Mafia Lord's Mute Sweetheart

Chapter 22: Chapter 22 Are you coming?

Daisy pulled out her phone. Her fingers trembled as she typed.

I am going to meet my friend.

She showed him the screen.

Cedric read the words. Friend. She had a friend? He did not know that. He had never thought about her having friends. She was always alone, always in her room, always knitting or reading or playing with flowers in the garden. He had assumed she preferred it that way.

He nodded slowly. "Let me drop you on the way. Wait for me."

Daisy’s eyes lit up.

She looked up at him, her dark eyes wide and shining, filled with something that looked like hope. She nodded eagerly, her bun bobbing with the motion.

Cedric found that she was not that annoying this morning. The usual irritation he felt when he looked at her was not there. He did not know why.

He turned and walked back into his room.

Daisy stood in the hallway, her heart racing.

He was going to drop her off. He was going to spend time with her. Even if it was just a car ride. Even if he would not speak to her. Even if he was only doing it because he had nothing better to do.

It was something.

Ten minutes later, Cedric came out of his room.

He was wearing casual blue clothes. A soft cotton shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, revealing his forearms. Dark jeans that fit him well, hugging his legs. White sneakers, clean and bright. His hair was combed now, still damp from a quick shower, the dark strands curling slightly at the ends.

He looked handsome. He always looked handsome.

Daisy was standing by the front door, her small bag over her shoulder, her sandals tapping softly against the marble floor. She had been waiting obediently, not moving from the spot where he had left her, afraid that if she moved, he would change his mind.

Cedric’s eyes flashed with something she could not name.

She looked like she belonged in a painting. A girl in a yellow dress, waiting by the door, the morning light streaming through the windows behind her. She looked like something from another time. Another world.

He walked past her without a word. She followed.

—The Driveway—

They walked out of the mansion together. The sun was higher now, and much hotter. Daisy could already feel the heat on her bare shoulders, the warmth seeping into her skin. The air smelled like flowers and freshly cut grass.

Cedric’s car was parked in the circular driveway, black and expensive, gleaming in the morning light. He unlocked the doors with a soft beep and gestured for her to get in.

Daisy reached for the handle.

Then another car pulled up behind them.

A sleek white convertible with tinted windows and shiny rims, the kind of car that turned heads. The engine purred, low and powerful.

The door opened.

Jessica stepped out.

She was wearing shorts. Tiny white shorts that showed off her long tanned legs, smooth and golden. A white top that tied at the front, revealing a glimpse of her flat stomach, the fabric hugging her curves.

Her red hair was loose and wavy, falling past her shoulders, catching the light like fire. Oversized sunglasses sat on her nose, hiding her eyes, making her look mysterious and glamorous.

She looked super stylish. Like a model stepping off a magazine cover. Like she had spent hours getting ready, even though she probably hadn’t.

"Ricky!" Jessica called out, her voice sweet and playful, dripping with affection. She walked toward them, her heels clicking on the pavement, each step confident and deliberate. "Let’s go! It is very hot already, and our friends planned a beach outing at Coral Coast."

She stopped in front of Cedric and placed a hand on his chest, her fingers splayed across the fabric of his shirt.

"Are you coming?"

Cedric hesitated.

He looked at Jessica. Her red hair. Her tanned skin. Her perfect smile. She was everything a man could want. Beautiful, Confident and Fun.

Then he looked at Daisy.

She was standing by the car, her small bag clutched to her chest, her yellow dress bright against the gray driveway. Her dark eyes were fixed on the ground. Her shoulders were tense.

His jaw tightened.

Daisy saw the hesitation in his eyes. She saw the way he looked at Jessica, the way his body leaned slightly toward her, drawn by something she could not compete with.

Her heart sank.

She pulled out her phone and typed quickly, her fingers moving faster than her mind.

You can go. I will take a taxi.

She showed him the screen. Then she gestured toward Jessica, then toward the white convertible, then made a small shooing motion with her hand.

Go. It is fine. I do not mind.

Cedric read the words.

He nodded. "Alright."

He did not hesitate anymore. He did not look back. He walked to Jessica’s side.

Daisy watched him go.

She felt something crack inside her chest. Small like a hairline fracture in a window. Not enough to shatter, but enough to know that something had broken.

Jessica wrapped her arms around Cedric’s waist. She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. She kissed him passionately and loudly, making sure the sound echoed across the driveway. She kissed him like she wanted the whole world to see. Like she wanted Daisy to see.

Daisy’s heart burned. She looked away.

Her eyes fixed on the ground. On her sandals. On the cracks in the pavement. On anything that was not them.

She could not watch.

Cedric’s hand came up to cup Jessica’s face. His other arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer. He kissed her back. Deeper and more hungrily. His eyes heated up.

Daisy stood frozen by the black car, her small bag clutched to her chest, her yellow dress bright and pretty and completely invisible.

She was always invisible.

Jessica finally pulled back, giggling. "Come on, Ricky. Everyone is waiting."

Cedric looked over Jessica’s shoulder at Daisy.

She was not looking at him. She was looking at the ground.

He felt something flicker. A twinge. Something uncomfortable in his chest. He ignored it.

He got into the white convertible.

Jessica slid into the driver’s seat and revved the engine, the sound loud and aggressive.

They drove away. Daisy stood alone in the driveway.

The sun was warm on her skin. The birds were still singing. The flowers in the garden were blooming. The world was still beautiful, even when she was not.

She took a deep breath. Then another.

She pulled out her phone and ordered a taxi.

Her fingers trembled as she typed the address of the cafe. She added a note: Please come quickly.

Then she walked to the end of the driveway and waited.

The sun beat down on her shoulders. The yellow dress fluttered in the breeze. Her bun was already loosening, strands of caramel hair escaping to frame her face.