CHAPTER 112: THE KENNEDY

For a moment, Daisy forgot how to breathe. The warmth of Theo’s kiss still lingered on her lips, but his words struck colder than any winter wind.

Her father?

The silence between them stretched, thick and unyielding. She searched his face, hoping to find a hint of a joke, a smirk, anything to tell her he was just teasing again. But Theo’s eyes were steady, unflinching.

"You’re lying," she whispered, her voice cracking despite her best effort to sound strong.

Theo shook his head slowly, his gaze never leaving hers. "I wish I was."

Her chest tightened, her mind scrambling back to the day she received the box. "It couldn’t be," she whispered, shaking her head. "The day I received it, Dad already had the attack... he was in the hospital."

Theo’s jaw tightened, his voice low. "Exactly. He couldn’t protect you anymore. That’s why he made sure the box would find you... so it would lead you to me."

Daisy froze, her breath caught. ’Lead me... to him?’

Theo leaned closer, his eyes unflinching. "Your father knew Kennedy wouldn’t stop at the company. He knew once the empire fell, Kennedy would come for you. That box wasn’t just a gift, Daisy... it was his way of steering you to safety. To me."

"You? Why you?" The question slipped out smoothly from her lips, causing Theo to burst out in laughter.

"What do you mean by why me? Do you think there’s a better option than me?"

Daisy blinked, heat rushing to her face. "That’s not what I meant—"

Theo smirked, clearly enjoying her flustered state. "Oh, come on. Your father is the most brilliant one. He wanted the best, the sharpest, the most reliable, the handsome one. Who else could it be?" He leaned back slightly, his grin widening. "Face it. If there’s anyone who is the best for his daughter, it’s me."

She scowled, crossing her arms. "I don’t know you are so full of yourself."

Theo raised a brow, leaning in again until their noses nearly brushed. "Full of myself? No. Just realistic."

Daisy let out a disbelieving laugh. "Realistic? You practically crowned yourself prince charming."

"Correction," he murmured, tapping her chin lightly, "your prince charming."

Her scowl deepened, but the warmth creeping across her cheeks betrayed her.

"Oh God! Stop this." She clamped a hand over her mouth to hide her smile. "Okay, enough with this cringe talk. Back to your words earlier... what do you mean by the fact that Kennedy wouldn’t stop at his company?"

Theo didn’t answer right away. Instead, his gaze lingered on her, as if weighing whether to speak. Finally, he exhaled slowly.

"Hmm... you know, after you slipped out the reason you came to me, I dug deeper. I looked into what really caused the fall of your father’s business." His tone shifted, quieter, heavier. "And yes... I found the reason behind it."

Daisy straightened in her seat. "You mean bankruptcy? Dad always said it was just bad timing... market crash and all that—"

Theo shook his head, cutting her off. "No. It wasn’t the market. It was the Kennedys."

Her brows furrowed. "Kennedy? Who exactly? My uncle? Or... my grandfather?"

Theo leaned back slightly, studying her reaction. "Your grandfather. Harold Kennedy. The man who was known to always play dirty in business."

"But how?" Daisy frowned. "I mean... Dad was always careful with them. He made sure never to cross that line."

Theo’s jaw tightened. "I still haven’t figured out how he did it. Harold wanted him out of the way. And when Harold Kennedy wants something, he doesn’t wait for people to make mistakes...he creates them. But Daisy..." he held onto her hands, "Can I know how your relationship with your mother is?"

Daisy blinked at him, startled by the sudden turn in his question. "My... mother?"

Theo didn’t flinch, his grip steady on her hands. "Yes. Jasmine. Harold tricked a lot of people in his lifetime, but he never would have reached your father so easily unless there was someone close to him who... knowingly or not... opened the door."

Her breath caught, and for a moment she forgot to blink. "You’re saying she—"

"I’m not accusing," Theo cut in quickly, though his eyes darkened. "I’m saying Harold preyed on her desperation. After she married your father, she was practically thrown out of Kennedy, right? She wanted back in. And Harold? He knew exactly how to use that."

Daisy’s chest tightened, her voice barely above a whisper. "So the person who destroyed my father... might’ve been the same person I called ’Mom.’"

Theo squeezed her hands, grounding her before she could spiral. "That’s why I asked. I need to know... how close are you to her? Because the truth about the downfall of your father’s business... it’s not going to be easy to face."

Daisy frowned, her lashes fluttering as a sudden rush of emotions welled in her chest. "So that’s why you stayed quiet? Why did you act like it was all your fault?" Her lips curved into a small pout, half hurt, half accusation.

Theo exhaled, a muscle ticking in his jaw. "I thought it was better that way. If you hated me, at least you wouldn’t have to carry the weight of suspecting your own mother. You deserved to grieve without doubting the person who raised you."

Her eyes watered, blinking faster this time, and she shook her head. "You idiot... you let me hate you all this time for something you didn’t even do." She scrunched her nose, trying to stifle a sudden snort. "Nope, you’ve got it wrong, the person who raised me? My mom? She’s not."

Theo froze, blinked, and then slowly shook his head, a faint tension creeping into his shoulders. "Wait... don’t tell me if it brings back bad memories..."

Daisy crossed her arms, pressing her lips into a thin line as she steadied her voice. "My dad... he’s the one who raised me. Mom... she left, and I barely saw her when I was a kid. Then she came back, but I think her reason was the same as Kennedy’s... She needed me to marry into a wealthy family, to at least feel worthy of being alive."

He pulled her into a warm embrace, holding her close. "No parent should ever make their child feel like that... or use them to feel worthy. You didn’t deserve any of it."