Mafia Lord's Mute Sweetheart

Chapter 102: Chapter 102 The eternal virgin

Daisy went home and finally felt the tension in her shoulders ease as she closed the door to her small room. The day had been long, full of unexpected moments and she was grateful to finally be alone.

She placed her phone on the side table and changed into her comfortable cotton pajamas. She sat on her bed, pulled her knees up to her chest and reached for her phone to check if she had missed anything important.

Her heart sank.

There were twenty plus missed calls.

All from Cedric.

Her stomach twisted as she scrolled through the notification panel. Then she opened her messages and found more than ten unread texts, each one growing more impatient, more demanding.

Why aren’t you picking up?

Where are you?

Answer me.

What are you doing?

Her hands trembled slightly as she pressed the video call button.

The call was picked up almost instantly, as if he had been waiting right beside his phone.

Cedric’s voice came through the speaker sharp and impatient. There was no warmth in it, only frustration. "Where have you been?!"

Daisy flinched. She opened her mouth but no sound came out. She couldn’t explain. She never could.

She gestured with her hands, hoping he could see her through the screen. She signed that she had started working, that she had gotten a job.

But Cedric didn’t understand her signs.

He frowned at the screen, his eyes narrowing.

"What are you doing? Stop waving your hands around. I can’t understand you."

Daisy lowered her hands, her heart sinking.

"I called you so many times," he continued, his voice cold. "I was thinking about what to buy for Grandpa James’s birthday. I wanted to ask your opinion, but you were too late. You’re always too late."

He paused, shaking his head in disappointment.

"Never mind. I’ll figure it out myself. You can’t even answer a simple phone call."

Before she could even try to type a response, he hung up.

The screen went black.

Daisy stared at her reflection on the dark screen, her eyes stinging.

She had wanted to tell him about her job but he didn’t care.

He had called her for a gift recommendation, not to ask about her day.

Daisy stared at the dark screen for several long seconds. She hesitated before pressing the call button once more.

The phone rang.

Once...

Twice...

Three times...

No answer.

She lowered it slightly, waiting for him to call back.

Nothing happened.

After a minute, she gathered her courage and tried one last time.

Again...

The call went unanswered.

Daisy quietly lowered her phone onto the bed. Her fingers lingered over the screen before she slowly withdrew her hand.

She didn’t call again.

If Cedric was angry... Perhaps he needed some time alone.

She didn’t want to make him even more upset.

A small sigh escaped her lips and she lay on the bed.

The moment she lay down, exhaustion washed over her like a heavy wave.

Today’s events had drained her completely.

She had spent the entire day standing in the laboratory, carefully analyzing samples and recording data. It was enjoyable work, but it demanded constant concentration.

Combined with everything that had happened earlier...

She felt utterly worn out. Her period had also made things worse.

A dull ache spread through her lower abdomen, while a heavy soreness settled in her thighs, making even the smallest movement uncomfortable.

She instinctively curled onto her side, hugging a pillow against her stomach.

The soft pressure offered a little relief.

Closing her eyes, she tried not to think about Cedric ending the call so abruptly.

Or Mr. Higgins.

She simply wanted the day to be over. Within minutes, her tired body surrendered to sleep, her breathing gradually becoming slow and even as the quiet room embraced her in peaceful silence.

❀┈┈┈┈❀

Meanwhile, at the Ricci mansion...

Alessio sat in the study, reviewing documents from Kuursh Pharma that Rafael had dumped onto him before leaving for his week-long mission.

The room was quiet and peaceful. The only sounds were the soft rustle of paper and the occasional scratch of his pen.

The silence lasted only until the door swung open.

"Bro!"

Mateo walked in without knocking, a bowl of chips in one hand and a grin on his face. His spiky hair was messier than usual and his light green eyes sparkled with mischief.

Alessio didn’t even bother looking up. "What?"

Mateo leaned against the desk, shoving a handful of chips into his mouth. He crunched loudly before speaking.

"I’ve been wondering..." He grinned mischievously, leaning closer. "Why are you suddenly handling Rafael bro’s company? You never cared about perfume before."

Alessio calmly signed another document. "I have my reasons."

Mateo narrowed his eyes dramatically, studying his brother like a detective examining a suspect. "Or..." He leaned even closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Is Rafael bro telling the truth?"

Alessio finally looked up. His green eyes were cold, flat. "What truth?"

Mateo wiggled his eyebrows with exaggerated flair. "That you’re interested in a girl named Daisy."

The room fell silent.

Alessio slowly lifted his eyes toward his younger brother. His cold green gaze was sharp enough to make most people retreat, to make them reconsider their words and back away slowly.

Mateo, however, was completely immune after living with him for nineteen years. He had seen Alessio at his worst, his most terrifying, his most annoyed. He had survived.

He took another loud bite of his chips.

Alessio’s voice was flat, emotionless. "I am not interested in Daisy. And you’re still too young to be worrying about things like this."

He picked up another file and opened it. "Go and do your homework."

Mateo stared at him in disbelief. "Too young?" He pointed at himself dramatically. "Bro, I’m nineteen!"

He threw his hands into the air, nearly spilling his chips in the process.

"At my age, my best friend has already changed four or five girlfriends!" He held up his fingers to emphasize the count. "And look at me... I’ve been a single baby all these years because of you two!"

He sighed exaggeratedly before placing a hand over his heart, his expression one of tragic suffering.

Alessio looked at him blankly, his pen still in his hand.

Mateo continued complaining, his voice rising with each word. "You and Rafael scared every boy and girl away from me! You both thought they would take advantage of me or cause me danger..." He shook his head mournfully. "But truth is, I am very dangerous existence to them because I am your brother! They’re terrified of me! So maybe I’m the dangerous one!"

He paused, then shook his head again.

"Forget about that. Let’s talk about how about letting me date? What if I die single? My friends are laughing at me! Do you know how embarrassing it is to be the only one without a date? They call me theeternal virgin!"

Alessio slowly closed the file in his hands. He set it down and folded his arms on the desk.

"...That’s not something to be worried about," Alessio said.

Mateo blinked. "What do you mean?"

Alessio rested his chin lightly on his hand, his expression unreadable. "Are you trying to compete with your friends over who has had more girlfriends?"

Mateo looked away guiltily, his eyes darting to the side.

Alessio didn’t wait for an answer. "First of all," he spoke calmly, "pass your classes."

Mateo opened his mouth to protest.

Alessio continued. "I don’t want to keep paying your school to ’encourage’ the administration to let you pass."

Mateo instantly looked embarrassed, his cheeks flushing red. "...Bro."

Alessio raised his brows. "What? You didn’t have to expose me like that."

Alessio raised an eyebrow. "I only stated a fact."

Mateo scratched his cheek awkwardly, looking anywhere but at his brother. "It was just... one subject."

"Three."

"..."

"Three subjects."

Mateo coughed loudly. "They were difficult."

Alessio looked at him without a trace of sympathy. "So is life."

Mateo let out a dramatic groan before dropping onto the sofa. "I swear," he said, staring at the ceiling. "One day I’ll become successful. I’ll make everyone proud. I’ll prove both of you wrong."

Alessio nodded absentmindedly as he returned to his paperwork. "I hope that day comes before your graduation ceremony."

"Bro!" Mateo looked utterly offended, sitting up so fast his chips flew everywhere. "That’s not fair! You’re supposed to encourage me! You’re supposed to say I believe in you, Mateo or You can do it, little brother!"

Alessio glanced at him. "I believe you can fail your exams without my help."

Mateo clutched his chest as if he had been stabbed. "You’re so mean. So cold..So heartless.. No wonder you’re single."

Alessio’s pen paused. He looked at Mateo, his eyes narrowing.

Mateo quickly held up his hands. "I said what I said."

Alessio’s voice was flat. "Get out."

Mateo grinned, grabbing his scattered chips. "Fine. But I’ll be back. And I’ll keep asking about Daisy."

"Mateo."

"Yes, bro?"

"Out."

Mateo laughed and ran out the door, his laughter echoing through the hallway.

Alessio stared at the empty doorway for a long moment.