Mafia Lord's Mute Sweetheart

Chapter 108: Chapter 108 I might have considered you

At least his words had affected her. She wasn’t completely indifferent.

Daisy quietly pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down. She kept her eyes lowered, her hands resting on her lap, her fingers lightly intertwined. The warm glow of the chandelier cast golden light across the table but it did nothing to ease the heaviness in her chest.

The maids silently served dinner before excusing themselves, leaving the two alone in the large, elegant dining room. The only sounds were the soft clink of cutlery against porcelain and the faint crackle of candles flickering in their holders.

Neither of them spoke for a while.

Daisy kept her eyes fixed on her plate, pushing the food around with her fork. She wasn’t hungry. Her stomach felt tight, her appetite gone.

Finally, Cedric broke the silence.

"You’ve been crying."

Daisy froze for a second before lowering her eyes further. She didn’t respond. She couldn’t. She just stared at the bowl in front of her, her vision blurring slightly at the edges.

Cedric calmly placed his fork down.

"...Don’t cry over things like that."

His tone remained indifferent, almost dismissive, as though her tears were nothing more than an inconvenience.

"I know you love me."

Daisy’s fingers stopped moving. She stared quietly at the bowl in front of her. The food before her had lost all appeal.

Cedric continued as though stating a simple fact, something obvious and undeniable.

"If Jessica hadn’t existed..." His blue eyes rested on her face. "...I might have considered you."

The words floated through the room with unbearable calmness, settling over Daisy like a cold blanket that smothered any warmth left in her heart.

Silence.

Daisy didn’t move. She didn’t look up. She simply lowered her head a little further, her hair falling forward to hide her face from his view.

For some reason, those words hurt far more than his anger.

I might have considered you.

Not because she expected anything from him or because she had been hoping for a confession. But because it sounded as though she herself wasn’t enough. As though she was a consolation prize, a second choice, a woman who could only be considered if the woman he truly wanted wasn’t in the picture.

Her fingers quietly tightened beneath the table, her nails pressing into her palms.

Cedric noticed she wasn’t eating. "...What?" He frowned. "You don’t believe me?"

Daisy slowly shook her head.

It wasn’t that she didn’t believe him. It was that she didn’t know what to say. She had no words for the ache spreading through her chest, no way to express how deeply his words had cut.

She picked up her notebook with trembling fingers and wrote a short sentence.

I understand.

Cedric looked at the words. His expression was unreadable.

"...Good for you."

He leaned back slightly, his eyes still fixed on her.

"I don’t want you to misunderstand anything. My relationship with Jessica hasn’t changed. I won’t leave her. I won’t betray her."

He paused, letting the words sink in like stones dropping into still water.

"So it’s better if you don’t expect something that will never happen."

Each sentence landed like another quiet blow.

Daisy continued looking at the notebook, her vision gradually blurring. The words on the page swam before her eyes, merging into meaningless shapes.

She blinked.

A tiny drop of water landed on the page.

Then another.

Cedric’s eyes paused on the small tear stains. His expression flickered, just slightly. The satisfaction he had felt moments ago faded, replaced by uncomfortable feelings.

He hadn’t expected her to cry.

He had expected her to nod, to accept, to retreat into her usual silence.

But the tears...

The tears made him feel as though perhaps his words had been harsher than intended.

After dinner, Daisy quietly excused herself and returned upstairs.

The moment the bedroom door closed behind her, the smile she had been forcing all evening disappeared, Her shoulders dropped.

She leaned lightly against the door and closed her eyes, letting out a shaky breath.

Cedric’s words kept replaying in her mind.

"If Jessica hadn’t existed... I might have considered you."

She wasn’t even sure why it hurt so much.

Perhaps because she had never wanted to be considered. No one wished to hear they could only become someone’s choice if another person disappeared. No one wanted to be the second option, the fallback, the woman who was only worthy of attention when the one he truly loved was out of the picture.

She slowly walked toward the bed, her eyes still red and slightly swollen. Her chest felt heavy, and she pressed a hand against it, trying to ease the dull ache that had settled there.

Just then, her phone suddenly began vibrating.

Bzzz...

She glanced at the screen.

Her eyes widened slightly.

Alessio.

She blinked in surprise.

Why was he calling? It was late, and she hadn’t seen him at the company in days. She had almost forgotten the warmth of his presence, the quiet way he always seemed to appear just when she needed someone.

Quickly wiping the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand, she took a deep breath before answering.

The call connected immediately.

Alessio’s calm voice came through the speaker. "I hope I’m not disturbing you."

Daisy quickly shook her head before realizing he couldn’t see her. A tiny, embarrassed smile appeared on her face, the first one she had worn since dinner.

Alessio continued, his voice steady and unhurried. "I just remembered something. The suit jacket I lent you..."

He paused briefly.

"...There’s a flash drive in one of the inside pockets." His voice remained as calm as ever. "I completely forgot about it."

Daisy’s eyes widened.

She immediately looked toward the wardrobe.

The jacket... She had washed it.

Not only had she washed it, but she had carefully ironed it as well before hanging it neatly in her wardrobe. She had wanted to return it in perfect condition, but he hadn’t been coming to the company for the past few days, so she hadn’t gotten the chance.

Her heart skipped a beat.

A flash drive...?

"Oh..." Alessio suddenly spoke again, sounding as though he had just remembered another detail. "I’ll video call you. I need to show you which pocket it’s in. Alright?"

Daisy nodded instinctively.

Then she realized he couldn’t see her. Before she could type a reply, the call ended.

Only a second later, her phone lit up again.

Incoming Video Call — Alessio.