The Devil's Secretary

Chapter 263: Eyes off my man

’’How are you connected to Ryle’s mother?" Daisy’s unhurried words interrupted the man, his words trailed off and his lips parted.

His eyes widened and in that briefest moment, Daisy caught something. Disbelief, astonishment, denial and something she could not put a finger on. But it was there.

His expression went back to being composed in a split-second and if Daisy had taken her attention off him even for the split-second, she would not have noticed anything.

The man chuckled. ’’What? That boyfriend of yours... Wait! His mother? You... I might seem shameless but what exactly do you think of me huh?’’

Daisy tilted her gaze down and flipped the last page of the file that she held in her hand. She signed it and calmly placed the file aside.

Caleb’s words were left hanging in empty air, not even graced with a reply or cursory glance.

Caleb also did not urge her to say anything. He stood there stonily as if there were countless thoughts racing in his head but his face, however gave nothing away.

’’You can quit pretending, uncle,’’ Daisy placed her palms on her knees and leaned back on the couch as she met him gaze coolly.

Caleb met her gaze right back, looking as if he had no guilty conscience at all.

Daisy tipped her chin, the corner of her lips quirking up in the hint of a smile as her eyes narrowed at the man. A look that, to him, seemed to suggest that she could see right through him.

Caleb tugged at his tie and calmly turned around, taking off his suit jacket before he draped it over the swivel chair and took a seat. The man grabbed a file from his desk and flipped through the pages, ’’While it is good to see that you have given up on your monotonous lifestyle and you are chasing some thrill, I have to warn you on this one. Your sense of humor is too dark and disturbing. You should not crack jokes, you know. They would not make people laugh, rather...’’ fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

’’Rather intimidate them?’’ Daisy looked down and fixed the edge of her sleeves, smoothening her pants as she stood up, ’’I believe that might be a possibility which is why I don’t joke.’’

’’Aren’t you just too idle today, huh?"

’’You have been paying attention to Ryle since day one. The night of the emergency meeting when I introduced you to each other in the opposite street. Whenever you talk to me, whatever we talk about, you would find a chance to mention him. When you invited me for dinner, you had your gaze on him for more than ten seconds before you told me that I should bring him over with me as well.’’

Daisy walked towards his desk as she spoke, ’’You look surprised. Didn’t think I’d notice?"

Caleb composed his expressions.

’’I notice everything about him,’’ Daisy shook her head at his weak attempt to mask his expressions again.

’’The only reason I have stayed put all this time was because it was just my hunch so far until it was not anymore.’’

’’What... do you mean?"

’’We entered the underground chamber in that room at your place. And we went through every painting stored in there,’’ Daisy noted the slightest tremble of his lips before he clenched his teeth, ’’Ryle felt the view in the last painting rather familiar but he shrugged it off as a coincidence.’’

Ryle did not have any reason to join these dots and assume that there could be any connection between his mother and Caleb. Even on her part, it was a wild attention until his reaction gave it away. She had believed that Caleb had something to do with Ryle but the way he reacted to her random assumption seemed to have another opening to this whole picture.

’’It can be just a coincidence,’’ Caleb sighed, ’’Don’t you think you are looking too much into it?"

’’Except I don’t believe in coincidences,’’ Daisy looked at him indifferently, ’’Nor am I fascinated by them. Here is the thing, you keep your attention off my man and we are good.’’

Caleb paused. His expression did not give anything away. He casually leaned back on the swivel chair as he looked at her, ’’What if I have some ulterior motives towards Ryle Harper that I cannot put off no matter what you say...’’

The man trailed off midway through his sentence, his eyes widening briefly as he watched at the metal head pointed at him.

Daisy held a gun in her hand, the head pointed at him while her finger moved to rest on the trigger. Her posture was straight and her gaze unhesitant as if one wrong action or word and she would not think twice before shooting him right there and then.

’’You are my father’s friend and I consider you a friend other than a capable COO for this company. But my hands aren’t tied, Mr. Astor. I have recently involved myself in business but I still can pull the trigger just right. You would not want to be my practice target.’’

’’Y-You... Are you kidding me?" Caleb did not dare to move, ’’Girl, put that thing away. Have you lost your mind or what? I was just joking.’’

Daisy walked around the table, coming to stand by his swivel chair, ’’I do not joke when it comes to my people,’’ she tapped the gun on the desk.

Once.

Twice.

Thrice.

Daisy lowered her gaze, eyes narrowing, ’’Stay away from Ryle. If you see him, look away. If you ever cross paths with him, walk away. I do not care what your past is, what your secrets are or what you want from him. But you mess with him, and I will come find you and make you regret it.’’

’’Are you threatening me right now?"

Daisy pulled the gun back and adjusted it behind her suit jacket, fixing her sleeve before she looked at him, ’’This was a conversation. I can’t assure if it will be the same in the future.’’

Daisy turned to leave but she had just taken a step forward when her gaze paused on the slightly open drawer. The transparent file that Caleb had placed in when he entered his office peeked at her.