CHAPTER 89: A LITTLE PRESSURE WON’T HURT

Daisy staggered toward the gate. Theo leaned down, reaching as if to lift her, but she pushed him away.

"No... it’s okay... I can still walk..." Her breaths came quick and uneven, words breaking between them. She kept her gaze locked on the ground, refusing to meet his eyes.

Theo hesitated, his brows drawing together. "Daisy—"

"I said I’m fine," she snapped, sharper than she meant to. The truth was, she wasn’t fine. No one in their right mind would be fine after what had just happened.

"She must be angry... I’m sorry, Daisy. I really came here just to meet you."

George’s voice slid into the moment like oil in water. He stepped forward from the doorway, extending a card. "I really, really like you... you know..."

He leaned down, but Theo’s arm came up, pulling Daisy gently behind him.

"Ah... can you at least let me talk heart to heart with my ex-fiancée?" George’s smile carried a shadow of the charm he used to wear so effortlessly, but there was a strain beneath it. "Anyway... call me if you ever want someone who’d truly appreciate you... someone like me." His voice softened at the end, but it couldn’t hide the weight of pride still clinging to him.

He craned his neck, searching for Daisy’s eyes, as if trying to remind her of the way things used to be. Then his gaze slid back to Theo, not with open hostility, but with the quiet misery of a man who’d lost more than he could admit.

"Till then..." His words lingered in the air, softer than before, before he turned and walked out through the gate, leaving the couple in the stillness of his absence.

Daisy staggered a step back, her gaze fixed on the ground. She could be considered brave, but what had just happened wasn’t something courage alone could handle. What if Theo hadn’t shown up at the right time? What if, just like yesterday, he had left her message on ’seen’?

Her legs moved on their own, carrying her weakly toward the gate.

"Let me hold you..." Theo reached for her hand, but she pulled away.

"I’m fine. I can manage myself," she said, her voice trembling but stubborn. "You can go back to whatever you were doing earlier."

She finally lifted her head, her eyes red and brimming, holding back tears that threatened to spill.

"Ah..." She stopped mid-step. "I—I left my pouch..." Her voice faltered. She turned as if to head back, but the tears broke free before she could stop them.

With a quick, almost careless swipe of her hand across her cheeks, she walked back toward the house, trying to make it look like nothing had happened.

"Daisy..." Theo’s voice cut through the air, low but edged with something raw.

"Hey..." He stopped her, his hands cupping her face with more urgency than he intended. "You’re safe now..." His gaze searched hers, as if needing to make sure she was really there. He bent down until their eyes locked. "I’m here."

Her legs suddenly gave way, the weight of everything crashing down at once.

"Whoa—" Theo caught her before she could fall, his arms instinctively tightening around her. In one swift motion, he scooped her up so her arms hooked around his neck and her legs wrapped loosely at his waist. He held her close, one hand steady at her back, the other supporting her under her thigh. "It’s okay...I’m here..."

After a few moment of calming her down, Theo suddenly broke the silence, "What are you doing here?" His legs started to walk back inside the house as he carried her in his arms.

Daisy didn’t answer. She stayed silent, her head resting on his shoulder, her breath warm against his neck. Her fingers curled slightly into the fabric of his shirt.

Theo’s jaw tightened, but his voice softened. "Daisy... are you mad at me?"

"No." Her answer was short and low, almost swallowed by the space between them.

He tried to pull away to look at her face, but she didn’t lift her head. Her gaze stayed fixed somewhere over his shoulder, distant, as though she was holding on to thoughts she had no intention of sharing. The silence between them was heavy, broken only by the sound of his footsteps against the floor.

"I’m sorry. There were... a lot of things going on yesterday, and I needed some time to clear my head." His voice carried a careful mix of explanation and guilt, as if he knew it might not be enough.

Daisy just hummed in response, a noncommittal sound that told him nothing.

They reached the hallway, and just before the stairs, Theo stopped. Without a word, he lowered her to the floor, his hands lingering at her waist for a moment to make sure she was steady.

"Stay here," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Before she could protest, he was already taking the steps two at a time. The sound of his hurried footsteps echoed faintly above, then disappeared into the quiet.

Daisy stood there, fingers curling against her arms, the weight of everything pressing in again.

"This one?" Theo appeared at the edge of the upstairs landing, holding the pouch up. His face was unreadable, his voice as flat as ever.

Daisy nodded lightly, then quickly lowered her head, biting back the urge to smile. ’How can that pouch look so small in his hand?’

He came down without a word, each step slower this time. When he reached her, he held the pouch out.

But before she could take it, he suddenly leaned down and lifted her into his arms again. "Let’s go."

"No, it’s okay. I can walk now," she protested, wriggling slightly.

"It’s faster this way." His gaze held hers, steady and unblinking. "Hold tight." A faint smile touched his lips before he started for the door.

By the time they slipped into the car, George’s vehicle was still there, engine idling, partially hidden from view. His eyes followed them until the door closed.

"So, you’re saying you couldn’t trace that black car?" George asked, arms crossed, his gaze narrowing on Theo’s vehicle.

"Yes, sir," his assistant replied, then hesitated. "Why didn’t you just tell Miss Daisy the truth?"

George’s eyes flicked toward him. "And what truth would that be? That I’ve been stalking her for days? That I happened to cross paths with someone else doing the same?"

The assistant fell silent.

"Let them think what they want," he added, his voice dropping lower, slower. "Sometimes it’s better if a man like Theo feels a little pressure... stays a little more watchful." His gaze returned to the road ahead. "It might keep certain things from happening again."