Rise of the Enigmatic Daniel Wells

The clatter of a knife against a chopping board softly echoed in the opulent kitchen, accompanied by the bass humming of a popular movie song.

Daniel Wells' hands moved swiftly along the chopping board as he quietly and carefully chopped some fruits when his phone buzzed with a call.

He washed and dried his hands before attending to the call.

"Good morning, Mr Wells," a polished feminine voice came from the other end of the line. It was Regina, his secretary. "Congratulations, sir. I'm glad to announce to you that your wife has just bagged award of the best female actor of the year."

A small smile appeared on his lips. An award from the prestigious Fishford Film-making Institution was sure to boost his wife, Aria Seymour's acting career greatly. Every actor and actress in the industry coveted an award from them, but Aria had been lucky to get one so easily.

Regina inhaled on the other end of the line. Aria had one person thank—Daniel Wells. He was the one behind her career's success.

"Well done, Regina," he responded with a firm and official tone, one he never used at home. "Make sure to continue promoting her. She mustn't have a hint that you're behind it. Also, a certain obstacle seems to be arising these past few days." His voice grew cold. "Lila Lakes. Take care of her, will you?"

Regina sensed the ice behind his words. "Consider it done, Mr Wells."

The called beeped to an end, and a faint smile appeared on his cheeks. His wife was becoming a star. He couldn't be happier at the moment. That was everything he needed. He resumed his humming even more.

However, his happiness was cut short by the loud voice of Aria's mother, Sandra, that floated from the living room into his ears.

"Daniel! How difficult can it be to simply slice up some fruits for me. Do you want me to starve to death? Can you ever do anything properly?"

Sandra was renowed for her quick temper, especially towards Daniel. He did not want anything to ruin his mood, so he quickly tucked his phone into his pocket and gathered the fruits. His smile had faltered slightly, but his happiness still bubbled within him.

He emerged from the kitchen with a simple bowl containing a variety of chopped fruits.

Sandra watched him with sheer irritation as he placed the bowl in front of her. She couldn't for the life of her get comfortable with his irresponsible presence.

"I thought I was going to have to wait for the fruits as long as I waited for you to be responsible," she spat, snatching the bowl off the table.

Her mean words had become normal to Daniel, so he simply stood there, waiting for the next instruction without betraying any emotions.

He was so excited that he didn't hear the sound of the television that was behind him, broadcasting the award ceremony.

"How dumb can you be? Can't you see that you're standing in front of the television? It's hard enough living with someone as irresponsible as you. But watching you, it's devastating. Get out of my face!"

Her words stung, but Daniel said nothing. He scooted away from the television, his interest piqued as he saw Aria's face appear on the screen.

The whole setting faded away to Daniel as he beheld the beautiful woman that he was glad to call his wife. Her red hair was styled into a neat bun with a few curls dropping in front of her head, and her face was perfectly set.

He observed that she was dressed in a beautiful red gown that hugged her tightly and revealed her curves. It had a long slit.

His brows knitted together at the amount of thigh it revealed, but he waved it off. It was her day, after all!

As the host of the event began to appraise her, speaking of her beauty and talent, Daniel couldn't help the smile that appeared on his lips.

"Why are you standing there doing nothing? Will you get to cleaning already or let your hands remain as useless as they've been ever since you got married to my daughter?" Her lips were curled in a mean snarl.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I'll get to it."

Daniel disappeared into the kitchen briefly to retrieve the napkin. He did not want to miss the event, especially the moment of his wife's appreciation speech.

As he began to wipe the edges of the large screen that took up almost half of the wall, his heart beat picked pace as he heard Aria clear her throat into the microphone.

The applause died down, and the hall fell silent.

"Thank you so much, Fishford, for this amazing reward. I've always dreamed of bagging this award, and I'm glad that my hard work had finally paid off," she started, a proud smile on her face. "But, it will be just ungrateful of me not to acknowledge the people who stood behind me as a pillar of this success."

By this statement, Daniel's heart raced, and the pace at which he was wiping the edges of the television reduced.

He couldn't wait to hear her appreciate him publicly. He could bear the maltreatment and cruelty of her mother as long as Aria was pleased with him and she could appreciate him publicly.

"I want to say a big thank you to my sweet, sweet mother who had been supportive of my acting career, even during the times when my talent not yet recognised. Thank you, mum."

Sandra's scowl gave way for a pleased smile as she held her hands to her chest. She knew she did not go wrong with her beautiful and talented daughter.

"I also want to thank my director, Cleff, for always standing by me. He makes sure I get the best roles. He is like an angel sent to me from God. Thank you, Cleff," she exclaimed in the direction of the director who sat at the front rows of the hall.

He wore a thin smile in response, his expression awkward but accommodating.

"And lastly, to the owner of my heart..." Daniel's heart skipped a beat as he realised that this was the moment. Now was when she would appreciate him publicly.

"To my sweetheart. My love. The one who my heart always yearns for. I just want to say I love you so much. Thank you for being with me," she breathed out. The warmth in her eyes told of her affection for the person she was thanking.

That was all Daniel needed to hear. His heart leapt for joy. She loved him! She had never really said that to him when they were physically together, this was the perfect time.

He dashed into the kitchen with the dusting towel. He had to do something special for her in return!

As the crowd erupted into a thunderous applause for her again, Aria made her way down from the stage. Her eyes were heavy with passion and affection as she sauntered towards a man in the crowd who held her gaze.

He was the object of her last statement..