Mafia Lord's Mute Sweetheart

Chapter 152: Chapter 152 Jenna is back

The next morning, Daisy had just finished getting ready for work when she heard familiar laughter echoing from downstairs.

Her hands froze mid-motion as she was adjusting the strap of her bag. She stepped out of her room and looked over the railing.

The moment she saw the elegant woman standing in the living room, her heart skipped a beat.

Jenna.

Her mother-in-law had returned.

A rush of uneasiness spread through Daisy’s chest, cold and familiar. The peace she had experienced while Jenna was away seemed to vanish the moment she stepped back into the house.

Daisy unconsciously tightened her grip around the strap of her handbag. She still had about an hour before leaving for the office but suddenly the idea of leaving felt like an escape.

Taking a slow breath, she forced herself to walk downstairs.

Meanwhile, Jenna had just finished hugging Cedric. Her arms wrapped around him warmly, her voice filled with exaggerated affection.

"Oh, my good boy!" She held his face between her hands and looked at him with concern. "You’ve become so thin. Are you even eating properly?"

Cedric couldn’t help laughing, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. "Mom. I’m fit. Not thin."

Jenna clicked her tongue dramatically. "Nonsense. To a mother, her son is always too thin." She lightly pinched his cheek. "You work too much. You should take better care of yourself."

Cedric smiled helplessly. "I will."

The two of them laughed together, their voices filling the room with warmth.

Standing a short distance away, Daisy quietly watched the interaction. She saw the affection in Jenna’s eyes, the way she touched Cedric’s face, the way he smiled without reservation. It was a side of him she rarely saw.

Then Jenna’s gaze slowly shifted.

It landed on Daisy.

For a split second, the warmth vanished from her eyes. Coldness flickered across her face before disappearing so quickly that anyone else would have missed it.

This girl... She actually looks healthier. Has she started getting comfortable while I was away?

A faint irritation rose inside Jenna. She had expected Daisy to look miserable, pale and submissive. Instead, there was more color in her face than before, a beautiful glow that made her look almost content.

Looks like she has grown wings while I wasn’t here.

But the thought remained hidden behind her elegant smile.

Not now. She couldn’t let Cedric notice anything.

Jenna’s smile returned effortlessly. "Daisy." She lifted several shopping bags onto the table. "I brought gifts for both of you. I bought them during my trip."

Daisy blinked in surprise before politely bowing her head. She slowly gestured.

Thank you.

Jenna pretended not to notice the gesture, her attention already back on Cedric.

"I spent hours choosing yours. I hope you like it."

Cedric smiled. "You didn’t have to buy me anything."

"I wanted to." She gently adjusted his collar like a caring mother, her fingers brushing against the fabric.

Only then did Cedric remember something. His smile faded ever so slightly. His thoughts drifted back to what the maid had told him. How Daisy hadn’t been allowed to eat while he was away. How she had quietly endured everything without complaining.

His eyes unconsciously moved toward Daisy.

She stood quietly with her hands folded in front of her, wearing the same gentle expression as always. As though nothing had happened. As though she hadn’t been starving in her own home.

Cedric looked back at his mother. She was smiling warmly, speaking naturally, looking exactly like the caring mother he had always known.

For the first time, a strange conflict settled inside him.

He wanted to ask. He wanted to know if what the maid had said was true. But seeing his mother’s cheerful face, the words refused to leave his mouth.

He remained silent.

Jenna noticed the thoughtful look in his eyes. "What is it?"

Cedric blinked before forcing a faint smile. "...Nothing."

He pushed the thought aside. At least for now. But the question remained buried in the back of his mind, refusing to disappear.

After a while, Daisy looked at the clock. It was almost time for work.

She quietly walked toward the front door, her steps light and careful. She was almost at the entrance when—

"Daisy."

She stopped and turned around.

Jenna looked at her with a gentle smile. "Where are you going?"

Before Daisy could answer with her gestures, Cedric spoke up. "Mom, she’s working now."

Jenna looked genuinely surprised. "Working?"

She let out a soft laugh, as if the idea was both amusing and unnecessary. "Oh, dear... You don’t have to work so hard."

She walked closer, her smile warm and graceful. "Our family has more than enough money. Cedric earns enough for you to live comfortably. Whatever you need, he’ll buy it for you. There is no need for the wife of the Evermont family to exhaust herself with a job."

Daisy lowered her eyes quietly, her fingers tightening around the strap of her bag. She didn’t know how to respond.

Before she could, Cedric’s expression changed.

A flicker of guilt crossed his blue eyes.

Enough money...?

The words echoed in his mind sharply.

He suddenly remembered something he had never thought about before. He had never given Daisy a monthly allowance. Never handed her a card. Never asked if she needed money. Never even wondered how she managed her daily expenses. Until Grandpa had mentioned it to give her money, he hadn’t even considered it.

He hadn’t realized his mistake.

Because for the longest time, he had believed Daisy had married him for money. He had convinced himself she was a gold digger. A woman who had deliberately come between him and Jessica. Someone who wanted the Evermont family’s wealth.

Looking back now, the irony felt almost bitter.

If Daisy truly cared about money, why had she quietly taken a job? Why had she never demanded expensive gifts? Why had she never asked him for anything?

His gaze slowly shifted toward her.

She stood there quietly, holding the strap of her bag with both hands. Simple clothes. No expensive jewelry or designer handbag. Nothing about her reflected the image of the greedy woman he had created in his mind.

A strange heaviness settled in his chest.

He had judged her without ever trying to know her.

Meanwhile, Jenna continued speaking with a pleasant smile. "If you need anything, just tell Cedric. You’re his wife. You shouldn’t have to worry about earning money."

Daisy listened politely.

Then she smiled gently. She raised her hands and slowly gestured.

I like working. I’m happy learning new things. I don’t want to stay home all day.

Cedric watched her hands carefully. He tried to understand what she was saying but the gestures were unfamiliar to him.

Neither Jenna nor Cedric understood.