CHAPTER 97: A PLACE TO FALL APART

The silence from behind that half-open window was louder than any words he could have spoken. Theo didn’t move, didn’t flinch, didn’t even blink. He just watched.

Something inside Daisy cracked. The fire in her chest, the fury on her tongue, it all melted into something heavier, something she couldn’t control. She spun around sharply, heading back toward Alex.

"Key," she said flatly, holding out her hand.

Alex blinked. "Madam?" His gaze darted nervously from her to Theo’s car, then back again. "Perhaps it’s better if I—"

"I said, key!" Daisy snapped, her voice breaking. Her hand trembled, not from anger this time, but from the weight pressing down on her chest.

For a moment Alex froze. Then he saw it, the shimmer in her eyes, the tears she was fighting to hold back. When one slipped down her cheek, his resolve crumbled instantly.

"Madam..." he whispered, almost helplessly, before fumbling in his pocket. With shaky fingers, he pulled out the car key and pressed it into her palm.

Daisy closed her fist around it, her breath uneven. Without another word, she yanked the door open and climbed into the driver’s seat.

Theo’s calm facade finally shattered when he saw Daisy slam the door shut and the engine roar to life.

His door flew open with a violent shove, and for the first time, his voice thundered.

"Are you out of your mind? She hasn’t driven for years!"

Alex flinched, guilt written all over his pale face. "S-sir, I—she—"

But his stammer was drowned out by the sharp screech of tires. Daisy’s hands gripped the wheel tightly, knuckles white as the car lurched forward. She didn’t even look back.

"Damn it!" Theo cursed, breaking into a run, his coat whipping behind him. His long strides cut across the pavement, but he was too late. The car shot down the street, sunlight flashing across its windows as it sped away, reckless and unsteady.

Theo’s fists clenched at his sides, his chest heaving with fury and something deeper—fear. He stood in the middle of the road, watching the car disappear past the curve.

Alex rushed to his side, panicked. "What do we do, sir?"

Theo’s eyes narrowed on the vanishing vehicle, his voice low and hard.

"She won’t get far."

Theo’s prediction rang true. Barely ten kilometers from where she had stormed off, the car was found abandoned near the edge of the city. It was parked crookedly by the curb, not far from a shopping mall, where streams of people drifted in and out with their shopping bags, completely unaware of the storm that had passed through.

The driver’s door was ajar, as if Daisy hadn’t even bothered to close it properly. Theo’s men checked quickly, no sign of her inside.

Theo stood beside the car, jaw tight, his sharp eyes taking in every detail. A lipstick stain on the water bottle, her scarf tossed carelessly on the backseat, remnants of her anger, her haste.

Alex glanced at him nervously. "She... she went into the crowd, sir. Must’ve thought you’d have a harder time finding her there."

Theo’s expression hardened, but he didn’t reply. He simply adjusted his cuff, as if that small act kept his restraint in place.

Meanwhile, Daisy sat on a cold seat near the mall’s central atrium, her hands limp in her lap, her eyes fixed on the polished tiles beneath her feet. Shoppers bustled past, laughter, chatter, the beeping of cashiers, life moving on as if nothing had collapsed.

But inside her, everything had.

She still couldn’t register it fully, the way Theo had looked at her, the silence he’d chosen, the flicker in his eyes when she confronted him. ’All this time... he knew.’

Her throat tightened. She had been so careful, weaving lies and excuses, telling herself she was the one in control. Yet he had seen through her from the start. And worse than being exposed, was realizing he hadn’t even fought her on it.

Her fingers curled tightly into her skirt. ’A fool. I’ve been nothing but a fool.’

And yet... despite the burn of betrayal, the sting in her chest wasn’t only anger. It was fear—fear of losing the man she had once sworn to hate.

"Are you okay?" A gentle voice came from behind, warm hands wrapping around her shoulders and neck.

Daisy turned, her blurred vision clearing just enough to see Aurora standing there, concern etched across her face. The moment she saw her, the tears that Daisy had been holding back spilled freely. Her lips trembled, and she pouted like a child who had finally found comfort after fighting too long on her own.

"Aurora..." Daisy sobbed, collapsing into her embrace.

Aurora’s arms closed around her tightly, one hand stroking her hair, the other steadying her trembling back. "It’s alright, I’m here," she whispered, even though she had no idea what had happened. The weight Daisy carried pressed against her chest, but Aurora didn’t push for answers, she simply held her.

People passed by, curious glances cast their way, but Daisy didn’t care. For once, she let herself cry without restraint, her walls crumbling in the one place she felt safe enough to fall apart.

"Now," Aurora said softly, her voice steady but gentle, "if you’re done letting it out, would you be willing to tell me everything?"

Daisy blinked, realizing only then that they were no longer in the middle of the mall. Aurora had guided her, step by step, into the car she had abandoned earlier, and now they sat in the front seats, the world shut out behind closed doors.

Her hands clenched in her lap, nails digging into her palms as though that pain could anchor her. "Everything?" she whispered, her throat dry. "But... it’s too long for me to tell everything."

Aurora tilted her head, lips pressing together in thought. "So... it’s hard to tell me everything? Hmm..." She exhaled softly, then asked, "Then, what can I help you with?"

Daisy blinked at her, eyes glistening. The words came out small, fragile, like a child asking for permission. "Can I... stay at your home for a while?"