[Chapter 145: We Won]
It was another intense round.
After taking the Foundational Reinforcement Elixir, Amanda's physical fitness had improved significantly. This extended the duration of the session even further.
Daniel had originally planned to give Amanda another Osteogenic Elixir, but after some thought, he decided against it. Amanda was currently filming, and if she suddenly grew taller, it would disrupt the production schedule. It was better to wait until her scenes wrapped up.
Amanda had hardly slept at all that night, yet the next day she was still full of energy. She stood excitedly in front of the mirror, gazing at herself over and over, unable to tear herself away.
"Why do I feel like I look even better than last night?" she wondered aloud.
Sitting at the dining table, Amanda pulled out a compact mirror and kept checking herself. She wasn't wearing any makeup, yet she looked stunning. Her skin was now as smooth and delicate as a porcelain doll's, the rough pores no longer visible.
"It really is better than last night," Daniel said as he ate breakfast.
Amanda looked at him, eyes shining. "You think so?"
Daniel nodded.
Amanda's excitement bubbled over. She stood up, ready to pounce on him, but suddenly stopped. Casting a playful, predatory glance his way, she said, "I'll let you off the hook today."
Daniel smiled casually. "Who's letting whom off?"
Amanda gritted her teeth. "Starting today, I'm going to make time for the gym."
Daniel laughed. "I'll be waiting to see the results."
She put down the mirror and began eating her breakfast.
"How's your movie coming along?" Daniel asked.
"Very well. Everything's running smoothly. Both films are expected to release next year," Amanda replied.
"I'm looking forward to it."
...
After breakfast, Amanda's agent, Wendy, arrived. Upon seeing Daniel, she stepped forward and greeted him politely, "Good morning, Daniel."
"Good morning, Wendy," Daniel replied with a nod.
Wendy looked toward Amanda, about to speak, but then froze. Her mouth slowly fell open. "My God, Amanda, what did you do? How did your skin get so perfect?"
For women, this was always the first thing they noticed--their eyes sharper than any man's when it came to beauty.
Amanda lifted her chin, a mix of smugness and pride on her face. "Not bad, right?"
Wendy's eyes lit up eagerly. "Of course! How did you do it?"
Amanda glanced at Daniel.
Wendy immediately guessed. "Because of Daniel?"
Amanda beamed. "That's right."
Wendy was both shocked and confused. She wasn't sure how Daniel had managed it, but she couldn't ask with him standing there.
Clearing her throat, Wendy said, "Amanda, we should get going."
"Wait for me a second," Amanda called out.
She walked over to Daniel, kissed him, and asked softly, "Darling, are you coming over tonight?"
Daniel replied, "I'm not sure, but I'll let you know ahead of time."
"Okay, I'll wait for your call. I'm heading to the set now."
"Goodbye, Daniel."
...
Wendy quickly ushered Amanda out and got into the waiting van. As soon as the driver started the car, Wendy turned to Amanda with impatience.
"Tell me, Amanda, how exactly did Daniel do that for you?"
Amanda glanced at the driver ahead, leaned in close to Wendy's ear, and whispered a few words.
Wendy's eyes widened. "Just by that?"
Amanda nodded. "That's part of it, but there's also a magical Elixir involved. However, the Elixir is a one-time boost, while the other effect can be sustained."
Wendy looked envious. "When you two do that... could you call me to join? I could help..."
Amanda shrugged nonchalantly. "As long as Daniel agrees, I don't have a problem with it."
Wendy pulled out her mirror, checked her reflection, then sighed. "Never mind. Daniel probably wouldn't be interested in me."
She snapped the mirror shut and asked again, "Could you ask Daniel to sell me one of those Elixirs you mentioned?"
Amanda responded, "You'll have to ask Daniel yourself. I can't make decisions for him. But that magical Elixir won't come cheap. Are you sure you want to buy it?"
Wendy gritted her teeth. "I'll buy it, even if it bankrupts me."
"All right, I'll ask him for you tonight," Amanda agreed.
Wendy hugged Amanda tightly. "Amanda, being your agent really is my good fortune."
Amanda tilted her head and smiled. In the past, Wendy hadn't been this warm toward her. Everything had gradually changed because of that man.
...
After finishing breakfast and tossing his plate into the dishwasher, Daniel pulled out his phone. As soon as he got a signal, a flood of messages came through.
Many were from Frank Douglas, and others from Sheriff Ford.
Daniel called Frank. The call connected quickly.
Frank Douglas's anxious voice came through. "My God, Mr. Cross, you finally reached me! What did you do?"
Despite Frank's anxiety, Daniel's tone remained calm. "Tell me first -- what's happening on your end?"
"All investigations against me stopped overnight. It's as if they never happened," Frank said with disbelief. "Also, the probe into Sheriff Ford has ended. Just today, he was reinstated to his position."
Daniel smiled. "That's very good."
Frank asked eagerly, "So, did we win?"
Daniel replied, "We'll talk when we meet."
"All right, that works. Ford's coming over too."
...
Half an hour later, Daniel arrived at Frank Douglas's home. Before he even got out of the car, he saw Sheriff Ford waiting in the parking lot.
As Daniel stepped out, Ford came over and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you, Mr. Cross," Ford said sincerely.
Before this, Ford had thought he was finished. But he hadn't expected the investigation to end so abruptly, or his reinstatement as Sheriff. Even his previously stalled promotion now seemed to be reconsidered.
Ford knew all this was because of Daniel.
Daniel patted Ford's arm. "Let's go inside and talk."
Upon entering the main building, the first person to greet him wasn't Frank Douglas or the butler Charlie -- it was Katherine. She ran up, threw herself into Daniel's arms, and hugged him tightly.
Daniel felt warm, wet tears dripping onto his chest.
He gently patted her back. "It's all right. Everything's over now."
Katherine pulled back and looked up at him, her face streaked with tears.
The feeling of losing the most important thing in life -- and then getting it back -- was truly overwhelming.
None of this would have been possible without the man standing before her. It was he who had saved her and given her a second chance.
Katherine was filled with boundless gratitude toward Daniel.
Frank also came forward to welcome Daniel. In the past, he had always waited for Daniel by the building entrance, but this time, he had stepped out to greet him personally.
*****
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