Free Web NovelChapter 54: Do I know him?
’’What?" Ryle looked at her, seemingly bewildered.
’’What else do you want?" Daisy questioned, intending to push him away again when the man dragged her to the one of throne chairs in the balcony, his fingers raking through her hair till she could feel the mess on her head somehow lessening.
’’For you to drop your unreasonable hostility against me, maybe?" Ryle shrugged as he stepped back from the woman.
Daisy sat there on the chair, looking at the man, trying to gauge his intentions. She could still feel the lingering heat in her body, the warmth of his touch and the way he claimed her lips. Her fingers curled on the arms of the throne chair.
’’Stay away from me, Mr. Harper,’’ Daisy pushed herself to her feet as she turned to leave, ’’We don’t have any business together.’’
Once she finished speaking, she left the place without waiting for his response, hence missing the glint that flashed across his eyes.
Back inside the party hall, the darkness of that corner point balcony had completely disappeared. Under the blinding lights, Daisy felt strangely conscious. Every time a person looked her way or walked towards her, Daisy could not help but wonder if they could see remnants of what she had done on her face, or if it was visible on her somehow.
In the end, she walked off to a partially dim corner. She sat on the barstool and grabbed motioned the bartender towards the wine.
Daisy held the glass of wine closer to her mouth.
’’Where were you? I have been looking for you..." Diana approached Daisy.
Daisy immediately halted her movements. She placed the glass of wine down on the counter when it suddenly dawned on her that she had brought Angel along with her, ’’What happened? Is Angel awake...?" she proceeded to stand but Diana pushed her down the barstool by her shoulders.
’’It has been barely 30 minutes since she closed her eyes. She is not waking up anytime soon unless she is hungry,’’ Having raised Angel for months, Diana knew one thing for sure. Her company had turned Angel into a piglet akin to her. Both of them liked sleeping and eating like pigs.
For the first time since Daisy stepped inside the party, her heart felt at ease as she saw Diana’s antics, ’’Why were you looking for me?"
’’Warner does not like to socialize so he left with Angel. And I can’t even drag him here since he is using her as his shield,’’ Diana shook her dramatically as she sat opposite to Daisy, ’’Dad is busy with his guests and mom... is apparently ignoring our presence. It’s hard to approach her and make an effort to talk.’’
Daisy sighed. Both of them shared similar feelings for their mother. Their mother had neglected them since they were kids but they had never been bitter about it in anyway. Maybe the first time when she saw her mother violently hitting Diana was when Daisy had felt some hope shattering inside her towards the woman. Then, over the years, things happened one after another and Daisy and Alice grew further apart.
But Diana always had a soft spot for the woman unlike Daisy who had always hated her. Despite being abused and manipulated for a huge part of her childhood, Diana had hopes that one day their mother was going to change. Even after she ran from home with Angel, she harboured such hopes. However, when Diana’s and Maxim’s relationship came to Alice Chen’s attention, the woman revealed how she had complicated Maxim’s childhood and opportunities over and over again in the past just keep him away from Diana.
Stricken with guilt and disbelief, Diana had cut herself off from their mother ever since then.
Daisy nodded, ’’It’s okay. You are her favorite daughter. Give it some time and she might come to talk to you on her own. She must have missed you as well.’’
Diana narrowed her eyes, ’’Do you have to put it like that...’’ she paused for a moment, ’’Are you not feeling well, Daze?"
’’Huh?’’ Daisy looked at the woman.
Diana leaned closer, her eyes narrowing even further, ’’You look so flushed,’’ she pressed her palm on Daisy’s forehead, ’’But you don’t seem to be down with a fever. Are you feeling stuffy or nervous around here? I know you don’t like parties but I did not know you would be this uncomfortable. And your mouth...’’
As Diana leaned even further close to her, Daisy covered her lips with her palm and turned her face to the side, not meeting the woman’s gaze, ’’There is not...nothing wrong with my mouth.’’
Diana blinked and sat straight, ’’Huh? I thought they looked swollen. Why did you hide your lips suddenly....’’ she trailed off as her eyes widened when a sudden realization dawned on her, ’’Did you get kissed...mmph!"
Daisy pressed a hand over Diana’s mouth, watching how the woman’s eyes went wide as saucers, ’’Don’t shout.’’ fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
’’Mmm... Mmmm...’’ Diana made an ’I swear’ motion with hand as she nodded vigorously.
Daisy slowly put her hand down.
Diana leaned towards Daisy, ’’Tell me all about it. Fast.’’
’’It’s nothing...’’
’’Think twice before you lie to me. You disappeared from the party a few minutes after we arrived here. Angel is sleeping and Maxim is looking after her so you can’t say you were busy with her. Your hair, which was so sleekly tied is now all left open and set free which seems like you have roughly combed them with your fingers.’’
Diana quirked a brow as she continued, ’’Initially, I did not think much about it. I thought you were sick or something but you just had to go away and cover your lips. Do you think I will be dumb enough to not see through that?’’ She shrugged when Daisy stared at her, ’’You only have yourself to blame for. You gave yourself away. Now, tell me!"
’’Yes.’’
Diana placed her hands on her lap as she looked at her sister with sparkling eyes, patiently waiting for her to continue with the rest of the story.
But a few minutes passed by in silence and Daisy did not seem to have the intention to utter anything else after the ’yes’.
Diana blinked, ’’Who is it? He must be guest here tonight, right? Then, what are the odds that I know him?"
Daisy’s eyes gazed around the hall, looking for that familiar face until her eyes stopped at a spot where Ryle leaned back on a round table with a glass of wine in his hand.
Daisy could see a woman’s back as she stood there and talked to him and he also engaged in the conversation with her while swirling the wine in his glass occasionally. His playful smile remained intact on the man’s face, confusing people who would think of him as an angel at the first glance.
As if he felt her gaze on him, he gazed in her direction. And the moment their eyes met, his smile grew wider as he winked. Daisy felt her face heating up gradually.
’’Tell me. Do I know him?" Diana probed when Daisy remained silent. Noticing her sister’s gaze fixated somewhere, she followed her line of sight but before she could see anyone, a tall shadow enveloped over them.
"I hope I am not interrupting anything, ladies, or am I?" A masculine voice entered their ears.
Diana looked up at the man who had come to stand in front of Daisy. At the first glance, he seemed familiar to her, ’’You... Aren’t you...?" As she got a proper look at him, it suddenly dawned on her, ’’Second Young Master Lu, that is if I am not wrong?" her voice was wary.
The man smiled politely, ’’It’s nice to meet you too, Miss Chen. How have you been?"
’’Fine, if that concerns you in any way,’’ Diana was naturally very wary towards the Lu Family. Back then, the engagement between the third young master of the Lu Family and Daisy was rather strange. Daisy might have her motives behind agreeing to it. She did it to bide some time to carve a path for her and Angel and get rid of their parents’ pestering for once and for all.
But it was the way the Lu Family agreed to all their conditions that it bothered Diana. She did not think they were especially fond of Daisy. Their youngest son seemed like he was being forced into the marriage when he stood on the altar with a face that resembled as if he had eaten something extremely bitter.
And after Daisy ran away from the wedding, any sane person would have drawn a line with them due the humiliation caused to them. The Lu Family seemed very frustrated because of Daisy’s actions but never acted on it. From what she followed on the news, they maintained an amiable facade on the surface and made many business deals with them. In Diana’s eyes, they were no less than hypocrites.
Lu Xian who was the second young master of the Lus could be said to be the current head of the family, despite Master Lu being alive and well. He was mysterious and he rarely made any appearances in the public. Hence, Diana could not help but consider his involvement in the whole fiasco.
’’I can’t understand what business Second Young Master Lu has in small events like this,’’ Diana smiled kindly as she spoke, but the smile did not reach her eyes.
