"Still not picking up, huh?" Frances asked for the umpteenth time. Ronnie glanced at her, shaking his head.

"No," he said almost in a whisper, redialling the number again.

Frances scoffed, rolling her eyes, "Oh well, I see she wants to play tough. Well, let's just see how far that gets how,"

"How far could it possibly get her? She would soon crawl back in here begging. It's not as if she could go buy living in that old shabby house her late parents left her," Nancy chuckled.

"The number is out of service now..." Ronnie said, walking into the sitting room.

The room fell silent as everyone stared at Ronnie stunned. After Danielle left, they had waited behind, thinking she would come back groveling on the floor, begging Ronnie to love and take her back. Besides, she was obsessed with him.

"Out of service?" Frances scoffed, breaking the dead silence. "That slut, what? Is she trying to make a scene? Fine, why don't we give her one," Frances added.

"It's been almost seven hours, I never thought she could hold on for this long," Nancy said, stunned.

Ronnie's phone began ringing, and the entire family turned to stare at him, all with the same question in mind.

"It's Morgan," Ronnie said, excusing himself. His response was received with mixed feelings, mostly disappointment.

"Wow, Danielle is really impressive. I have a hunch that she had all these planned already waiting for the right time to execute it," Nancy said, adjusting on her seat.

Frances chuckled, bitting her lower lip as she stared into thin air. Frances had thought Ronnie would be the one divorcing Danielle, abandoning her to her own terrible ruins, but now that Danielle did it before Ronnie could get the chance to do it. Frances saw it as a slap in the face, and it angered her.

"I have to go now," Ronnie said, walking back into the living room. "Morgan is really worried, we already spent hours here, and I had told her that I would be back in an hour," Ronnie said picking up his car keys.

"Oh, why don't you all head out first, I and Nancy would see that this place get cleaned out," Frances said, and with that, Ronnie left alongside David and James.

"Mum, you aren't going to let Danielle get away with his right. This divorce is an insult to our family, a slap on the face," Nancy asked, her eyes fixed on Frances.

Frances shifted her gaze to her, and after giving her a good look, as if sizing her from hair to toe, she flashed him an evil smile, "Don't worry, I have a plan," Frances said, smiling even harder.

###

The Montrose Moonlight dinner room was beautifully decorated, and the dinner table filled with different delicacies, all Danielle's favorite.

Rute Montrose had called her son, Luke Montrose, inviting him and his wife Rebecca Stewart to an important family dinner, she had purposely left out the part of Danielle returning home because she wanted them to be just as surprised as she was when she saw her.

The family gathered around the time, with Rute Montrose and her husband Timothy Montrose beaming with smiles, while Luke and Rebecca glanced at them with their brows raised in suspicious.

"Okay, what's with the smiles and the sudden family dinner?" Luke couldn't help asking.

"Why? Can't I smile and have dinner with my family?" Rute said, smiling even harder.

"Well, on a Sunday, that could be normal, but on a weekday, that's a bit off from the usual routine," Luke said.

"Well... Your father and I have an announcement more like a suprise," Rute said. Her eyes darted from Timothy to Luke and then to Rebecca before she turned towards the entrance.

"Come on in, darling," Rute's voice ushered in Danielle into the dining room.

"Dani?" Luke said almost in a whisper, his eyes fixed on Danielle, stunned.

"Hi brother," Danielle said, not exactly sure if that was the right thing to say, but that was all her brain could come up with. It's been a long time since she saw her big brother, and considering the circumstances surrounding how she left, she wasn't sure what his emotions would be.

Before Danielle knew it, Luke swept her off her feet, hugging her passionately. "It's been forever, gosh. I never thought I would see you again," Luke said.

"I'm so sorry," Danielle apologized. That was the least she could do. Her decisions and actions hurt everyone around her, so the least she could do was take accountability for them.

"Oh no, you don't have to apologize, Dani. We are the ones that owe you an apology," Luke said, hugging her again.

The two finally broke free from the hug and settled down, sitting opposite to each other, while the chef and some kitchen staff's walked into the dining room to serve the food.

"So.... Dani, Are you just visiting or?" Luke asked, his eyes fixed on her.

Danielle flashed him a half smile, her eyes stealing a quick glimpse at her parents before settling on Luke. "No..." Danielle paused briefly, as if trying to cordinate her speech.

"I and Ronnie are getting a divorce,"

"What?" Rebecca yelled, startling the table. She seemed to be the only one visible stunned by what Danielle had just said.

"Why?" She asked almost immediately.

"Well... we are incompatible, so we decided to go our separate ways," Danielle said.

"It's about time. He doesn't deserve you anyways," Luke smiled, rubbing Danielle's hand gently.

Danielle smiled, "Thanks for understanding,"

Luke nodded, assuring her that all was well. Danielle took a deep breath of relief, grateful for how things had turned out. She had been a little skeptical about returning home since she wasn't sure how her family would receive her, but from the way things turned out, it seemed they had all been waiting for her to come back home.

"Bon Appétit," Chef Yuan said with a light bow before he exited the dining room.

"You know, I kinda suspected something when I saw all of Dani's favorite food, but I didn't want to say anything to ruin mum's happy mood," Luke said.

"Dear lord," Rebecca whimpered, quickly reaching for the napkins. The entire family stared at her as she spat out the food in her mouth before reaching for her glass of water.

"Is anything wrong with the food?' Luke asked. He figured out no one would ask since Rute wasn't on good terms with Rebecca and Timothy wasn't the talking type.

"Nothing much honey, just that it had olive, and I am allergic to that," Rebecca said, flashing him a small smile.

"Oh, sorry about that," Luke said, handing her over another glass of water.

"I think Chef Yuan forgot your allergies, but you can opt for the rice. It has no olove," Danielle suggested.

Rebecca forced a smile nodding her head, "Sure," she barely managed to say, her hand clenched tightly.

"Anyways," Rute cleared her throat, shifting everyone's attention back to her.

She smiled, looking from Luke to Danielle, "So, I was thinking, now that you are finally home, it would be proper if you take over the Montrose Group as the CEO," Rute said, making Rebecca flash her a quick stern stare.

"What?" Rebecca said. Her eyes darted from Timothy to Luke, and lastly, to Rute, as if telling her that the question was for her.

"I'm sorry, Rebecca, but does the rice contain olive as well?' Rute asked.

Rebecca scoffed, clenching her fist tightly. "I believe Montrose Group already has a CEO," Rebecca said.

"Who? You?" Rute let out a mocking chuckle. "Montrose Group is a family business, and since Luke has no interest in running it, Danielle was placed in charge of it, before she left, and now that she is back, we just want everything to go back to normal," Rute said.

"Normal?" Rebecca repeated, stunned

"Don't worry, you are not being kicked out of the company entirely. You are going to be one of the team managers," Rute said.

"Team manager," Rebecca was stunned. She has always known that Rute wasn't her biggest fan, probably because she was married in a couple of months after Danielle ran away from home.

"Look, Rebecca, I know it's not the best position, but the rest of the other executives are doing so well, and we can't just tell to leave their office, please try and understand us and don't worry, you would be promoted soon," Timothy said, trying to salvage the situation and prevent any issue.

'But I can be asked out of my own office,' Rebecca thought, fuming in anger.

But then, she turned to Danielle, flashing her a half smile, "I will clear my table and have the office ready for you,"

"Oh, that won't be necessary," Rute said curtly even before Danielle could say anything.

"I had my assistant do that already. Right about now, your stuff would be in your new office," Rute smiled.

Rebecca forced a smile back before stuffing her mouth with rice, trying to stop herself from saying another word.

"That was fast, Honey, Danielle just got back, so I think we should let her rest," Timothy said.

"That's okay, Daddy. I have been resting for the last five years. Besides mum, most have put in a lot of effort in that, and I wouldn't want to disappoint her again," David said.

"You are really your mothers daughter, workaholics," Timothy joked, and everyone but Rebecca laughed.

"Glad a became a lawyer, like you daddy," Luke said in between laughter.

"Whatever, I am just glad my daughter is back home," Rute shrugged.

"Anyways, I scheduled a board meeting on Friday, so get ready for it, Danielle," Rute added.

Danielle smiled, nodding her head. Just like Rute had said, it is only proper if everything goes back to normal. And just like her job, Danielle could only hope that she gets her life back to normal and on track just as it was five years ago.