Chapter 148: Are you engaged?
"They always had a troubled relationship for as long as I could remember. They fought every time they saw each other and we always resented them growing up,’’ she would wonder why they had to get married and give birth to them if they hated each other, ’’When our grandfather was alive, he used to say that our father loved our mother but we never saw the love. I never did so I did not take his words seriously.’’
Ryle held her hand and pulled her into his arms and Daisy did not struggle somehow.
She leaned against his shoulders, ’’But when dad was telling me about everything that had happened in the past, I realized how much the both of them suffered. Mom suffered so much but Dad did not suffer any loss. But that day, I was scared that if she failed to recover or if she continued to hate him after she woke up then what was he going to do.’’
Ryle had not seen the contents of the letter but he had a vague guess in his mind, ’’Did she recover her memories?"
Daisy nodded, ’’It sounds like she adapted to it and did not make it harsh for herself,’’ she had this accumulated anger and hatred for Alice especially after she started abusing Diana and some things can’t be easily forgotten overnight. She can’t forget the mental state her sister had ended up in nor could she forget that Angel had almost ended up in foster care if not for Diana’s time intervention. Maybe her father would have intervened and done something in secret to prevent that but those were all ifs and buts.
But Daisy did not know when she had stopped blaming their parents for it. Maybe because it was the realization that they did not do it on purpose and neither of them ever meant it. They just were two people who had this tragedy of never finding happiness and with time, they must have forgotten how to be happy.
’’Then it’s a good thing. Are you upset that she did not meet you before she left?"
Daisy remained quiet for some time when she heard his question, ’’We don’t have that kind of relationship,’’ she was afraid that if Alice met her when she regained consciousness, she would have relapsed her injuries at the sight of her.
But after realizing that her mother had regained her memories and she was even willing to elope with her father, Daisy guessed that she was no longer entirely the same as she used to be.
Ryle did not say anything else and just stroked her back. From her words, he could deduce that if she felt that they didn’t have that kind of relationship then Mrs. Chen must have felt the same. The last time he had encountered the woman was when Diana was hospitalized after the annual party and the woman had barged inside the hospital room, viciously blaming both Diana and Daisy for ridiculous things.
Even if she regained her memories, her psychological condition was not treated. Maybe she was partially guilty and ashamed of her past actions and she was also afraid of repeating them which is why she left without meeting her daughters.
Naturally, Daisy also understood that her mother also needed treatment which the both of them must have considered before they left.
The room sunk in silence.
But it was not the kind of uncomfortable silence. Daisy was leaning into Ryle’s embrace and he was stroking her back in rhythmic motions, his chin was lightly placed on the crown of her head.
Ryle lowered his head and looked at the woman who was completely still and soft in his arms and he could not help but lower his head and press his lips softly atop her head.
Daisy who felt the soft movement thought he was just moving around.
Suddenly, she moved away from his embrace.
Ryle was stunned, ’’What happened?" he reached out to pull her back into his arms but she dodged his approaching ’claws’ and looked at him coldly.
’’Tell me, Ryle...’’
’’Yeah, come back into my arms first, and then I will tell you everything you want to know,’’ Ryle proceeded to stretch his ’claws’ once again. It was fine when she was running away and he was chasing her but once he held her in his arms, he was reluctant to let go of her.
Daisy slapped his hands away, ’’Do you have a fiancee?"
Ryle froze by the sudden turn in her question. He was dumbfounded.
Daisy frowned, ’’Yes or no?"
’’Nonsense!" Ryle looked like he had heard something ridiculous, ’’Do I look like I have a fiancee?"
Daisy looked at him from head to toe, ’’I don’t know what an engaged man looks like. You tell me.’’
’’Of course not, Daze. What engagement—’’
’’Baby,’’ Ryle had yet to finish his words when the door to the hospital room opened and a beautiful woman stepped inside.
Daisy felt like the woman was familiar but she could not put a finger on where she had seen her before.
’’What are you doing here?" Ryle stood up when he saw the woman.
Daisy who was still sitting on the couch raised her eyebrow. She had yet to get an answer about her fiancee and now there was a baby in the picture.
She felt like this was her sign to stay away from this frivolous guy.
Had Ryle known that his action of standing up at the sight of another woman would be misinterpreted to this extent then he would have coughed up blood.
The woman who called him ’baby’ however did not stop at that and instead moved closer to hook her hand around his arm.
’’Nora, are you on drugs?" Ryle got goosebumps and he immediately wanted to shake off the hand when he spotted Daisy’s gradually darkening face from the side.
Nora Queens. His fiancee.
Daisy inhaled a deep breath and said, ’’I have some things to attend to. Take your time.’’
She had just taken a step forward when her wrist was grabbed in a strong grip. She wanted to twist the hand that was holding her and dislocate at least one bone but she resisted the urge to do that as she turned to look at Ryle with narrowed her eyes.
Ryle gulped.
He knew she was one step away from causing physical harm to him and he had no doubts about her capabilities. He was in fact a first-hand witness to how capable she was since she had been by his side and acted as his bodyguard when she was in Dexter’s disguise.
If she raised her hand, then he would not even have the urge to do self-defense so he could only handle the things before they got out of hand.
’’Explain yourself,’’ he looked at Nora and pulled his hand out of her grip.
’’What explain?" Nora blinked, ’’I am your fiancee and that is a fact. Just because you got yourself a little lover, now you want to cast me aside.’’
Daisy’s lips twitched. She felt like the woman was exaggerating the situation quite a bit. Even if they were engaged or something, where was the ’little lover’ and ’cast me aside’ situation? Was it that dramatic? After all, would Ryle be scared of her and even go as far as trying to lie to her to this extent?
However, Ryle who had no idea about Daisy’s analysis and thoughts had his face resembling the bottom of a pot when he heard Nora’s suggestive voice. He already did not have a decent image in Daisy’s head but whatever remnant of it was there was going to fly out of the hospital window if this menace continued any further.
’’If you don’t clarify right this instant, don’t be expected when I pull back my investments in your hospital,’’ Ryle’s voice went cold.
’Tsk’
The woman clicked her tongue and the coy expression on her face immediately disappeared and was replaced with a bored look, ’’You are no fun.’’
She turned to look at Daisy, ’’Just a fiancee-in-name.’’
Daisy did not know what to say to that. She felt something in her heart loosen but she also felt embarrassed to some extent. Did she misunderstand things? And even if she did, why did she ask it so explicitly? After all, Ryle was not really obliged to explain these things to her.
But she still could not deny the relief she felt.
How troublesome!
Daisy inwardly cursed but forced an outward calmness on her face as she stretched her hand towards the woman, ’’Daisy Chen.’’
’’I know you,’’ the woman held her hand and met her gaze, ’’Nora Queens.’’
’’You know me?" Daisy was bewildered.
’’We have encountered each other in Artemis Hospital before. I used to work there before?"
Daisy suddenly had a brief recollection. Maxim worked at Artemis Hospital and primarily, the hospital was just a branch hospital that his family owned. She had been there a few times before when she was staying with Diana as Dexter but it has been over a year since then. Back then, she had even taken Angel there when the little girl was sick once or twice. If she did not remember it wrong, Nora Queens was a renowned doctor in the pediatrics department.
She suddenly remembered another fact as well. There were rumors of Nora and Maxim’s past relationship all around the hospital and according to Diana, they had indeed dated briefly in the past but it was all a facade. Back then, Daisy had just treated it as passing information and did not pay much attention to it so she did not know the details and it had obviously slipped off her mind.
’’It seems like we have...’’ Daisy nodded, ’’You have a good memory,’’ she did not have any recollection after all.
