CHAPTER 110: DIFFERENT BREED

The living room was steeped in gloom when Theo and Daisy stepped inside. They made their way to the sofa and sat down, the silence heavy around them.

Richard, who had been staring blankly into the distance, finally shifted his gaze to Daisy. His voice was low, almost weary. "I need your help..."

Daisy blinked rapidly, thrown off by the sudden request. "Help?" she echoed, a nervous laugh escaping her. "I don’t know if I could actually help with anything..."

Her eyes flicked toward Evelyn, seated stiffly beside Richard. The deep furrow in Evelyn’s brows only made Daisy’s unease grow.

"What is it?" Theo’s cold, low voice cut through the tension.

Evelyn let out a frustrated sigh. "Your brother..." Her glare landed on Liam, who was lounging with his head tipped back against the sofa, staring at the ceiling as if nothing mattered. "Ah, why did you do that?" She pushed herself up from her seat, disappointment clear in her every movement.

Theo’s frown deepened. "What is it?" he asked again, this time his voice sharper, firm, leaving no room for vague answers.

"Aurora..." Evelyn’s lips trembled into a pout, her tone heavy with sadness.

Daisy’s head turned quickly, realizing only then that Aurora was not there. "What about Aurora?" Her voice was slightly shaky, as if she could already sense something was wrong.

Theo’s jaw tightened, his eyes darkening as he rose to his feet. "What did you do?" His words cut like steel. "I told you not to touch her."

Liam rolled his eyes with mock annoyance. "I... didn’t do anything."

"If you didn’t do anything, why would she rush out at two in the morning?!" Evelyn snapped, stomping her foot against the floor, her voice trembling with both anger and worry.

Liam shrugged, feigning innocence. "Maybe she overreacted. I was just... curious. You don’t meet her kind often."

Theo’s glare sharpened. "Her kind?"

Liam chuckled, tilting his head. "Sweet, naive... untouched. Do you know how rare that is these days?"

Evelyn’s face went pale as realization hit. "Liam—"

"Wait..." Daisy’s voice, though low, cut through the tension like glass shattering. All eyes turned to her.

"What is happening? I don’t understand..." She frowned, her words shaky. "So... mom, Aurora was already going back home at two in the morning?" Her gaze locked on Evelyn, searching, almost pleading for an answer.

When no one spoke, Daisy turned her eyes on Liam, her tone sharpening. "And what’s with this talk... rare? Untouched?"

The smirk on Liam’s lips faltered for a second, but he quickly masked it with his usual arrogance.

Evelyn reached for Daisy’s hand, her own trembling. "Daisy... it’s not what you think."

But Daisy pulled her hand back, her chest tightening. "Then explain it to me. Because right now, all I see is that my best friend was here, and then suddenly she wasn’t. And you—" her glare cut toward Liam, "don’t tell me you did something to her!"

Liam exhaled loudly before standing up. "I said I didn’t touch her!" His tone was sharp, but there was a lazy grin tugging at his lips. "I play dirty, not filthy."

"Then tell us what happened last night..." Evelyn pressed, stopping him before he could walk away.

Liam glanced over his shoulder, eyes glinting. "Isn’t it enough that I didn’t touch her?"

The room fell silent, tension pressing down like a weight. Daisy’s fists clenched at her sides, her jaw tight as she tried to read him.

"Woah..." Daisy suddenly let out the breath she’d been holding, her voice cracking with disbelief. "I never knew you were like that..." She turned toward Theo, her expression torn between confusion and disappointment.

Liam smirked faintly, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Ah, come on, Barbie-in-law. Nothing surprising about that. I’m a man."

"He is too..." Daisy shot back instantly, her finger pointing at Theo without hesitation. Her tone was sharp, as if daring Liam to justify himself any further.

Liam’s smirk twitched, his voice dropping lower. "Yeah, but I’m not built like him. Different breeds."

The air tightened around them, the silence heavy after his words. Evelyn exchanged a glance with Theo, the unease in her chest making it hard to breathe.

"Liam, wait—" Evelyn started, her voice urgent, but Liam only raised a hand in careless dismissal. Without looking back, he strode down the hall, his steps unhurried, until he disappeared upstairs.

For a moment, no one spoke. The weight of what he’d implied lingered like smoke in the room. Evelyn pressed her lips together, then suddenly turned to Daisy, her tone clipped with anxiety.

"Can you call Aurora," she urged slightly. "Like right now. Ask her where she is and... if she’s okay."

Daisy’s stomach dropped. She didn’t argue, fumbling for her phone as dread crawled up her spine.

It took her two tries before Aurora finally answered. The faint crackle of background noise bled through the line, and when her voice came, it was almost too soft.

"Hello?"

"Where are you?" Daisy asked carefully, forcing her tone into something light, almost casual, as if she knew nothing.

There was a pause. Too long. The kind of silence that prickled.

"Ah, I’m sorry, something urgent happened and I headed back home," Aurora replied finally, her voice dipped low, like she was measuring each word. "Why? What’s wrong?"

Evelyn leaned closer, her hand pressing against Daisy’s arm in silent urgency, mouthing, "asking her if she’s okay."

Daisy’s grip on the phone tightened. "Just checking in," she said, her throat tight. "Are you okay?"

Another pause. Then, a small laugh, strained and unconvincing. "Of course. I’m fine. Don’t worry about me."

But Daisy heard it. The quiver hiding beneath the words. The faint hitch in her breathing that Aurora probably thought she covered well.

"Then... It’s okay. I’ll call you back later." Daisy forced her voice even, deciding not to push further. With a shaky thumb, she ended the call.

The silence afterward felt louder than the conversation itself.

"I’ll... try to check with her later. After she calms down." Daisy’s voice was careful, almost apologetic.

Richard, who had been sitting quietly this whole time, scratched the back of his head before standing. "One is like this, and the other one is like that..." he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. Then, more firmly, he added, "Make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid again. And Theo... set the date for your reception already."

With that, Richard walked out, leaving the room in silence.