Danielle was born in Tahiti where she was raised by Tea Delgado and Ross Rayburn. Ross was the only father she ever knew but later finding out Todd Manning was her biological father. Her mother moved her to a London boarding school to hide her from Todd. Danielle met Matthew Buchanan at school and the two had an equal dislike of their parents and quickly became friends. Matthew was in a wheelchair from an auto accident (in which Tea represented him in court to have surgery) and was on his way to Chicago when his parents flew him to London instead. Together, they fled the school and flew to Chicago for Matthew’s surgery. Danielle hid in Matthews’ room from her mother who found out her whereabouts. Not knowing Ross is looking for her too, he walks into the room and at gunpoint - takes Dani on the lam - but its cut short when Todd and Tea trap them on a bridge. Todd shoots Ross and he plunges into the water. Vowing revenge on Todd for taking Ross away from her, she steals Bo Buchanan’s gun out of his safe and threatens to shoot Todd! Tea arrives with Elijah and he retrieves the gun from her.