Mafia Lord's Mute Sweetheart

Chapter 90: Chapter 90 Everyone is talking about me?

Daisy listened, her eyes fixed on his notes, her mind absorbing everything he said.

And then something strange happened.

She understood. She understood them deeply, instinctively like she had known them all along. The way he described the layering of notes, the balance of volatile and fixative compounds, the delicate dance of creating something that would linger on the skin—it all felt familiar.

Like she was remembering something she had learned long ago, something buried deep in her subconscious, waiting to be uncovered.

She blinked, startled by the intensity of her own understanding. Concepts that should have felt new felt like old friends.

Ace noticed her expression. "Are you okay?"

Daisy nodded quickly, still processing. She pointed at the notes, then at herself, then made a small gesture.

I understand.

Ace read her expression and smiled. "You’re picking it up quickly. That’s good. Really good."

He continued explaining, moving through more advanced concepts. Daisy followed without effort. She found herself pointing at diagrams, writing down thoughts on the rough page that surprised her with their precision. Her hand moved across the paper as if it had a mind of its own, capturing ideas she didn’t know she had.

Ace looked at her notes and raised his eyebrows. "That is an interesting observation. Where did you learn that?"

Daisy paused. She did not know. She just... knew.

She shrugged, writing a simple response.

I don’t know. I just thought of it.

Ace studied her for a moment, then smiled wider.

"You have a natural instinct," he said. "That is something you cannot teach."

Daisy felt a warmth spread through her chest. She looked at the rough page, already full of her writing. She felt proud of herself, a feeling she hadn’t experienced in a long time.

She reached for her phone to type a reply.

"Ah—" Ace gently held up a hand. "You can’t use your phone in the lab. It’s a safety rule. We don’t allow personal devices at the workstations. Too many distractions and risks."

Daisy’s eyes widened slightly. She looked at her phone, then at him, then back at her phone. She bit her lower lip, a small, uncertain gesture.

She had not thought about that. She had been relying on her phone for so long that she had forgotten it might not always be an option.

Ace seemed to sense her concern. "You’ll need to carry a notebook or journal for communication."

Daisy nodded slowly and wrote on the edge of the page in the smallest handwriting.

I understand. I will bring a journal tomorrow.

She showed it to Ace.

He read it and nodded approvingly. "Good. It’s better anyway. You can keep all your thoughts and ideas in one place. It will help you track your progress."

Daisy smiled and nodded. She felt a little better knowing she had a solution.

❀┈┈┈┈❀

Lunchtime arrived faster than Daisy expected.

She had been so absorbed in the lab work, in Ace’s explanations, in the strange familiarity of it all, that she had not realized how much time had passed. Her stomach finally reminded her with a soft growl, and she looked up from her notebook to see Ace stretching his arms above his head.

"Hungry?" he asked, a playful grin on his face.

Daisy nodded, her cheeks flushing slightly.

"Come on. The cafeteria is decent. Not amazing, but decent. You’ll survive."

Daisy followed him out of the lab and down a short hallway. The cafeteria was bright and clean, with long tables and large windows that let in the afternoon sun. The smell of warm food filled the air, making Daisy’s stomach growl again.

Ace grabbed a tray and handed her one. "Grab whatever you like. Company provides lunch. It’s one of the perks."

Daisy looked at the spread. There were salads, sandwiches, hot dishes, soups, and a small dessert section with pastries and fruit. She selected a simple salad and a small bowl of soup, then followed Ace to a table near the window.

They sat down, and Ace started eating immediately, clearly not one to waste time.

Daisy took a careful bite of her soup. It was warm and flavorful, nothing like the tasteless meals she often had to make for herself at home.

"So," Ace said between bites, "first day impressions? You surviving?"

Daisy smiled and pulled out her phone. She wrote quickly.

I love it. The lab is amazing. Everyone is so nice. I feel like I belong here.

Ace read the words and smiled. "Good. That’s how it should feel."

A woman approached their table, a tray in her hands. She was around Daisy’s age with short, spiky hair dyed a soft pink at the ends. Her eyes were bright, her smile wide.

"Hi! I’m Mona. I work in the quality control department. You must be the new perfumer everyone is talking about."

Daisy blinked. Everyone is talking about me?

Ace laughed. "Mona knows everything that happens in this building. She’s the unofficial gossip queen."

Mona shot him a playful glare. "I prefer ’information officer.’" She turned back to Daisy. "So, what’s your name? What do you do? Are you as smart as they say?"

Daisy felt her cheeks warm. She wrote on her phone.

I am Daisy. I am in the perfumery department. I don’t know what they say about me, but I hope it is good.

Mona read the words and grinned. "Oh, I like her. She’s humble. That’s rare."

Ace shook his head. "She’s also incredibly talented. She picked up the fundamentals faster than anyone I’ve trained."

Mona raised her eyebrows. "Really? That’s impressive."

Daisy felt a warmth spread through her chest. She wrote quickly.

It just felt natural. I don’t know why. Like I had learned it before.

Mona and Ace exchanged a glance. There was something curious in their eyes, but neither of them pushed.

Throughout the meal, Mona kept Daisy entertained with stories about the company, the lab, and Ace’s embarrassing moments. Daisy found herself laughing silently, her shoulders shaking, her hand covering her mouth.

Ace was funny. He had a dry, self-deprecating sense of humor that made every story more entertaining. Mona was quick-witted, sharp and surprisingly warm. They spoke to Daisy like she was one of them, not like she was different.

And then Mona asked the unexpected...