Chapter 21 Feeling Beyond

• Derek's POV
• It's only a few hours until Crystal's welcome party begins. I've been waiting for this moment, and now it's here. My heart races, and questions keep spinning in my head: What if Crystal's found the man she wants? What if I fail to win the challenge? What if she doesn’t choose the warm ball? What if Ella’s mum shows up? What if Crystal rejects me? My daughter reckons Crystal came here with a purpose—to find someone hot and handsome after her boyfriend broke her heart.
• Every time I think of these questions, my pulse quickens. And every time I see Crystal, whether in the living room or when she’s cooking, I feel a strange satisfaction. There was also that moment when she came to my room to settle a misunderstanding between me and my daughter. When I saw her standing at the door, looking a bit hurried, I felt helpless. She hadn’t even buttoned her gown, and her bare skin was enough to make my head spin. I managed to restrain myself that day, thankful that Ella came in soon after to break the tension.