Mafia Lord's Mute Sweetheart

Chapter 96: Chapter 96 Discomfort

Mr. Higgins quickly hid his thoughts behind a pleasant smile, but his eyes betrayed him, lingering on her just a moment too long.

He said, his voice smooth and welcoming. "Please, have a seat."

He gestured toward the chair opposite his desk.

Daisy nodded politely before sitting down. She placed her folder on her lap and waited.

For some reason, the way he kept smiling at her made her feel uneasy. It wasn’t the warm, reassuring smile her colleagues wore. There was something she couldn’t quite explain about it. Something that made her skin prickle.

Choosing not to dwell on the feeling, she opened her folder and handed him the neatly organized report.

Mr. Higgins reached out to take it.

As their hands met, his fingers lingered against hers for a brief moment longer than necessary. The contact was subtle, so subtle that anyone watching might have dismissed it as accidental. But Daisy felt it clearly.

Her skin prickled.

She instinctively withdrew her hand, pulling it back to her lap.

Mr. Higgins lowered his gaze to the report, though a strange excitement flickered through him.

Her hands...

They were incredibly soft and delicate. The brief touch had lingered in his mind, and he found himself wondering what it would be like to hold them longer.

Across the desk, Daisy quietly folded her hands in her lap. The uncomfortable feeling in her chest grew just a little stronger, though she couldn’t explain why. She simply hoped the meeting would end quickly.

Mr. Higgins flipped through the pages one by one, his eyes moving over Daisy’s neat handwriting.

Mr. Higgins said with an approving smile. "Your work is very thorough. I’m impressed."

Daisy lowered her head slightly in thanks, returning a small and polite smile.

He closed the file halfway before tapping one of the pages with his finger.

Mr. Higgins said, his tone casual but deliberate. "There are a few points I’d like to understand better."

He looked up from the report, his eyes lingering on Daisy’s face.

"Could you come over here and explain them?"

Daisy blinked. Her fingers tightened around the edge of the folder in her lap. The request was simple enough, professional even, but something about the way he said it made her skin prickle.

Since she couldn’t speak, she hesitated for a moment, trying to figure out the best way to respond.

Mr. Higgins glanced around his desk before pulling an empty notebook closer. He picked up a pen and gestured for her to come beside him.

Mr. Higgins said smoothly. "You can write the explanations here."

Daisy bit her lower lip.

Something inside her told her to stay where she was. A voice in the back of her mind whispered that she shouldn’t get too close, that she should find a way to refuse.

But refusing her manager on only her fourth day felt inappropriate. She was new. She didn’t want to seem difficult or uncooperative.

After a brief hesitation, she slowly stood and walked to his side, making sure to keep a respectful distance between them. She stood slightly behind him, angled toward the desk, her body turned away from his.

Mr. Higgins opened the report and pointed to a paragraph.

Mr. Higgins said. "This part. I need more detail on your observations here."

He handed her the pen.

Daisy nodded, accepting it carefully. She leaned forward slightly, her focus on the notebook, her full attention on writing the explanation as clearly as possible.

She wrote quickly, her handwriting neat and precise. She explained the observation, the method she had used and the preliminary conclusions she had drawn. She was so absorbed in her work that she failed to notice Mr. Higgins watching her instead of the report.

A faint, pleasant fragrance drifted toward him. Something floral and soft. His gaze lingered on the loose strands of hair tucked behind her ear, then slowly wandered to the graceful curve of her neck, the delicate line of her jaw.

His eyes darkened.

After a few moments, he shifted slightly in his chair. Then, pretending to adjust his seat, he deliberately pushed it sideways.

The movement caught Daisy completely off guard.

Startled, she lost her balance. Her hand slipped and she stumbled sideways.

Before she could steady herself, Mr. Higgins quickly reached out and caught her by the waist. His hand settled on her side, his fingers pressing against the fabric of her blouse.

Daisy stiffened instantly.

A wave of discomfort washed over her, every instinct in her body screamed at her to pull away.

Without thinking, she stepped back and firmly removed his hand from her waist. Her movements were quick, almost automatic, driven by pure instinct.

Her breathing became uneven. Her heart raced. She kept her eyes fixed on the notebook, refusing to look at his face.

Trying to remain professional, she quickly pointed to the notebook, indicating that she had finished writing the explanation. Her hand trembled slightly.

Mr. Higgins glanced down at it as though nothing unusual had happened.

Mr. Higgins said smoothly. "Ah... yes. This answers my question. Thank you."

Daisy didn’t wait another second.

She hurriedly gathered the report, gave a quick polite bow and walked out of the office almost as fast as she could without appearing rude.

The moment the door closed behind her, she finally let out the breath she had been holding.

Her heart was beating much faster than before. Her skin still felt warm where his hand had touched her.

She couldn’t explain why, but every instinct inside her told her that she never wanted to be alone in that office again.

She walked quickly back toward the lab, her steps hurried, her mind racing.

She told herself it was nothing. Just an accident. Just a clumsy moment. But the uneasy feeling in her chest refused to go away.

❀┈┈┈┈❀

The underground parking garage was unusually quiet. The fluorescent lights overhead cast pale shadows across the concrete floor.

Rafael walked beside Alessio, lazily spinning his car keys around one finger before shooting his older brother a suspicious look. His eyes narrowed, and a slow, knowing grin spread across his face.

Rafael began, unable to suppress the grin tugging at his lips. "Bro... why do you keep coming to my company with me these days?"