Star sent a quick message to Mandume:
"All the best ❤️."
Mandume saw it and smiled to himself.
Just as Star stepped outside, she spotted Daniels approaching a sleek, black car. Her heart stopped.
The face.
That face.
It was him.
Steffy.
No—Daniels. But… the resemblance was haunting.
Same face. Same voice. Same walk. Yet his demeanor was different—gentler. No coldness in his eyes. No cruelty in his aura.
Daniels came around to the passenger side and opened the door for her.
"Hi, Star… remember me? From the hospital?" he asked with a kind smile.
"Daniels… yeah, I remember you," she said, startled but composed.
"How are you feeling?" he asked politely.
"I'm good. And you?"
"Great. Actually, my boss asked me to drive you back to the hotel. Is that okay with you?"
Star blinked. "You're his PA?"
"Yes," Daniels nodded.
She hesitated for a breath. Then, "Okay… sure. Let's go."
Daniels started the car, and they drove off. The hum of the engine was the only sound at first, but Star's thoughts were anything but quiet.
"I've only seen doppelgängers in movies… never in real life. But here I am, staring at Steffy's exact replica—his face, voice, even the way he walks… except—Daniels is nothing like him.
Steffy was ruthless.
Heartless.
The kind of man capable of raping someone unconscious… and probably wouldn't blink doing worse.
But Daniels? He asked for my permission before even driving me. He's… kind."
Daniels glanced over at her. "You recovered pretty quickly."
"Yeah… hey, do you know anything about doppelgängers?" Star asked suddenly.
"Doppelgängers? What's that?" he asked.
"They're like… replicas. People who look exactly like someone else."
"Ohhh, you mean lookalikes," Daniels nodded. "Yeah, I've heard that every person has about seven lookalikes in the world. And there's like a 9% chance of ever meeting one."
"Well… I think I met yours," Star murmured.
Daniels chuckled lightly. "Unless I have an identical twin somewhere?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Do you?"
"Nope. My mom told me I had a brother, but I never met him. And I'm not a twin."
"Maybe I met your brother…"
"He died when I was five," Daniels said softly.
"Oh… I'm so sorry—"
"No need," Daniels cut in gently. "That was a long time ago. I'm in my twenties now. And... my mom died that same year too."
"I—" Star began again.
"No sorrys, Star. I'm okay. I've made peace with it."
There was a brief silence before she shifted the conversation.
"So… how did you and Bonita meet?"
"We're neighbors."
"I know that," Star said with a small laugh. "I mean, how long have you been staying there?"
"Almost two weeks. I met Boni a few days ago. We kind of just… clicked."
"She talks about you like you've known each other forever."
Daniels smiled. "Yeah. We've got this connection that just… emerged."
"You mean you like her?"
He grinned. "It's too early to say that. Besides, I'm here to study. Can't afford to lose focus."
"Hmm… Boni has high hopes for you."
"I know. And I can see that. Don't worry—I won't hurt her."
Star narrowed her eyes a little, thoughtful.
Then Daniels dropped a curveball.
"So… you and my boss. Expecting a baby, huh? You two are cute together but…"
"But?" Star asked, suspicious.
"Have you ever cheated on him?"
She blinked. "Excuse me?"
"On Boni's birthday eve," Daniels said carefully, "Olivia told us you and Rudra were off somewhere… making out. Your boyfriend—Mandume—he immediately believed her. No hesitation."
"What?!" Star gasped, the shock slapping her across the face.
"That's why he was distant, right?" Daniels asked. "I mean, is your relationship really that strong if one rumor can shake it?"
Star cleared her throat. "It is strong. Maybe there was some kind of 'evidence' she faked. Maybe he played along. But Mandume and I— we've been through a lot. He's everything to me. He brought me back to life. So please… don't mock what we have."
Daniels raised his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. I was just… observing."
"No, it's okay," Star said. "You're allowed to notice things. Just like he probably did. That's fair."
They arrived at the hotel. Daniels quickly stepped out and opened her door like a true gentleman.
"Thanks," Star murmured and turned to leave.
But something in the car mirror caught Daniels' eye—three young men creeping behind Star.
He watched for a second, frowning.
Star also sensed them and turned to face them, calm but firm.
"Can I help you?" she asked.
One of them laughed. "Was that your sugar daddy? How was the sex?"
Laughter erupted from the others.
Star's expression didn't flinch. "Your father? Yeah. The sex was fantastic," she spat with venom and turned to walk away.
One of the boys raised a hand, about to strike her—
But before the blow could land, Daniels' hand clamped down on his wrist like steel.
Star spun around—eyes wide in disbelief.
Daniels slammed a kick into the guy's stomach.
The other two rushed him—
But it was no match. In less than a minute, Daniels had all three on the ground, groaning.
Star stood frozen, stunned.
Daniels rushed to her. "Are you okay?"
"Y–yeah. I'm fine," she said, shaken.
"Come. Let me get you inside."
Daniels escorted her into the hotel, made sure she checked in, and saw her safely to her room.
As he turned to leave, Star called out softly, "Daniels?"
He stopped.
"Thank you."
Daniels gave her a reassuring smile.
"It's okay. Just… don't be scared. Ever."
Then he walked away, and Star was left standing with more questions than answers.