Mafia Lord's Mute Sweetheart

Chapter 176: Chapter 176 What’s happening to me?

Daisy had asked one of the maids to bring her a fresh set of clothes and after changing quickly, she made her way back toward Cedric’s wardroom.

She had slept surprisingly well in the VIP room, the soft bed and quiet atmosphere giving her the rest she had desperately needed. But the moment she stepped into the familiar hospital corridor, some of yesterday’s heaviness returned, settling in her chest like a stone.

She slowed down when she reached Cedric’s door and glanced through the small glass panel.

He was alone.

For a few seconds, Daisy simply stood there, her fingers resting lightly against the edge of the door. She wasn’t sure whether she should go inside.

After everything that had happened yesterday, she had no desire to begin her morning with another argument, especially when she still had to go to the lab later. Her mind was already half-focused on the work waiting for her, the experiments she needed to finish, the reports she had to complete.

She was almost ready to quietly walk away when Cedric suddenly turned his head.

He had noticed her through the window.

Their eyes met.

He raised his hand and gestured for her to come inside.

Daisy hesitated for another moment before finally pushing the door open. The soft creak of the hinges broke the silence.

Cedric was sitting against the raised hospital bed, looking much better than he had the previous night. There was still a faint tiredness on his face and his injuries were visible, but his expression wasn’t angry.

The sharp tension that usually surrounded him seemed to have eased slightly. Instead, he simply watched her as she walked toward him, his blue eyes following her movements.

Daisy stopped beside the bed. She folded her hands in front of her, waiting.

Cedric looked at her for a long moment before his gaze shifted toward the window. The morning light streamed through the glass, casting long golden rectangles across the floor.

"Grandpa’s birthday is nearby," he said quietly.

Daisy blinked and followed his gaze toward the bright morning outside. Then she nodded.

Cedric’s fingers rested loosely over the blanket. "Just buy him a good gift."

Daisy looked back at him.

"And don’t tell him about what happened to me."

Her eyes widened slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing her face.

Cedric gave a small shake of his head. "I haven’t told him either. He doesn’t need to know."

Daisy nodded again.

There was something strangely different about his voice this morning. He wasn’t ordering her around, nor was there the sharpness she had become accustomed to whenever they discussed their marriage. He simply sounded tired, his words lacking their usual sharpness.

"I don’t want Grandpa worrying about me," he continued. "He’s already not in the best condition. There’s no point giving him another reason to be stressed."

Daisy understood. She nodded gently.

Cedric looked at her again.

For some reason, he noticed how peaceful she looked this morning. Her hair was neatly arranged after changing, though a few strands still rested naturally around her face.

There was a softness and gentleness in her expression that he hadn’t paid much attention to before. A calmness that seemed out of place in the sterile hospital room.

"You can leave for work," he said.

Daisy blinked.

Cedric gave her a faint smile. "You’ll be late otherwise."

She stared at him for a moment, genuinely surprised. He had never been particularly interested in whether she reached work on time and even whatever she did. He had never asked about her job, her schedule, or anything that mattered to her.

Daisy slowly nodded. She gestured that she would leave then.

"Yeah," Cedric said. "Go."

She turned toward the door, but before she reached it, Cedric spoke again.

"Daisy."

She stopped and looked back.

He hesitated, his lips pressing together. "Thank you... for staying with me yesterday."

Daisy’s expression softened. She gave him a small smile and nodded. Then she quietly left the room.

He watched the door close behind her, the soft click echoing in the silence.

Cedric felt uncomfortable as the memory of the previous night came back to him.

After Daisy had left, he had initially tried to rest but his body had still been aching badly from the injuries. He had barely managed to settle himself when Jessica started talking.

At first, he listened.

Then she kept going.

She talked about her friends, their relationships, their problems and then somehow the conversation shifted toward Daisy. Jessica began gossiping about her, making one comment after another and Cedric found himself becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

Usually, he would have listened without much thought.

But last night, something was different.

Every word seemed to irritate him.

"Jessica, can we talk about something else?" he had finally muttered.

She had barely acknowledged it before continuing. Her voice had droned on, filling the room with words he didn’t want to hear.

Cedric had closed his eyes, trying to ignore the conversation but the more she spoke, the more exhausted he became. His body already hurt, his head was heavy and he simply didn’t have the patience for gossip.

Later, when Jessica tried to become affectionate with him, his patience finally snapped.

"Jessica, stop," he had said sharply.

She had looked surprised, her hands freezing mid-motion.

"My body is in no condition for this right now."

He had expected her to understand.

Instead, her reaction had made him feel even worse. Her words had struck at his pride, leaving him feeling as though she was questioning his masculinity simply because he wasn’t interested in intimacy while he was injured and recovering.

Cedric had stared at her in disbelief. "Are you seriously saying that right now?"

The memory made his jaw tighten.

He had been lying in a hospital bed, bruised and exhausted and instead of simply allowing him to rest, the situation had somehow turned into another source of pressure.

Now, sitting alone, Cedric rubbed his forehead.

He didn’t know why the memory bothered him so much.

Perhaps because, for the first time, he had begun noticing how different being around Jessica felt compared with being around Daisy.

Daisy hadn’t asked anything from him. She hadn’t complained. She hadn’t demanded his attention. She had simply stayed beside him, given him medicine, brought him water and worried about whether he was comfortable.

Cedric frowned.

He didn’t like where his thoughts were going.

He looked toward the door through which Daisy had just left.

Then he quietly sighed.

"What’s happening to me?"