Chapter 26: Darryl's Childhood

Looking at the delicious dishes on the dining table, Regina couldn't help but lick her lips. In just ten short minutes, Regina really wondered how he was able to make so many dishes. Fried eggs, sliced ham with sauce, avocado and honey toast, avocado sauce and an eye-catching salad plate.

At this point, Charles also brought out two cups of warmed cow's milk and placed it on the dining table.

"Must have surprised you. I live alone so I like to cook for myself." Without Regina asking, Charles told himself. He then pulled up a seat across from Regina. "I'm Charles, Darryl's friend. And you're..."

"Regina Lynne."

"Oh, Regina. Nice to meet you."

Regina nodded in confusion. With Charles' cheerfulness and warmth, she couldn't be cold to him. On the contrary, it was Charles's amiable attitude that made Regina feel a little embarrassed.

She took the bread and spread avocado sauce on it. With a bite of crispy bread, butter and rich avocadob sauce blend and melt in your mouth. This wonderful taste made Regina unable to hide her surprise, she ate it non-stop, like someone who had been starved for a long time. As a singer, Regina is very concerned about her figure, she eats little and is usually quite picky. But today she ate really a lot, in a moment the food on the table was almost out.

Regina ate so much that she belched. At this point, she was startled to realize that she had eaten all of Charles' portion. Regina licked her lips in panic and looked at Charles awkwardly.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't think the breakfast you made was so good. It's not that I'm hungry either..." Regina was franticly trying to find an explanation for her failure. anyway, she saw Charles with his face down on the table.

Did she eat all of his food making him sad to the point of crying?

"Hey, I'm sorry, really..."

"Is it really that delicious?" Charles looked up at Regina with gleeful eyes. He grabbed her hand and said. "I rarely cook for other people, because I'm afraid they won't like it. But thank you for eating it all."

Regina froze for a moment then burst out laughing. The man sitting in front of her had a tall figure, a masculine and attractive face, yet his personality was like a teenager.

Thanks to this breakfast, they talked more freely with each other, Regina's initial distaste for Charles was replaced by genuine affection. It's hard to believe that someone as scary as Darryl has such a bright and wonderful best friend like Charles.

After learning that Regina didn't have to work on weekends, Charles asked her out. The place he took her to was a peaceful and poetic suburb. The fields of reed grass spread across the road, cars are sparse and replaced by idyllic farms.

"This is one of many schools for orphans that receive 100% funding from Darryl Rider."

Charles drove Regina to a school located on the outskirts of the city and introduced it to her. In rural and suburban areas, there are many schools and synagogues established to protect orphans. This is just one of the few. But what surprised Regina was the fact that Charles said Darryl had spent money to help those schools and synagogues.

Seeing the woman with him silent, Charles led me into the school and told me a few stories.

As it turns out, few people know that Darryl Rider is an orphan. This is the orphanage where Darryl grew up, now it is very spacious and spacious, with all facilities. All thanks to Darryl Rider.

"You must be wondering how I got to know Darryl. Years ago, when my father and I were doing charity work, I met Darryl here." Saying that, Charles pointed to a swing nearby. "He sat there alone, because of his eccentric personality, no one wanted to play with him."

"So you came to talk to Darryl?" Regina became interested in the story Charles told.

"Yes. And yoi know why?"

"Not sure. Is it because Darryl is lonely?" Regina shrugged and made a conjecture.

"No. Because I think he's the boy with the most beautiful eyes I've ever met."

Charles' answer completely exceeded Regina's expectations. It turned out that at that time, to start a conversation with a taciturn and quiet boy like Darryl, Charles just needed a simple sentence: Hey, you're so handsome. Want to play swing together?

"Later, many things happened, but our friendship remains the same." Charles' voice had a sense of nostalgia.

Regina kept quiet, she knew maybe Charles needed someone to listen to him right now.

After walking around the campus, we went to meet the nannies here. They warmly and tenderly welcomed us.

"This is Kate." Charles only about a nany. "She's the oldest person in the orphanage. And she's the one who took care of Darryl."

"Darryl, he came to visit me a few months ago." Kate smiled, the corners of her wrinkled eyes narrowing slightly.

"Kate, and this is Regina Lynne, Darryl's wife."

Kate looked at Regina in surprise, then her gaze softened with joy and tenderness. She nodded repeatedly, her old eyes narrowing slightly with emotion and she seemed to want to cry. In the end, Kate said nothing. At Charles's suggestion, he and Regina would help the nannies make lunch for the children here.

In the afternoon, Charles brought Regina back. The road was quite far, and Regina also had many chaotic thoughts in her mind. She learns a part of Darryl's past, not much, but it proves that Darryl was really a nice person. Regina has the mindset that maybe he's cruel to everyone, but to those he considers family he quietly cherishes and protects.

"Do you know much about Darryl's past?" Regina asked, her eyes still looking out the window at the sunset.

"I've been waiting a long time to hear you ask this." Charles let out a sigh and honked his horn to show his relief.

Regina was a little startled and turned to look at Charles. The fact that he took her to the place where Darryl used to live as a child was obviously no coincidence. He has a purpose.

Charles tells some stories about Darryl. When Darryl was five years old, his parents were killed by a group of robbers. Darryl hiding under the bed witnessed everything, this partly affected Darryl's spirit and psychology. When he was sent to the orphanage, his personality was so taciturn and gloomy that children of his age were afraid and did not want to play with him.

Even the nannies lacked enthusiasm and dedication when it came to taking care of Darryl. Usually they'll just let him do things on his own. Only Kate is not like that. She considers Darryl as her son and loves him with all her heart. Gradually, she also saw Darryl's transformation. Although Darryl was still rarely smiling and taciturn, at least he no longer looked at people hostilely.

Charles sometimes goes to Darryl's orphanage to join his father in charity work. With a positive personality, Charles easily befriended Darryl.

"It's hard to imagine a boy like Darryl. His mind is not normal. He is both reckless and smart, very good at hiding his thoughts."

Charles made a few remarks then continued.

As a teenager, Darryl went back to school, but every three months, Kate had to go to school. Fighting, smoking, vandalism, truancy... there's nothing Darryl can't do. Aunt Kate was very disappointed, she thought that as long as she cared and gave Darryl a good education, he would grow up and become a decent person.

About half a year later, Darryl voluntarily dropped out of school. Then he suddenly disappeared. Kate did report to the police to find him, but the police said that the children who escaped from the orphanage were not worth the attention and search. So, after much effort, Kate still couldn't find Darryl. She did not give up and contacted Charles's father, but Charles's father was just a businessman, moreover he was always busy with business and foreign work, unable to help Kate.

Years later, when Darryl was 18, he went back to the orphanage for the first time. And he's not alone. Someone claiming to be Darryl's adoptive father went to the orphanage to ask permission to become Darryl's guardian. Kate was surprised, but Darryl had told her he wanted to go with 'father', so Kate agreed.

"You know what happened later, Darryl has always been quietly helping the orphanage. Kate is also assured that Darryl has a new life that he always wanted."

"The life he's always wanted..." Regina involuntarily mumbled repeating Charles' words. "What about you? How did you meet Darryl again?"

"Ah, that's because he came to me. According to what he told me, when he was 20 years old, his 'father' died due to a sneak attack by the enemy. His father's mafia organization is in a dangerous situation so he needs help from someone he can trust."

The details of Darryl's life were not mentioned by Charles, but just through this much information was enough for Regina to feel surprised. She did not expect Darryl's life to be so eventful and complicated. He lacked affection since childhood and had to be independent from an early age. Charles barely mentioned how Darryl lived as an adult, but Regina felt sure it wasn't that simple.

"Got there."

"Charles, thanks for the trip, but I have to say that even though I got to know Darryl a little better, I couldn't empathize and love him the way Kate did."

Hearing Regina say that, Charles' smile faded a little. The reason he came to Regina was partly because he was curious about who the only girl that Darryl had made public was, and partly because he had heard Kane tell the story. Kane tells him that Darryl is in serious love trouble. Kane, Darryl and Charles are best friends, so they won't hide such things from each other.

Charles knew Darryl before Kane, so he understood Darryl quite well. Darryl is the type to always appear rude and grumpy, but once Darryl values and loves someone, he will definitely do anything to protect that person. Kane, who raised Darryl, is an example. However, for Regina, Darryl both loves her and worries about losing her. He wants to cherish her but he is afraid that enemies in the mafia world will endanger her. That contradiction led Darryl to make a decision that Charles thought was foolish.

"You're really smart, Regina. I believe one day you'll understand the real Darryl. Right now, I know you hate Darryl, but don't hold a grudge against him too deeply."

Hearing that, Regina did not reply. She leaves Charles' car and returns to the mansion, where every night is a nightmare for her.