entered the carnival. He caught sight of Dick with the orange-haired woman whom Daphne referred to as her sister. Damian searched for his father and his servant. Daphne was alone, standing in front of a booth. She was waiting for her turn at the shooting game. Damian went up to her.

"Hey," he called.

"Oh, hi..." she drawled.

She looked towards the booth again. Damian stood beside her. It was soon her turn. She paid for the game.

"Why don't you let your boyfriend win something for you?" the person in charge said.

"Oh, he's not my boyfriend," Daphne replied, waving her hands in denial.

The boy looked a bit sad from her statement. She took the gun and aimed for the prize she wanted. She only had three chances. What she wanted were a pair of armbands and a brooch. When she got what she aimed for, she hummed happily and ran back to where her sister was. She showed her prize to her sister. Dahlia caressed her head and nodded to her. Damian turned to the person in charge of the booth. He paid for one game. He aimed for a stuffed penguin doll. It was a medium size stuffed animal so it would be perfect for Daphne. Growling angrily at himself, he shot the doll and won it. Bruce came by and chuckled. The boy glared at his father. He was about to protest when Dick interrupted, saying that Daphne wanted to ride the Ferris wheel. Bruce suggested that Damian should accompany her. The boy put a pout, looking away from everyone. Dahlia giggled. She pulled Daphne to follow her. Daphne took one look at the doll he was holding before walking away. She rode the Ferris wheel with her sister.

"So, what happened between the two of you?" Dahlia asked.

"When we went on patrol yesterday, he…kissed me," Daphne replied.

"That's very bold of him," her sister remarked.

Sighing, the girl explained, "It wasn't the first time. He kissed me when I was possessed just for the sake of saving me and he kissed me a week before we had to go on a patrol together."

"Hah…he's good," Dahlia nodded approvingly.

Daphne looked up at the sky. "I don't know what I should do now..."

The eldest Aldrin took her sister's hands in hers. She gave out a reassuring smile. Daphne sighed, resting her head on her shoulder. Dahlia played with her sister's hair, braiding it on one side.

"Listen to your heart," she whispered to Daphne.

It was midnight when they decided to head back. Daphne was exhausted from having fun with her sister. Damian sat in the passenger seat beside his father. He glanced up at the sleeping girl. Then, he stared at the doll in his hands. Bruce handed him a pair of armband which he recognized.

"Dahlia asked me to give it to you," he said.

"Wait? Who's Dahlia?" the boy asked.

"That woman with Dick. She's Daphne's eldest sister," Bruce explained.

Damian took another glimpse at the girl. He took the armbands and put them on. Bruce smiled, satisfied. When they arrived, Bruce shook Daphne softly to wake her up. She stirred but fell asleep again. The man shook his head. He picked the girl up and asked Damian to lock the car.

"Let me..." he said, taking Daphne into his arms.

Bruce stared in disbelief. Damian gazed upon her sleeping face. Her mouth was slightly opened and he could hear soft snoring. He went straight to her room. Alfred came to welcome them back but stopped when he saw the boy walking passed him. Damian tucked her in bed, placing the penguin stuffed doll right beside her. She grabbed onto its hand, snoring softly again.

He whispered into her left ear, "I love you, Daphne..."

He exited her room after that. Daphne sat up in bed. She was awake the whole time when he was tucking her in. She stared at the penguin. It has squinted eyes, much like Damian's personality. She blushed when Damian's face appeared in her mind. She forced herself to sleep.

"He...loves me?" she muttered.

The next day, they went to the office like always. Damian would be visiting the Aldrin building that day. He would be driving and Daphne, as his assistant, had to follow him. She got ready by the car. The boy glanced up at her as he drove off. Daphne was not wearing any makeup but she still looked beautiful in his eyes. Her hair was loose that day. She didn't have the mood to go to work for some reason.

Could she have heard what I said last night?

They arrived at the building. Dahlia waited for the two by the entrance. She shook hands with them to show professionalism. She gestured them into the building. Damian looked around. The ground floor consisted of a cafeteria, the reception counter, and a spa. They went up to the first floor which has a Pharmacy and a Therapy Room. The second floor is where the office lies. The third floor holds most of the laboratories to test new drugs and the fourth floor is where Damian's office stood. The eighth floor is a penthouse for their boss, either Damian or Bruce, whenever they decide to stay for the night.

"The fifth floor, sixth floor, and seventh floor are still under development," Dahlia explained.

"We thought of making them into a healthcare centre," Daphne muttered.

Damian turned his gaze towards her. She looked away immediately. The boy suddenly chuckled. Dahlia looked at her sister who shrugged. They followed Damian to the elevator. He decided to look at the fifth floor.

"I need to make a stop at my office. You two go ahead first, okay?" Dahlia suddenly announced.

She exited the elevator, waved to her sister and walked away. Daphne kept her distance from Damian. She kept on thinking about what he had said to her.

Was I dreaming?

The boy kept his mouth shut because he was afraid that he would hurt her again. They reached the floor. Damian observed the surrounding. There is quite a number of room.

"This looks like a good place for a sick bay," he remarked.

"A sick bay? For who?" Daphne asked.

"For anyone who is interested in renting this floor," Damian suggested, turning around to look at her as he spoke.

Their eyes suddenly met. Damian was suddenly mesmerized at how her eyes sparkled. She blinked a few times, feeling somewhat nervous. He inched his face closer to her. Daphne backed away, scared. He was about to kiss her but Dahlia interrupted them. The boy turned around instantly and the girl stood there, frozen. Her sister giggled at the sight.

"So, have you given him the tour around here?" she asked Daphne.

"He was thinking of making this place a sick bay," Daphne replied, glancing up at Damian.

"That is quite a good idea. Maybe we can turn it into a resting area for our clients and guests," Dahlia improvised the boy's idea.

"That sounds nice. I'll approve it," Damian spoke up.

"We'll be starting on the paperwork for this floor then," the older Aldrin nodded to him.

"Do you want to see the other two floors?" Daphne asked.

"No. We have a ball tonight. I don't want us to be late," Damian replied, staring straight at Daphne.

The girl nodded. Dahlia whispered something into her ear. They left after having lunch together. Bruce summoned Damian to his office as he arrived at Wayne Enterprise. The boy growled and groaned. He was exhausted from driving. He dragged himself to his father's office with Daphne behind him. Faye greeted the two. She was ignored by Damian. Daphne smiled apologetically at the girl. Faye pouted at Damian's reaction towards her greeting.

"How was the visit?" Bruce asked.

Daphne explained to Bruce in Damian's place. The boy lied down on the sofa to get some rest before the ball tonight. Bruce shook his head at his son's behaviour. He apologized to Daphne who shook her head.

"It's my job after all," she reminded him.

"Have you chosen what to wear tonight?" Bruce asked.

"My sister said she has a surprise for me. Tiara and Mana will be picking up right after work," she explained.

The man nodded. He let her off early to head back to her sister's place. Damian and Bruce left after tea.

"Why did you let her leave?" he protested.

"She never gets to spend a lot of time with her sister, so let's just let her off this time," Bruce said to his son.

Damian crossed his arms, angry at his father's decision. He wanted her to be his escort for the night. When they got back, Alfred told them that he had readied their suits for the ball. Damian rushed to take a bath.

Rick banged his hands on his desk, angry. Arnold and his partner stood there, listening to him grunting and growling. Their boss pushed everything off of his desk. He was fuming up.

"How did I not see this?! How did she hide her sister so easily?!" he shouted angrily.

"Uh…we just found out yesterday, sir. We saw a girl entered the Aldrin household. She didn't look any older than seventeen years old," Arnold lied.

"Y-yeah, what he said!" his partner said, pointing a finger towards Arnold.

"I see…" Rick muttered, sinking into his chair.

Arnold and his partner exchanged a look. Rick took a deep breath to calm himself down. The two companions were confused. A few minutes later, their boss started to laugh.

"Arnold!" Rick called.

"Yes?" the man replied in a stutter.

"You say that they are going to a Charity Ball tonight?" he asked.

"Yes, that's right, but I didn't get any invitation, sir. They're onto me…I think…" Arnold explained.

Rick smirked and replied, "Never mind, we just have to surprise them…"

"Surprise them?" Arnold's partner muttered confusedly.

He started to laugh again. He told them to prepare some things for him. The two ran out of the room after listing down what to be done.

"You made a wrong move, Delphinium Aldrin," Rick smirked.

Dahlia combed her sister's hair. Daphne was standing in front of a large mirror. She couldn't believe how beautiful she looked. She was wearing an eggshell floor-length strapless column dress which was chosen by her sister. She wore a rosy red lipstick and a faint pink blush on her cheeks. Her sister had managed to force her into putting some mascara and eyeliners around her eyes to bring them out even more. Dahlia had braided her hair to the left. She added some pearl decorations onto it. Daphne clipped her Phoenix hairpin.

"You're wearing that?" her sister asked.

"It reminds me of who I used to be. I don't want to forget that," Daphne remarked.

Dahlia sighed and nodded. She whispered, "You look beautiful."

The girl nodded, staring at her reflection. She hoped that Damian liked what she had turned into.

Dick fixed Damian's tie for him. Bruce was watching them. The boy kept on insisting that he could do it himself. Luke came up to them, smiling as a greeting. Damian didn't look pleased at all to see all of them. He was waiting for his servant. Dick checked his watch.

"She's a little late," he muttered.

"A little?" Damian raised a brow.

"It's only been five minutes since the ball started," Bruce remarked.

His son crossed his arms. Voices and whispers were heard at the entrance of the City Hall. The four peered over to see what the ruckus was about. The crowds of people created a path for a girl to pass. Damian widened his eyes at the sight. Daphne looked magnificent. She gracefully made her way to them. A couple of men approached her, trying to flirt with her. Dick whistled.

"Dahlia did a great job," he remarked, shaking his head at how beautiful his sister was.

"Yeah. She's a beauty," Luke agreed.

"I never knew until now," Bruce muttered, smiling at the girl.

A boy about her age asked her to dance with him. She hesitated, glancing up at her family. Damian let out a growl. He stomped his way to them. The other three chuckled at the sight. Damian stepped in between them, acting all protective. Daphne blinked, surprised at his actions. The boy who was flirting with her looked angry. Damian let out a smug.

"Sorry, but she's with me," the young Wayne said.

"What? She came into this hall alone," the boy replied.

"Umm…" Daphne was about to say something but Damian interrupted her.

"She took a different cab and arrived later than me, so can you bug off?" he said sternly to the boy.

Grabbing her hand, he pulled her to follow him. She bowed to the boy who had asked her for a dance. The boy glared at Damian before walking away. Damian let go of her hand when they reached Bruce and the others. Dick and Luke giggled at the sight. The boy shot a glare and let out a soft groan.

"You look beautiful, Daphne," Bruce praised her.

"T-Thank you, Master Bruce…" she muttered, looking all flustered.

"Dahlia did a great job on your hair," Dick remarked, staring at the pearls intact on her braid.

Nudging Damian, Luke whispered, "Don't you want to say something to her?"

Damian took a glimpse of the girl. She was waiting for him to say something. He shut his eyes, refusing to acknowledge how beautiful she was.

"Ladies and gentleman, thank you all for coming!" the Mayor started his speech, explaining why the ball was held.

The group went their separate ways, leaving Damian with his servant. Daphne clenched her hands together, faintly blushing. The boy was still observing her from head to toe. She looked like a very fine young lady that night. He was amazed at how well Dahlia gave her youngest sister a makeover. He extended his right hand to her. She stared at it confusedly.

"Let's dance," he said calmly. It came out more like an order than a request.

Smiling, the girl placed her left hand on his right one. "Sure," she replied.

Damian huffed and guided her to the middle of the hall. Dick and Bruce were watching them. The boy and the girl started to dance. Daphne felt awkward when he touched her waist. She was a bit embarrassed. Damian kept his gaze on her face. Daphne was looking away. She didn't want him to see how nervous she was. He chuckled to himself. He abruptly pulled her closer to him.

"M-Master Damian?" she muttered, looking up at his face.

"I'll admit, you look beautiful tonight," he whispered in her ear.

"T-Thank you…" she blushed.

Daphne rested her head on Damian's chest, freezing him on the spot. After ten minutes on the dance floor, they decided to get something to eat. The girl took a seat on a chair, sighing. She was wearing a pair of high heels and they were killing her feet. She rubbed her ankle a few times. Damian came back, shoving a glass of orange juice in her face. She took it from his hand.

"Thank you," she muttered.

Damian nodded once. He sat down beside her, taking a glimpse at her right ankle. She smiled, staring at her ankle as well.

"I love flats better than heels, but it was my sister's request," she explained.

"Thank you for dancing with me," Daphne said to Damian.

Damian didn't look at her but he nodded to her words. Daphne sipped on her drinks. Some people came up to them to greet the young Wayne. The boy kept his composure, addressing them as formally as possible. A couple from one of Wayne Enterprise's partners approached them.

"We've been dying to meet the young Wayne," the woman said.

"I am pleased by your eagerness, Ma'am," Damian replied with a small smile.

The man noticed Daphne who was standing beside the boy. He flashed a smile at her. She nodded as a greeting. He went up to the girl and kissed the back of her right hand. Daphne was a bit flustered by his act. Damian gave out a pout.

"And who is this fine young lady?" he asked.

"Daphne Grayson..." before she could properly introduce herself, Damian interrupted.

He said, "She's my fiancée."

The couple was taken by surprised at the declaration. Daphne's cheeks were red in an instant. The boy acted as if he didn't do anything wrong. The couple took their leave after that. The girl took a glimpse of Damian. He had his face turned away from her. She wondered whether he was embarrassed or not. It was so sudden of him to declare her as his fiancée. The boy suddenly grabbed her hand, pulling her to follow him. They went out of the hall.

"I need some fresh air," he said to her.

"Okay. I'll...umm...stay with you then," she stuttered.

His hand was still holding hers and his grip was a little tighter than before. Daphne was confused by his act. Damian suddenly turned to face her. She blinked in surprised at his sudden move.

"Are you okay, Master Damian?" she asked out of concern.

"Close your eyes," he ordered.

Daphne hesitated but seeing how serious he was, she was scared to disobey. Damian kept his gaze on her eyes as she shut them tight. His right hand reached for her cheek, caressing them dearly. She relaxed a bit. His left thumb touched her soft lower lip. She shivered at the touched, but her eyes were still shut tight. Damian's left hand abruptly pulled at her waist, earning a gasp from her. His lips were on her forehead. Daphne's eyes fluttered open. She was shocked at the sudden attack.

"Are you okay?" she asked again.

He didn't reply. He pulled away to look at her face. Her wide eyes sparkled in the moonlight. He loved that about her. Her eyes showed how innocent she is. Daphne kept her hands on his chest. She blinked at him a few times. He attacked her lips. Daphne froze. He pulled away after a few minutes, refusing to look at her after that.

"Sorry about that..." he said, turning his back to her.

Daphne sighed and smiled weakly. She sort of understood what was going on in his mind. She placed a hand on his shoulder without second thoughts.

"Thank you for always being with me..." she whispered.

The boy raised a brow. A man came up to them. He was smiling to the young lady. He looked suspicious, so the boy was a bit cautious. He kept his glare on the smiling man.